These are class notes for the course of Social Problems at Tilburg University for the study of international sociology. The notes are missing the last theory on ethnic prejudices.
Lecture 1: General introduction and introduction to social problems
What is sociology?
I. Sociologists are interested in people/ society
A. But there are also a lot of sciences in which people are being studied also
interested in human behaviour and attitudes
II. What makes it different from other sciences?
A. Interaction between the individual and society
B. Study of the influence of societal factors on people’s behaviour and people’s
attitudes
1. Other scientists don't
a) They take an individual approach
(1) Psychology
(2) Microeconomics
(3) Biology
b) Or the focus on organizations/people in organizations
(1) Organization studies
(2) Human Resource Management
Social Problems:
I. What is a social problem?
A. Not one definition, because there are so many. There are more perspectives
1. Hart (1923): a problem that affects many people in the same way, the
best way to solve it is to treat is as one problem (structurally, not per
individual)
a) Problem: too strict, to generalized→ nothing is a social
problem
2. Merton & Nisbet (1976): any social condition that is different from what
people think it ought to be
a) Problem: suddenly everything becomes a social problem...what
are you studying
3. Henshel (1990) - Jamrozik & Nocella (1998):
a) Identifiable social origin
b) Must be perceived as a threat
c) Can be solved, at least partly
(1) Better than the first two: it has guidelines
(multidimensional)
4. For this course- Schuyt:
a) Many people are affected by the problem
b) Private troubles
c) Accumulation with other problems
, d) Not temporary/ persistent (doesn’t mean that it can’t be solved)
e) Social causes (causes are within society)
f) Current values under pressure
(1) Can still be vague
(2) Multidimensional, every dimension that should be
addressed is mentioned
II. Sociological and policy approach of social problems:
A. Non-sociological approach of social problems:
1. Common approach (especially in media):
a) Often a normative /subjective approach: strong opinion or only 1
perspective
b) ‘Empty’: there is a problem and there might be a discussion but
what now?
B. Sociological approach:
1. A systematic and scientific approach
a) Definition and description of the situation (often in numbers)
b) Investigating the causes for this situation (mostly by means of
surveys/data or interviews)
c) Providing possible solutions
C. Policy approach of social problems:
1. Sociological research provides possibilities for policymakers
2. Social policy: ‘Formal strategies that affect how society operates’
a) Can be on many levels
III. Different kinds of social problems:
A. Different levels at which a special problem can exist and be addressed -
Jamrozik & Nocella (1998)
1. City
2. National level
3. Global level
IV. Objective vs Subjective approach:
A. Objective:
1. Different sides /perspectives of the story
2. Based on facts
3. Use different kinds of evidence/ numbers
B. Subjective:
1. One side/perspective of the story
2. Based on opinion instead of facts
3. Using evidence that only fits the story
V. Addressing social problems internationally:
A. Often a national perspective- a global perspective lacking
1. Why?
, a) Not the country’s interest
b) Most countries are nationalistic
c) Lack of trust?
B. Which problems do you think should be addressed internationally?
1. Immigration
2. Global warming
3. Poverty (maybe before immigration)
Lecture 2: Emergence of thinking about social problems and moral panic (CANVAS)
Moral panic:
I. The processor of social problems
II. Reaction to deviance
A. Rejection
B. Acceptance
C. An outbreak of moral panic
1. Something that has happened in society that causes shock in society
a) Examples:
(1) “Senseless’’ violence in the Netherlands
(2) Incest in Austria
(3) XTC deads at house parties
(4) Terrorism and fear for the islam in the Western World
III. Age of moral panic:
A. Increasing rapidity in the succession of moral panic
1. Culture of fear
B. All pervasive quality of the panics: paranoid parenting
C. Background: nostalgia for the good old days
D. Moral panic is part of industrial society
IV. Production of moral panic:
A. Cycle:
1. Deviant act
2. Crime: as defined by crime control agencies
3. Operation of news values: selective practices of news-making
4. Crime as news: selective portrayal of crime in the media
5. Deviancy amplification: targeting of news, public concern and crime
control agencies on particular aspects of deviance. Perceived and real
increases in deviance
6. Moral panic: law and order campaign
7. Public definition of crime: consequences of selective knowledge about
crime: fear, less tolerance, calls for crackdowns, etc.
B. Interaction between:
1. Media
2. Public opinion
, 3. Interest groups
4. Authorities
V. Theories:
A. Grassroots model: general public
1. Fear/values are threatened
B. Elite engineered model
1. Elite control the public
C. Interest group model
1. Usually middle ranks of power
2. Who benefits? Moral crusaders
VI. Stages:
A. Something or someone is defined as a threat to values or interests
B. This threat is depicted in an easily recognizable form by the media
C. There is a rapid build-up of public concern
D. There is a response from authorities or opinion makers
E. The panic recedes or results in social changes
VII. Indicators:
A. Concern of behaviour (not the same of fear)
B. Hostility towards a group category
1. We/they, stereotypes, folk devils, evil/good
C. Widespread consensus
D. Disproportionality: “overrepresentation” and “under-representation” of a
particular. demographic group in special education programs. relative to the
presence of this group in the overall.
E. Volatility: liability to change rapidly and unpredictably, especially for the worse
1. Dormant, erupt
2. Institutionalised: social movement
Music as moral panic- Case study:
I. Main questions:
A. What is the relationship between music and deviance
B. How can we understand the moral panic around music
II. Conflicts over popular music:
A. Involvement of groups who disagree about appropriate
1. Habits
2. Tastes
3. Values
4. Behaviour
5. Adult vs youth
B. Example: Resistance to jazz in the 20s
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