H1 how sociologists view social problems:
the abortion dilemma
Sociological imagination
Looking at people’s actions and attitudes in the context of the social forces that
shape them
Understanding how our personal troubles are connected to the conditions of society
Growing up in a different society with different understandings different view on
dilemmas in our society
The sociological imagination makes sure our focus on the social context
There are 3 levels on how it shapes us:
1. Broad social context historical events
2. The narrow social context includes gender, race-ethnicity, religion, and social
class
3. The personal context refers to relationships these shape your vision on life
Social location: where you are located in society
Not only physical but also personal characteristics
This does not determine our actions, but shape them
Social problems
Aspects of society that a lot of people are concerned about and would like changed
Objective condition can be measured or experienced
Subjective concern a concern that people have about the objective
condition
Social problems are dynamic they change when society changes
Social problems are relative people consider it a problem, depending on their
values
Value: a belief about whether something is good or bad
They are socially constructed
We are exposed to competing, contrasting, and conflicting views of life
but eventually which view and definition of a social problem wins?
the view of the ones who have the most power
Central characteristics of social problems:
Objective conditions
Subjective concerns
Dynamism
Relativity
Competing views
The natural history of problems
Social problems go through four stages called the natural history of problems
The first stage defining the problem
People must become upset about some objective condition in society and
their perspective changes
The emergence of leaders leaders emerge who help to crystallize the issue
, Organizing around the issue organizing in every aspect, concentrating on
influential people
The second stage Crafting an official response
First and second stage intertwine often
One official response stimulates others
The third stage Reacting to the official response
Inspiring new opposition
Stimulates efforts at bringing more change
The fourth stage Developing alternative strategies
Alternative strategies of the antiabortionists:
Eliminating health insurance for abortions
Establishing crisis pregnancy centers encouraging them to give birth
Strategies of moderate antiabortionists
Mild actions, to encourage people not to proceed with abortion
Strategies of radicals
Extreme acts
Alternative strategies of the proabortionists:
Campaigning, lobbying lawmakers, publicizing their position
Using women’s stories to warn the public
Making mutual accusations is a big thing
The controversy continues: the supreme court
o Supreme court remains the final arbiter
o Anti- and proabortionists try to influence the supreme court nominees
o Hard decisions
Anti-abortionists want; federal right to life law human life begins at
conception it would be classified as murder
Proabortionists want; federal freedom of choice law all restrictions
removed regarding abortion
The role of sociology in social problems
Sociology: the systematic and objective study of human groups
Five contributions sociologists make in having an objective understanding of social
problems:
1. Sociologists can measure objective conditions information on numbers and
why decisions are being made
2. Sociologists can measure subjective concerns determine people’s attitude and
views social location is very significant
3. Sociologists can apply the sociological imagination placing social problems into
their broad social context
4. Sociologists can identify possible social policies suggesting potential courses of
action
5. Sociologists can evaluate likely consequences of social policies estimating social
effects
Sociology cannot dictate that one set of values is superior to another, it provides no
basis for making value decisions
Common sense: the ideas common to our society to get through daily life
, Common sense is not adequate for solving social problems, because some of our
ideas are based on faulty assumptions
Methods for studying social problems
Which method sociologists choose depends on three factors:
The question they want to investigate
The matter of practicality
Ethics
Four basic research designs:
1. Case studies used to gather in-depth information on a specific situation
(cannot generalize from them)
2. Surveys to overcome limitation knowing if experiences are similar between the
people in the research
Focusing on a sample of the group
Population to refer to the target group
Surveys allow you to generalize what you find
Best sample random sample
3. Experiments randomly dividing people with certain characteristics into two
groups
Exposing one to some experience (experience group)
The other group is the control group without the experience
Rare in studies of social problems
4. Field studies (participant observation) researchers go into the setting
Four methods for gathering information:
1. Interviews asking people questions on the topic
Structured interview everyone is asked the same questions
Unstructured interview letting people talk in depth about their
experiences and covering the topic
2. Questionnaires you ask people to answer written questions
Open or closed ended
3. Documents written sources or records
4. Observation observing what is occurring in some setting
Overt observation you are identified as a researcher
Covert observation people in setting are not aware they are being
studied
Sociologists often combine these methods
Should sociologists take sides?
Sociology has no basis to judge whether someone’s ideas are right or wrong
Taking the side of the oppressed
Sociologists have the obligation to objectively do research but they should
side with the ones that are being hurt/exploited
Some say they have a moral obligation to help the oppressed
Cannot provide the basis for choosing values
Should sociologists promote extreme point of views? Sociologists too uncover values
Sociologists sometimes take sides as professionals
Battle between two opinions:
the abortion dilemma
Sociological imagination
Looking at people’s actions and attitudes in the context of the social forces that
shape them
Understanding how our personal troubles are connected to the conditions of society
Growing up in a different society with different understandings different view on
dilemmas in our society
The sociological imagination makes sure our focus on the social context
There are 3 levels on how it shapes us:
1. Broad social context historical events
2. The narrow social context includes gender, race-ethnicity, religion, and social
class
3. The personal context refers to relationships these shape your vision on life
Social location: where you are located in society
Not only physical but also personal characteristics
This does not determine our actions, but shape them
Social problems
Aspects of society that a lot of people are concerned about and would like changed
Objective condition can be measured or experienced
Subjective concern a concern that people have about the objective
condition
Social problems are dynamic they change when society changes
Social problems are relative people consider it a problem, depending on their
values
Value: a belief about whether something is good or bad
They are socially constructed
We are exposed to competing, contrasting, and conflicting views of life
but eventually which view and definition of a social problem wins?
the view of the ones who have the most power
Central characteristics of social problems:
Objective conditions
Subjective concerns
Dynamism
Relativity
Competing views
The natural history of problems
Social problems go through four stages called the natural history of problems
The first stage defining the problem
People must become upset about some objective condition in society and
their perspective changes
The emergence of leaders leaders emerge who help to crystallize the issue
, Organizing around the issue organizing in every aspect, concentrating on
influential people
The second stage Crafting an official response
First and second stage intertwine often
One official response stimulates others
The third stage Reacting to the official response
Inspiring new opposition
Stimulates efforts at bringing more change
The fourth stage Developing alternative strategies
Alternative strategies of the antiabortionists:
Eliminating health insurance for abortions
Establishing crisis pregnancy centers encouraging them to give birth
Strategies of moderate antiabortionists
Mild actions, to encourage people not to proceed with abortion
Strategies of radicals
Extreme acts
Alternative strategies of the proabortionists:
Campaigning, lobbying lawmakers, publicizing their position
Using women’s stories to warn the public
Making mutual accusations is a big thing
The controversy continues: the supreme court
o Supreme court remains the final arbiter
o Anti- and proabortionists try to influence the supreme court nominees
o Hard decisions
Anti-abortionists want; federal right to life law human life begins at
conception it would be classified as murder
Proabortionists want; federal freedom of choice law all restrictions
removed regarding abortion
The role of sociology in social problems
Sociology: the systematic and objective study of human groups
Five contributions sociologists make in having an objective understanding of social
problems:
1. Sociologists can measure objective conditions information on numbers and
why decisions are being made
2. Sociologists can measure subjective concerns determine people’s attitude and
views social location is very significant
3. Sociologists can apply the sociological imagination placing social problems into
their broad social context
4. Sociologists can identify possible social policies suggesting potential courses of
action
5. Sociologists can evaluate likely consequences of social policies estimating social
effects
Sociology cannot dictate that one set of values is superior to another, it provides no
basis for making value decisions
Common sense: the ideas common to our society to get through daily life
, Common sense is not adequate for solving social problems, because some of our
ideas are based on faulty assumptions
Methods for studying social problems
Which method sociologists choose depends on three factors:
The question they want to investigate
The matter of practicality
Ethics
Four basic research designs:
1. Case studies used to gather in-depth information on a specific situation
(cannot generalize from them)
2. Surveys to overcome limitation knowing if experiences are similar between the
people in the research
Focusing on a sample of the group
Population to refer to the target group
Surveys allow you to generalize what you find
Best sample random sample
3. Experiments randomly dividing people with certain characteristics into two
groups
Exposing one to some experience (experience group)
The other group is the control group without the experience
Rare in studies of social problems
4. Field studies (participant observation) researchers go into the setting
Four methods for gathering information:
1. Interviews asking people questions on the topic
Structured interview everyone is asked the same questions
Unstructured interview letting people talk in depth about their
experiences and covering the topic
2. Questionnaires you ask people to answer written questions
Open or closed ended
3. Documents written sources or records
4. Observation observing what is occurring in some setting
Overt observation you are identified as a researcher
Covert observation people in setting are not aware they are being
studied
Sociologists often combine these methods
Should sociologists take sides?
Sociology has no basis to judge whether someone’s ideas are right or wrong
Taking the side of the oppressed
Sociologists have the obligation to objectively do research but they should
side with the ones that are being hurt/exploited
Some say they have a moral obligation to help the oppressed
Cannot provide the basis for choosing values
Should sociologists promote extreme point of views? Sociologists too uncover values
Sociologists sometimes take sides as professionals
Battle between two opinions:
