Sociology 2140 Chapter Notes - Chapter 1: Symbolic Interactionism, Feminist Theory, Postmodernism

• School: Western University
• Department: Sociology
• Course: Sociology 2140
• Professor: Cathy Thorpe

Document Summary

Social problems are de ned through a combo of objective and subjective criteria. Objective element- awareness of social conditions through one"s own life experience and through reports in the media. Subjective element- the belief that a particular social condition is harmful to society, or to a segment of society, and that it should and can be changed. Something cannot become a social problem until a segment of society believes that these conditions diminish the quality of human life. Claim-making activities- the strategies and actions that individuals or groups undertake to de ne social conditions as social problems that require remedy. Spector and kitsuse think that de ning conditions as problems is a social activity that assumes shared values and shared de nitions regarding what counts as a social good. A social problem is a social condition that a segment of society views as harmful to members of society and in need of remedy.