PART ONE SOCIOLOGY OF SOCIAL PROBLEMS 2
CHAPTER 1 Definitions and Perspectives 5
Impediments to Defining Social Problems 6
What We Feel We Can Do 6
Societal Problems 6
The Fallacy of Inevitabihty 7
The Role of the Social Scientist 7
Value Judgments 7
The Limits of Observation 8
Objectivity and Theory 12
The Four Elements of a Social Problem 13
The Persistence of Social Problems 14
Individual or Social Damage 16
Offense to a Powerful Group's Standards 18
False Causes and Misdirected Interventions 19
Cultural Lags: Myth of the Undeserving 19
Quasi-Theories 21
The Myth of the Invisible Hand 22
Sociological Orientations to Social Problems 22
Introduction:Four Views of Social Order 22
Individual Faults and Deviant Behavior Emphasis 23
Institutional Faults and System Disorganization Emphasis 27
Inequality and Inevitable Conflict Emphasis 29
Interaction and Social Interpretation Emphasis 30
The Future of Social Problems 32
Rules for the Future 32
Methods for Studying the Future ed Social Problems 33
Summary 34
Suggested Readings 35
Glossary 36
CHAPTER 2 The Individual in Modem Society: Alienation and Anornie 39
The Quality of Individuals' Lives 40
Types of Life Satisfactions 40
The Impact of Society on the Individual 41
Shyness: A Cultural Fact 44
Embedded and Enmeshed in Society 44
Anoints: Disorganization, Separation, and Meaninglessness 49
The Loss of Community 49
Anemic Conditions 50
The Rust of Progress: Functionalists' Concerns 51
Vagueness and Specialization 53
Secularization and Search for Meaning 53
New Cults 54
Alienation: Powerlessness and Self-Estrangement 56
Powerlessness 56
False Values and Self-Estrangement 57
The Human Commodity 58
Searching for Meaningful Identities 60
Individual Negotiation and Social Change 60
The Future 62
Pessimistic Scenario 62
Optimistic Scenario 64
Suggested Readings 66
Glossary 67
PART TWO CHALLENGES TO INDIVIDUAL WELL-BEING 68
CHAPTER 3 Alcohol and Drug Abuse 71
What is a Drug? 72
Alcohol 72
Amphetamines 76
Caffeine 76
Cocaine 77
Depressants 79
Marijuana 79
Narcotics 83
Tobacco 84
Understanding Drug Attitudes 86
Individual Faults and Deviant Behavior 86
Institutional Faults and System Disorganization 88
Inequality and Inevitable Conflict 89
Interaction and Social Interpretation 91
Social Consequences of Drug Use 93
Crime 93
Automobile Accidents 94
Health 96
Economic Losses 97
Professional Sports 99
Social Control and Solution Attempts 100
Preventive Programs 101
Treatment Programs 102
Corrective Efforts 104
The British Approach 104
The Future 105
Pessimistic Scenario 105
Optimistic Scenario 106
Summary+ 107
Suggested Readings 108
Glossary 109
CHAPTER 4 Sexual Expression 111
Sexual Conformity and Deviance 119
The Cross-Cultural Context 112
Homosexuality: Deviation or Variation? 113
Definitions of Homosexuality: Past and Present 114
Homosexuality in America: Stigma, Sanctions, and Gay Reactions 115
Differential Treatment of Homosexual Men and Women 115
The Nature of the Homosexual Relationship 118
The Gay Subculture 118
Female Homosexuality 118
Impersonal Sex: A Gay Male Phenomenon 119
Other Variations 120
Transsexualism 120
Transvestism Defined 123
Rape 124
The Crime of Rape Defined 124
The Plight of the Rape Victim 125
Preventing Rape 126
Commercial Exploitative Sex 128
Pornography 129
Prostitution 130
The Sexual Career of a Prostitute 130
Professional Prostitutes 131
Sociological Perspectives 139
Individual Faults and Deviant Behavior 132
Institutional Faults and System Disorganization 134
Inequality and Inevitable Conflict 134
Interaction and Social Interpretation 134
The Future 135
Pessimistic Scenario 135
Optimistic Scenario 137
Summary 138
Suggested Readings 139
Glossary 140
CHAPTER 5 Deviance and Crime 143
Deviance and Crime Defined 144
Crime and Punishment in Historical Perspective 145
Crime, Laws, and Prosecution 146
Reported Crime 147
Measuring the Extent of Crime 147
Crime That Is Not Systematically Monitored 159
White-Collar Crime 152
Computer Crime: A Rapidly Growing Threat 157
Unique Problems Associated with Combatting Computer Crime 157
Juvenile Delinquency 159
Explaining Crime and Delinquency 169
Discredited Physical Explanations 169
Psychological Explanations 163
Sociological Explanations 163
The Criminal Justice System 167
The Police 167
The Prisons 167
Solutions Past, Present, and Future 171
Solutions Aimed at the Offender and Potential Offender 171
Solutions Aimed at the Criminal Justice System 172
The Future 174
Pessimistic Scenario 174
Optimistic Scenario 175
Summary 176
Suggested Readings 178
Glossary 180
CHAPTER 6 Violence, Terrorism, and War 183
Vigilantism in American History 184
Violence as a Social Problem 185
Three Common Justifications of Violence 186
Criminal Violence 186
Criminal Violence in the United States 187
Homicide 189
Murderers and Their Victims 190
Rape Is Violence 191
Terrorism 192
Terrorism Past and Present 192
Societal Reaction to the Terrorist 194
Political Terrorism 194
How Effective is Terrorism? 194
International Terrorism 196
Nuclear Terrorism 197
War 197
Reasons for War 198
War in America's Past and Present 198
The Special Case of Nuclear War 199
Sociological Perspectives 203
Individual Faults and Deviant Behavior 203
Institutional Faults and System Disorganization 203
Inequality and Inevitable Conflict 204
Interaction and Social Interpretation 204
The Future 205
Pessimistic Scenario 206
Optimistic Scenario 207
Summary 208
Suggested Readings 209
Glossary 210
PART THREE CHALLENGES TO SOCIAL EQUALITY 213
CHAPTER 7 Aging in a Youth-Oriented Society 215
The Graying of America 216
Demographic Factors 216
Values About Age 218
Myths and Stereotypes 222
Mental Capacities 222
Sexuality 223
Negative Attitudes 224
Problems of the Elderly 224
Retirement 225
Economic Problems 227
Housing 232
Health Care 232
Exploiting the Elderly 237
Sociological Perspectives 239
Individual Faults and Deviant Behavior 239
Institutional Faults and System Disorganization 240
Inequality and Inevitable Conflict 242
Interaction and Social Interpretation 242
The Future 243
Pessimistic Scenario 243
Optimistic Scenario 244
Conclusion 245
Summary 246
Suggested Readings 247
Glossary 248
CHAPTER 8 Race and Ethnic Relations 251
Institutionalized Discrimination 252
Education 253
Employment 258
Housing 261
Legal Justice 263
Specific Problem Areas 264
Native Americans 264
Black Americans 268
Hispantcs 269
Migrant Workers 269
lllegal Aliens 270
Sociological Perspectives 271
Individual Faults and Deviant Behavior 272
Institutional Faults and System Disorganization 275
Inequality and Inevitable Conflict 275
Interaction and Social Interpretation 276
The Future 277
Pessimistic Scenario 277
Optimistic Scenario 278
Summary 279
Suggested Readings 280
Glossary 282
CHAPTER 9 Poverty 285
The Nature of Poverty 286
Absolute Deprivation 287
Relative Deprivation 286
Who Are The Poor? 290
Minority Status 291
Family Structure 291
Age 293
Locale 296
The Impact of Poverty 297
Health 297
Housing 298
Family Life 298
Psychological Scars 299
Education 299
Work 299
Who Is To Blame For Poverty? 300
Individual Faults and Deviant Behavior 300
Institutional Faults and System Disorganization 303
Inequality and Inevitable Conflict 305
Interaction and Social Interpretation 306
Work and Welfare 308
The Nonworking Poor 308
The Welfare Poor 309
The Welfare Rich 313
Eliminating Poverty 315
The "Trickle-Down" Approach 315
The "Robin-Hood" Approach 316
The Interventionist Approach 316
The Future 317
Pessimistic Scenario 317
Optimistic Scenario 318
Summary 319
Suggested Readings 320
Glossary 321
CHAPTER 10 Sexism 323
Biological Justifications for Sexism 324
Weakness of the Biological Argument 324
Socialization and Sexism 325
Values and Goals 325
Internalization of Roles 326
Effects of Sexism 328
Women as a Minority Group 328
Biological Limitations and Deformations 328
Powerlessness in Interaction 331
Sexual Harassment 333
Arenas of Change 335
Edtication 335
Working for Less 336
Political and Legal System Sexism 339
Sociological Perspectives 341
Individual Faults 341
Institutional Faults 342
Inequality and Inevitable Conflict 343
Interaction and Social Interpretation 344
The Future 347
Pessimistic Scenario 348
Optimistic Scenario 349
Summary 349
Suggested Readings 350
Glossary 352
PART FOUR CHALLENGES TO SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS 354
CHAPTER 11 The Family 357
Contemporary Families in Transition 358
Social Change or Social Problem? 359
Divorce 361
Factors Contributing to the High Rate of Divorce 361
The Impact of Divorce on Adults 362
The Impact of Divorce on Children 364
Single-Parent Families 365
Families Headed by Women 366
Nonmarital Births 367
Violence and Abuse 367
Incidence of Family Violence 369
Social Factors Linked to Violence 371
Runaways 373
Sexual Violence and Victimization in the Family 373
Marital Rape 373
Incest 374
Violence and Victimization: The Need for Societal Intervention 375
Services for Battered Wives 375
Intervention in Child Abuse 375
The Police 375
Prevention of Family Violence 376
Why Are Families In Trouble? 377
Individual Faults and Deviant Behavior 377
Institutional Faults and System Disorganization 378
Inequality and Inevitable Conflict 379
Interaction and Social Interpretation 380
What Can Be Done To Help Families? 381
The Future 383
Pessimistic Scenario 383
Optimistic Scenario 384
Summary 385
Suggested Readings 386
Glossary 388
CHAPTER 12 Problems in Education 391
Characteristics and Contradictions 392
Compulsory and Universal Education 392
Community Control 393
The School as a Bureaucracy 394
Conformity and Obedience 394
Hierarchy of Authority 394
Education and Social Class 395
Dominance of Middle-Class Values 395
Ability Grouping 397
Integration and the Quality of Education 400
Busing 403
School Funding 403
The Declining Quality of Education 405
What's Wrong With Our Schools? 405
Subject Matter 407
Academic Standards 408
Sociological Perspectives 409
Individual Faults and Deviant Behavior 409
Institutional Faults and System Disorganization 410
Inequality and Inevitable Conflict 412
Interaction and Social Interpretation 413
How Can We Improve Education? 414
Equitable School Districts 414
Better Teachers 418
The Future 420
Pessimistic Scenario 420
Optimistic Scenario 421
Summary 422
Suggested Readings 423
Glossary 425
CHAPTER 13 The Concentration of Economic and Political Power 427
Corporate America 428
Who Owns The Corporations? 429
Engulf and Devour 430
The Irrelevance of Evil 431
Government-Corporate Alliances 434
Financial Benefits 435
The Military-Industrial Complex 436
Multinational Corporations 440
International Impact 441
Abuse of Power 442
Inequality and Inevitable Conflict 523
Interaction and Social Interpretation 526
The Future 527
Pessimistic Scenario 527
Optimistic Scenario 528
Conclusion 528
Summary 529
Suggested Readings 530
Glossary 531
CHAPTER 16 Population and Ecology 533
The Scope of the Problem: Images of the World System 534
Malthusian Pessimism 534
Earth as a System: The Limits to Growth Study 535
The Earth as a Lifeboat 535
Demographic Transition Theory 538
Population Pressure on the World 537
Continuing Growth 538
Resource Depletion: The Scarcity of Cropland 540
Hunger in Developing Nations 541
Extinction of Species 542
Transformation of Natural Processes: Acid Rain 544
Ecosystem Problems 544
Ecosystem Thinking 544
Current Ecosystem Problems 546
Dangerous Practices and Regulation Difficulties 547
What Can Be Done About Pollution?: New Jersey's Program 550
The Persistence of Ecological and Population Problems 550
Positions That Deny the Need for Action 551
Cultural Supports for Population Growth and Resource Depletion 552
Sociological Orientations and Solutions 554
The Individual Faults Emphasis: Excess/Unwanted Fertility 554
System Disorganization Emphasis: Changing institutions 554
Inequality and Inevitable Conflict Emphasis 555
Social Interaction: Interpretation Emphasis 556
Population Policy and the Control Dilemma 558
Beyond Family Planning 558
Policy Proposals for Population Reduction 559
The Future 569
Pessimistic Scenario 562
Optimistic Scenario 563
Summary 585
Suggested Readings 586
Glossary 567
CHAPTER 17 Work and Occupational Trends 569
Occupational Trends 570
Rise of the Service Sector 570
The Impact of Automation 572
Unemployment Problems 575
Who Is Unemployed? 575
Effects of Long-term Unemployment 579
Job Satisfaction 582
Measuring Workers' Satisfaction 582
Attributes of Job Satisfaction 586
Sociological Perspectives 588
Individual Faults and Deviant Behavior 588
Institutional Faults and System Disorganization 569
Inequality and Inevitable Conflict 591
Interaction and Social Interpretation 592
Occupational Health and Safety 594
Government Intervention 594
Health Hazard Occupations 595
The Future 598
Pessimistic Scenario 598
Optimistic Scenario 599
Summary 600
Suggested Readings 600
Glossary 602
Notes 603
Photo Credits 635
Index 637