Seeing Social Problems
The Hidden Stories Behind Contemporary Issues
2nd Edition
Published on 14. October 2024
424 pages
979-8-8818-5967-1 (ISBN)
Description
Within the last four years, the death of George Floyd brought a new level of urgency to understanding police violence; the world experienced two of the three hottest years on record; drug overdose deaths in the U.S. surpassed 100,000 per year for the first time; the foreign-born percentage of the population became the highest ever; and COVID-19 transformed education, work, and public health.
Seeing Social Problems: The Hidden Stories Behind Contemporary Issues, Second Edition shows students how to think about social problems in a new way, by exploring the connection between their own experiences and larger social forces. The personal relevance of this book's content is at the forefront of every discussion. Chapters engage students in thinking about the world sociologically by focusing on case studies that represent broader social problems. In each chapter, learning objectives attune students to important concepts. Two sets of discussion questions- "First Impressions" and "What Do You Know Now?" - encourage students to recognize how the chapter has broadened their perspectives. An exploration of social policy at the end of each chapter shows students that how someone understands an issue influences the ways they go about addressing it.
New to the Second Edition:
- New chapter, "LGBTQ+ People and Their Critics," explores different ways of understanding growing diversity in American society based on gender identity and sexual orientation
- New chapter, "Education and Upward Mobility," encourages readers to think more expansively about their schooling experiences, starting when they were very young and continuing through college
- New chapter, "Immigration and Border Security," exposes competing ways of seeing the rising influx of migrants entering the U.S. from Mexico
- New chapter, "Health and the Environment," draws on discussion about familiar topics including Covid-19, obesity, and climate change
- New chapter, "Technology and Instant Pleasure" motivates students to recognize the wider societal impacts of their frequent usage of mobile devices to make life more convenient
Seeing Social Problems: The Hidden Stories Behind Contemporary Issues, Second Edition shows students how to think about social problems in a new way, by exploring the connection between their own experiences and larger social forces. The personal relevance of this book's content is at the forefront of every discussion. Chapters engage students in thinking about the world sociologically by focusing on case studies that represent broader social problems. In each chapter, learning objectives attune students to important concepts. Two sets of discussion questions- "First Impressions" and "What Do You Know Now?" - encourage students to recognize how the chapter has broadened their perspectives. An exploration of social policy at the end of each chapter shows students that how someone understands an issue influences the ways they go about addressing it.
New to the Second Edition:
- New chapter, "LGBTQ+ People and Their Critics," explores different ways of understanding growing diversity in American society based on gender identity and sexual orientation
- New chapter, "Education and Upward Mobility," encourages readers to think more expansively about their schooling experiences, starting when they were very young and continuing through college
- New chapter, "Immigration and Border Security," exposes competing ways of seeing the rising influx of migrants entering the U.S. from Mexico
- New chapter, "Health and the Environment," draws on discussion about familiar topics including Covid-19, obesity, and climate change
- New chapter, "Technology and Instant Pleasure" motivates students to recognize the wider societal impacts of their frequent usage of mobile devices to make life more convenient
More details
Edition
2nd edition
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Publishing group
Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
Illustrations
15 Charts, 115 Color Photos, 15 Graphs, 72 Color Illustrations, 11 Tables
ISBN-13
979-8-8818-5967-1 (9798881859671)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Book
10/2024
2nd Edition
Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
€85.00
Article not available at the moment
Person
Ira Silver is Professor of Sociology at Framingham State University. He also teaches during the summer at Wellesley College. He is the editor of Social Problems: Readings.
Content
Preface
Chapter 1 - Introduction: Making Sense of Hot-Button Issues
What Is the Problem?
Exploring Multiple Perspectives
The Craft of Sociology
Igniting Your Sociological Imagination
The World Is Your Oyster
PART I: INEQUALITY
Chapter 2 - Class and the American Dream
Struggling to Get By
Unequal Chances for Success
Stuck in Poverty
Living the Dream
Looking Inward
Chapter 3 - Race, Crime, and Policing
Tragic Encounters
Assigning Personal Blame
Images of Danger
Susceptibility to Crime
Gaining New Perspective
Chapter 4 - Gender, Violence, and Power
Invisible Scars in Plain Sight
Sources of Abuse
Be a Man
Limited Options
Adding Insult to Injury
Seeing a Private Matter as a Public Issue
Chapter 5 - LGBTQ+ People and Their Critics
The Pulse of Opposition
Protecting Vulnerable Children
Widespread Panic
Living with Labels
Expanding Your Mind
PART II: DANGER AND RISK
Chapter 6 - Drug Use and Abuse
Just Say No
External Influences
Menaces and Miracles
Getting an Edge
Unequal Impacts of Drug Enforcement
Thinking Broadly about Drugs
Chapter 7 - Health and the Environment
Social Determinants of Health
Food Choices and Other Indicators of Well-Being
Going Upstream
Houston, We Have a Problem
Preying upon Vulnerabilities
Surrounded by Doughnuts
Chapter 8 - Mass Shootings, Hate Groups, and Access to Weapons
Familiar Scenes of Horror
Displaying Masculinity
Seeking Revenge
Contagious Behavior
Locked and Loaded
A Pack of Wolves
Chapter 9 - Mental Illness and Suicide
A Source of Stigma
Distracted in School
Feeling Sad When You Should Be Happy
Making Sense of the Unexplainable
Living and Dying without Shame
PART III: INSTITUTIONS
Chapter 10 - Immigration and Border Security
Navigating Perilous Waters
Entering and Staying in the United States
Bringing Vice into the Country
Fleeing from Imminent Dangers
Looking Globally and Locally
Chapter 11 - Education and Upward Mobility
Crumbling Classrooms
Funding for Public Schooling
Reinforcing Inequalities
Going to College
Education as Transformation
Chapter 12 - Media, Body Image, and Self-Worth
Pursuing an Ideal
Thin Is In
Hitting the Gym
Feeling Disembodied
Love Yourself
Keeping It Real
Chapter 13 - Technology and Instant Pleasure
Divided Attention
Constantly Scrolling
Feeling Disconnected
Sowing Division
Behaving Compulsively
Rethinking Technology's Rewards
Chapter 14 - Conclusion: Seeing Multiple Realities
Stepping Outside Your Matrix
Thinking Comprehensively
Glossary
Photo Credits
Index
Chapter 1 - Introduction: Making Sense of Hot-Button Issues
What Is the Problem?
Exploring Multiple Perspectives
The Craft of Sociology
Igniting Your Sociological Imagination
The World Is Your Oyster
PART I: INEQUALITY
Chapter 2 - Class and the American Dream
Struggling to Get By
Unequal Chances for Success
Stuck in Poverty
Living the Dream
Looking Inward
Chapter 3 - Race, Crime, and Policing
Tragic Encounters
Assigning Personal Blame
Images of Danger
Susceptibility to Crime
Gaining New Perspective
Chapter 4 - Gender, Violence, and Power
Invisible Scars in Plain Sight
Sources of Abuse
Be a Man
Limited Options
Adding Insult to Injury
Seeing a Private Matter as a Public Issue
Chapter 5 - LGBTQ+ People and Their Critics
The Pulse of Opposition
Protecting Vulnerable Children
Widespread Panic
Living with Labels
Expanding Your Mind
PART II: DANGER AND RISK
Chapter 6 - Drug Use and Abuse
Just Say No
External Influences
Menaces and Miracles
Getting an Edge
Unequal Impacts of Drug Enforcement
Thinking Broadly about Drugs
Chapter 7 - Health and the Environment
Social Determinants of Health
Food Choices and Other Indicators of Well-Being
Going Upstream
Houston, We Have a Problem
Preying upon Vulnerabilities
Surrounded by Doughnuts
Chapter 8 - Mass Shootings, Hate Groups, and Access to Weapons
Familiar Scenes of Horror
Displaying Masculinity
Seeking Revenge
Contagious Behavior
Locked and Loaded
A Pack of Wolves
Chapter 9 - Mental Illness and Suicide
A Source of Stigma
Distracted in School
Feeling Sad When You Should Be Happy
Making Sense of the Unexplainable
Living and Dying without Shame
PART III: INSTITUTIONS
Chapter 10 - Immigration and Border Security
Navigating Perilous Waters
Entering and Staying in the United States
Bringing Vice into the Country
Fleeing from Imminent Dangers
Looking Globally and Locally
Chapter 11 - Education and Upward Mobility
Crumbling Classrooms
Funding for Public Schooling
Reinforcing Inequalities
Going to College
Education as Transformation
Chapter 12 - Media, Body Image, and Self-Worth
Pursuing an Ideal
Thin Is In
Hitting the Gym
Feeling Disembodied
Love Yourself
Keeping It Real
Chapter 13 - Technology and Instant Pleasure
Divided Attention
Constantly Scrolling
Feeling Disconnected
Sowing Division
Behaving Compulsively
Rethinking Technology's Rewards
Chapter 14 - Conclusion: Seeing Multiple Realities
Stepping Outside Your Matrix
Thinking Comprehensively
Glossary
Photo Credits
Index
