I. The Sociological Study of Social Problems 1
1. DEFINING SOCIAL PROBLEMS 3
What Are Social Problems? 5
Sociology and Definition of Social Problems 9
People, Places, Behavior, and Institutions 76
Summary 79
2. THE STUDY OF SOCIAL PROBLEMS 21
Concepts and Theories in the Study of Social Problems 22
Some Important General Ideas 29
Sources of Data on Social Problems 34
Summary 42
II. People and Places: Social Locations of Social Problems 43
3. INEQUALITY, AFFLUENCE, AND POVERTY: CLASS AS A SOCIAL PROBLEM 45
Inequality as a Problem in American Society 46
The Wealthy 49
The Poor 53
The Causes of Poverty 57
Summary 66
4. RACISM AND RACIAL INJUSTICE: AMERICAN MINORITIES 68
What is Race and Racism? 70
The Problem of Prejudice 74
Race and Inequality as a Problem 80
Four Minorities 86
Minorities and the Future 99
Summary 100
5. GENDER: THE STATUS OF WOMEN 103
History of and Changes in the Status of American Women 104
Men and Women: The Disappearing Difference 111
Sexual Inequality as a Social Problem 121
Sex Differences and Inequality: The Future 127
Summary 129
6. AGE IN AMERICA 131
Defining the Life Span: What is Age? 133
Redefining the Life Span: History, Structure, and Economy 139
Aging of the Population as a Problem 143
Conflict of Generations 149
Summary 152
7. CITY AND COUNTRY 154
American Culture and the City: A Tradition of Problems 156
Sociologists and New Cities of the 1920s-More Problems 157
City and Country: Gainers and Losers and New Economic Problems 161
The City and Social Policy 169
Summary 172
III. Four Problems in Behavior 175
8. CRIME 177
Defining Crime 178
Redefining Crime 181
Crime as Normal: The Social Function of the Criminal 182
How Much Crime Is There? 183
Social Location of Street Crime 193
Why is There Crime? 198
How May Crime Be Reduced? 203
Summary 205
9. DRUGS 206
Defining Drug Abuse: Drugs and Their Users 208
Redefining the Drug Problem 225
Why People Use Drugs 234
Reducing Drug-Related Social Problems 239
Summary 241
10. SEX PROBLEMS 242
Problems of Sex Education 245
Problems with Inappropriate Partners 247
Problems of Population Control 258
Problems of Pornography and Prostitution: Sex and Money 264
Problems of Harmful Sex Behavior 270
Sexual Behavior and Public Policy 273
Summary 274
11. PROBLEMS OF RESPONSIVE SOCIETY: CONFEDENCE, SPECIAL INTERESTS, ENVIRONMENT, AND CONSUMERISM 276
The Crisis of Confidence 278
Public Interests and Private Rights 282
The Crisis of the Environment 290
The Rise of Consumerism 296
Summary 302
IV. Institutional Solutions to Social Problems 304
12. EDUCATION 307
Institutionalization of the Schools 308
The Question of Effectiveness 314
American Education: Sociological Explanation of Problems 325
Summary 333
13. THE CRIMINAL-JUSTICE SYSTEM 335
Institutionalization of Criminal Justice 336
The Question of Effectiveness 341
Criminal Justice: The Sociological View 353
Solving the Problem of Criminal Justice 357
Summary 358
14. INSTITUTIONAL SOLUTIONS TO POVERTY 360
Institutionalization of Charity as a Government Responsibility 362
The Three Kinds of Welfare 363
The Sociological View: Two Controversial Programs 366
The Enduring Poor 378
Summary 379
15. THE HEALTH OF A NATION 381
Health Institutions as Problems 382
Growth of an Institution 389
Nature of Mental Health 395
Mental Health: An Institution in Change 402
The Nation's Health: Prospects and Policy 410
Summary 411
INDEX 413