《CONTEMPORARY SOCIAL PROBLEMS》求取 ⇩

PART ONE SOCIOLOGY OF SOCIAL PROBLEMS2

CHAPTER 1 Definitions and Perspectives5

Impediments to Defining Social Problems6

What We Feel We Can Do6

Societal Problems6

The Fallacy of Inevitabihty7

The Role of the Social Scientist7

Value Judgments7

The Limits of Observation8

Objectivity and Theory12

The Four Elements of a Social Problem13

The Persistence of Social Problems14

Individual or Social Damage16

Offense to a Powerful Group's Standards18

False Causes and Misdirected Interventions19

Cultural Lags: Myth of the Undeserving19

Quasi-Theories21

The Myth of the Invisible Hand22

Sociological Orientations to Social Problems22

Introduction:Four Views of Social Order22

Individual Faults and Deviant Behavior Emphasis23

Institutional Faults and System Disorganization Emphasis27

Inequality and Inevitable Conflict Emphasis29

Interaction and Social Interpretation Emphasis30

The Future of Social Problems32

Rules for the Future32

Methods for Studying the Future ed Social Problems33

Summary34

Suggested Readings35

Glossary36

CHAPTER 2 The Individual in Modem Society: Alienation and Anornie39

The Quality of Individuals' Lives40

Types of Life Satisfactions40

The Impact of Society on the Individual41

Shyness: A Cultural Fact44

Embedded and Enmeshed in Society44

Anoints: Disorganization, Separation, and Meaninglessness49

The Loss of Community49

Anemic Conditions50

The Rust of Progress: Functionalists' Concerns51

Vagueness and Specialization53

Secularization and Search for Meaning53

New Cults54

Alienation: Powerlessness and Self-Estrangement56

Powerlessness56

False Values and Self-Estrangement57

The Human Commodity58

Searching for Meaningful Identities60

Individual Negotiation and Social Change60

The Future62

Pessimistic Scenario62

Optimistic Scenario64

Suggested Readings66

Glossary67

PART TWO CHALLENGES TO INDIVIDUAL WELL-BEING68

CHAPTER 3 Alcohol and Drug Abuse71

What is a Drug?72

Alcohol72

Amphetamines76

Caffeine76

Cocaine77

Depressants79

Marijuana79

Narcotics83

Tobacco84

Understanding Drug Attitudes86

Individual Faults and Deviant Behavior86

Institutional Faults and System Disorganization88

Inequality and Inevitable Conflict89

Interaction and Social Interpretation91

Social Consequences of Drug Use93

Crime93

Automobile Accidents94

Health96

Economic Losses97

Professional Sports99

Social Control and Solution Attempts100

Preventive Programs101

Treatment Programs102

Corrective Efforts104

The British Approach104

The Future105

Pessimistic Scenario105

Optimistic Scenario106

Summary+107

Suggested Readings108

Glossary109

CHAPTER 4 Sexual Expression111

Sexual Conformity and Deviance119

The Cross-Cultural Context112

Homosexuality: Deviation or Variation?113

Definitions of Homosexuality: Past and Present114

Homosexuality in America: Stigma, Sanctions, and Gay Reactions115

Differential Treatment of Homosexual Men and Women115

The Nature of the Homosexual Relationship118

The Gay Subculture118

Female Homosexuality118

Impersonal Sex: A Gay Male Phenomenon119

Other Variations120

Transsexualism120

Transvestism Defined123

Rape124

The Crime of Rape Defined124

The Plight of the Rape Victim125

Preventing Rape126

Commercial Exploitative Sex128

Pornography129

Prostitution130

The Sexual Career of a Prostitute130

Professional Prostitutes131

Sociological Perspectives139

Individual Faults and Deviant Behavior132

Institutional Faults and System Disorganization134

Inequality and Inevitable Conflict134

Interaction and Social Interpretation134

The Future135

Pessimistic Scenario135

Optimistic Scenario137

Summary138

Suggested Readings139

Glossary140

CHAPTER 5 Deviance and Crime143

Deviance and Crime Defined144

Crime and Punishment in Historical Perspective145

Crime, Laws, and Prosecution146

Reported Crime147

Measuring the Extent of Crime147

Crime That Is Not Systematically Monitored159

White-Collar Crime152

Computer Crime: A Rapidly Growing Threat157

Unique Problems Associated with Combatting Computer Crime157

Juvenile Delinquency159

Explaining Crime and Delinquency169

Discredited Physical Explanations169

Psychological Explanations163

Sociological Explanations163

The Criminal Justice System167

The Police167

The Prisons167

Solutions Past, Present, and Future171

Solutions Aimed at the Offender and Potential Offender171

Solutions Aimed at the Criminal Justice System172

The Future174

Pessimistic Scenario174

Optimistic Scenario175

Summary176

Suggested Readings178

Glossary180

CHAPTER 6 Violence, Terrorism, and War183

Vigilantism in American History184

Violence as a Social Problem185

Three Common Justifications of Violence186

Criminal Violence186

Criminal Violence in the United States187

Homicide189

Murderers and Their Victims190

Rape Is Violence191

Terrorism192

Terrorism Past and Present192

Societal Reaction to the Terrorist194

Political Terrorism194

How Effective is Terrorism?194

International Terrorism196

Nuclear Terrorism197

War197

Reasons for War198

War in America's Past and Present198

The Special Case of Nuclear War199

Sociological Perspectives203

Individual Faults and Deviant Behavior203

Institutional Faults and System Disorganization203

Inequality and Inevitable Conflict204

Interaction and Social Interpretation204

The Future205

Pessimistic Scenario206

Optimistic Scenario207

Summary208

Suggested Readings209

Glossary210

PART THREECHALLENGES TO SOCIAL EQUALITY213

CHAPTER 7Aging in a Youth-Oriented Society215

The Graying of America216

Demographic Factors216

Values About Age218

Myths and Stereotypes222

Mental Capacities222

Sexuality223

Negative Attitudes224

Problems of the Elderly224

Retirement225

Economic Problems227

Housing232

Health Care232

Exploiting the Elderly237

Sociological Perspectives239

Individual Faults and Deviant Behavior239

Institutional Faults and System Disorganization240

Inequality and Inevitable Conflict242

Interaction and Social Interpretation242

The Future243

Pessimistic Scenario243

Optimistic Scenario244

Conclusion245

Summary246

Suggested Readings247

Glossary248

CHAPTER 8 Race and Ethnic Relations251

Institutionalized Discrimination252

Education253

Employment258

Housing261

Legal Justice263

Specific Problem Areas264

Native Americans264

Black Americans268

Hispantcs269

Migrant Workers269

lllegal Aliens270

Sociological Perspectives271

Individual Faults and Deviant Behavior272

Institutional Faults and System Disorganization275

Inequality and Inevitable Conflict275

Interaction and Social Interpretation276

The Future277

Pessimistic Scenario277

Optimistic Scenario278

Summary279

Suggested Readings280

Glossary282

CHAPTER 9 Poverty285

The Nature of Poverty286

Absolute Deprivation287

Relative Deprivation286

Who Are The Poor?290

Minority Status291

Family Structure291

Age293

Locale296

The Impact of Poverty297

Health297

Housing298

Family Life298

Psychological Scars299

Education299

Work299

Who Is To Blame For Poverty?300

Individual Faults and Deviant Behavior300

Institutional Faults and System Disorganization303

Inequality and Inevitable Conflict305

Interaction and Social Interpretation306

Work and Welfare308

The Nonworking Poor308

The Welfare Poor309

The Welfare Rich313

Eliminating Poverty315

The "Trickle-Down" Approach315

The "Robin-Hood" Approach316

The Interventionist Approach316

The Future317

Pessimistic Scenario317

Optimistic Scenario318

Summary319

Suggested Readings320

Glossary321

CHAPTER 10 Sexism323

Biological Justifications for Sexism324

Weakness of the Biological Argument324

Socialization and Sexism325

Values and Goals325

Internalization of Roles326

Effects of Sexism328

Women as a Minority Group328

Biological Limitations and Deformations328

Powerlessness in Interaction331

Sexual Harassment333

Arenas of Change335

Edtication335

Working for Less336

Political and Legal System Sexism339

Sociological Perspectives341

Individual Faults341

Institutional Faults342

Inequality and Inevitable Conflict343

Interaction and Social Interpretation344

The Future347

Pessimistic Scenario348

Optimistic Scenario349

Summary349

Suggested Readings350

Glossary352

PART FOURCHALLENGES TO SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS354

CHAPTER 11 The Family357

Contemporary Families in Transition358

Social Change or Social Problem?359

Divorce361

Factors Contributing to the High Rate of Divorce361

The Impact of Divorce on Adults362

The Impact of Divorce on Children364

Single-Parent Families365

Families Headed by Women366

Nonmarital Births367

Violence and Abuse367

Incidence of Family Violence369

Social Factors Linked to Violence371

Runaways373

Sexual Violence and Victimization in the Family373

Marital Rape373

Incest374

Violence and Victimization: The Need for Societal Intervention375

Services for Battered Wives375

Intervention in Child Abuse375

The Police375

Prevention of Family Violence376

Why Are Families In Trouble?377

Individual Faults and Deviant Behavior377

Institutional Faults and System Disorganization378

Inequality and Inevitable Conflict379

Interaction and Social Interpretation380

What Can Be Done To Help Families?381

The Future383

Pessimistic Scenario383

Optimistic Scenario384

Summary385

Suggested Readings386

Glossary388

CHAPTER 12 Problems in Education391

Characteristics and Contradictions392

Compulsory and Universal Education392

Community Control393

The School as a Bureaucracy394

Conformity and Obedience394

Hierarchy of Authority394

Education and Social Class395

Dominance of Middle-Class Values395

Ability Grouping397

Integration and the Quality of Education400

Busing403

School Funding403

The Declining Quality of Education405

What's Wrong With Our Schools?405

Subject Matter407

Academic Standards408

Sociological Perspectives409

Individual Faults and Deviant Behavior409

Institutional Faults and System Disorganization410

Inequality and Inevitable Conflict412

Interaction and Social Interpretation413

How Can We Improve Education?414

Equitable School Districts414

Better Teachers418

The Future420

Pessimistic Scenario420

Optimistic Scenario421

Summary422

Suggested Readings423

Glossary425

CHAPTER 13 The Concentration of Economic and Political Power427

Corporate America428

Who Owns The Corporations?429

Engulf and Devour430

The Irrelevance of Evil431

Government-Corporate Alliances434

Financial Benefits435

The Military-Industrial Complex436

Multinational Corporations440

International Impact441

Abuse of Power442

Inequality and Inevitable Conflict523

Interaction and Social Interpretation526

The Future527

Pessimistic Scenario527

Optimistic Scenario528

Conclusion528

Summary529

Suggested Readings530

Glossary531

CHAPTER 16 Population and Ecology533

The Scope of the Problem: Images of the World System534

Malthusian Pessimism534

Earth as a System: The Limits to Growth Study535

The Earth as a Lifeboat535

Demographic Transition Theory538

Population Pressure on the World537

Continuing Growth538

Resource Depletion: The Scarcity of Cropland540

Hunger in Developing Nations541

Extinction of Species542

Transformation of Natural Processes: Acid Rain544

Ecosystem Problems544

Ecosystem Thinking544

Current Ecosystem Problems546

Dangerous Practices and Regulation Difficulties547

What Can Be Done About Pollution?: New Jersey's Program550

The Persistence of Ecological and Population Problems550

Positions That Deny the Need for Action551

Cultural Supports for Population Growth and Resource Depletion552

Sociological Orientations and Solutions554

The Individual Faults Emphasis: Excess/Unwanted Fertility554

System Disorganization Emphasis: Changing institutions554

Inequality and Inevitable Conflict Emphasis555

Social Interaction: Interpretation Emphasis556

Population Policy and the Control Dilemma558

Beyond Family Planning558

Policy Proposals for Population Reduction559

The Future569

Pessimistic Scenario562

Optimistic Scenario563

Summary585

Suggested Readings586

Glossary567

CHAPTER 17 Work and Occupational Trends569

Occupational Trends570

Rise of the Service Sector570

The Impact of Automation572

Unemployment Problems575

Who Is Unemployed?575

Effects of Long-term Unemployment579

Job Satisfaction582

Measuring Workers' Satisfaction582

Attributes of Job Satisfaction586

Sociological Perspectives588

Individual Faults and Deviant Behavior588

Institutional Faults and System Disorganization569

Inequality and Inevitable Conflict591

Interaction and Social Interpretation592

Occupational Health and Safety594

Government Intervention594

Health Hazard Occupations595

The Future598

Pessimistic Scenario598

Optimistic Scenario599

Summary600

Suggested Readings600

Glossary602

Notes603

Photo Credits635

Index637