Social Problems
Community, Policy, and Social Action

Sixth Edition

Anna Leon-Guerrero - Pacific Lutheran University

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Social Problems | Social Problems

August 2018 | 480 pages | SAGE Publications, Inc

The author is a proud sponsor of the 2020 SAGE Keith Roberts Teaching Innovations Award—enabling graduate students and early career faculty to attend the annual ASA pre-conference teaching and learning workshop.

Empower your students to become part of the solution.

The new Sixth Edition of Social Problems: Community, Policy, and Social Action goes beyond the typical presentation of contemporary social problems and their consequences by emphasizing the importance and effectiveness of community involvement to achieve real solutions. With a clear and upbeat tone, this thought-provoking text challenges readers to see the social and structural forces that determine our social problems; to consider various policies and programs that attempt to address these problems; and to recognize and learn how they can be part of the solution to social problems in their own community.

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Preface

Acknowledgments

About the Author

1. Sociology and the Study of Social Problems

Using Our Sociological Imagination

What Is a Social Problem?

The History of Social Problems

Understanding the Sociological Perspective

The Science of Sociology

The Transformation From Problem to Solution

Making Sociological Connections

Chapter Review

Key Terms

Study Questions

Part I. The Bases of Inequality

2. Social Class

What Does It Mean to Be Poor?

Sociological Perspectives on Social Class and Poverty

The Consequences of Poverty

Responding to Class Inequalities

Chapter Review

Key Terms

Study Questions

3. Race and Ethnicity

Defining Race and Ethnicity

Patterns of Racial and Ethnic Integration

Sociological Perspectives on Racial and Ethnic Inequalities

The Consequences of Racial and Ethnic Inequalities

Responding to Racial and Ethnic Inequalities

Chapter Review

Key Terms

Study Questions

4. Gender

Sociological Perspectives on Gender Inequality

The Consequences of Gender Inequality

Gender Nonconformity Discrimination

Intimate Partner Violence and Sexual Assault

Responding to Gender Inequalities

Chapter Review

Key Terms

Study Questions

5. Sexual Orientation

Sociological Perspectives on Sexual Orientation and Inequality

Sexual Orientation and Inequality

Responding to Sexual Orientation Inequalities

Chapter Review

Key Terms

Study Questions

6. Age and Aging

Our Aging World

Sociological Perspectives on Age, Aging, and Inequality

The Consequences of Age Inequality

Responding to Age Inequalities

Chapter Review

Key Terms

Study Questions

Part II. Our Social Institutions

7. Families

Myths of the Family

Sociological Perspectives on the Family

Problems in the Family

Community, Policy, and Social Action

Chapter Review

Key Terms

Study Questions

8. Education

The New Educational Standard

Sociological Perspectives on Education

Problems and Challenges in Education

Community, Policy, and Social Action

Chapter Review

Key Terms

Study Questions

9. Work and the Economy

The Changing Nature of Work

Sociological Perspectives on Work

Problems in Work and the Economy

Community, Policy, and Social Action

Chapter Review

Key Terms

Study Questions

10. Health and Medicine

Sociological Perspectives on Health, Illness, and Medicine

Health Inequalities and Problems

Community, Policy, and Social Action

State Prescription Drug Plans

Chapter Review

Key Terms

Study Questions

11. The Media

Sociological Perspectives on the Media

The Media and Social Problems

Community, Policy, and Social Action

Chapter Review

Key Terms

Study Questions

Part III. Our Social and Physical Worlds

12. Alcohol and Drug Abuse

Sociological Perspectives on Drug Abuse

What Is Drug Abuse?

The Problems of Drug Abuse

Community, Policy, and Social Action

Chapter Review

Key Terms

Study Questions

13. Crime and Criminal Justice

Sociological Perspectives on Crime

Sources of Crime Statistics

Types of Crime

The Inequalities of Crime—Offenders and Victims

Our Current Response to Crime

Community, Policy, and Social Action

Chapter Review

Key Terms

Study Questions

14. Urbanization and Population Growth

Urban Sociology and Demography

The Processes of Urbanization and Suburbanization

Population Growth and Composition

Sociological Perspectives on Urbanization and Population Growth

The Consequences of Urbanization and Population Growth

Community, Policy, and Social Action

Chapter Review

Key Terms

Study Questions

15. The Environment

Environmental Problems Are Human Problems

Sociological Perspectives on Environmental Problems

Social Problems and the Environment

Community, Policy, and Social Action

Chapter Review

Key Terms

Study Questions

16. War and Terrorism

Defining Conflict

Sociological Perspectives on War and Terrorism

The Problems of War and Terrorism

Community, Policy, and Social Action

Chapter Review

Key Terms

Study Questions

Part IV. Individual Action and Social Change

17. Social Problems and Social Action

Understanding Social Movements

How Do Social Movements Begin?

How Have Reform Movements Made a Difference?

Making the Last Connection

Chapter Review

Key Terms

Study Questions

Glossary

References

Index

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Key features

NEW TO THIS EDITION:

Many of the social policy discussions (including immigration, LGBTQ rights, the Affordable Care Act, and Internet neutrality) have been updated to reflect the most recent government actions and debates.
More recent data, and new data sources, have been incorporated throughout, both in the main narrative and in the "Exploring Social Problems" features.
New “Voices in the Community” subjects on gender, work and the economy, and war and terrorism appear in several chapters.
New “In Focus” topics include Black Lives Matter, assault weapons, and college drug problems.
The chapter on gender has been substantially updated with new or expanded coverage of binary/cisgender/transgender identification, gender nonconformity discrimination, sexual misconduct on college campuses, and the rights of trans and intersex individuals.
Other new or expanded coverage includes economic anxiety, robotization in the workplace, white nationalists, feminist theories about race, “fake” news, net neutrality, community policing, gentrification and segregation in U.S. cities, and the immigration and environmental policies of the Trump administration.

KEY FEATURES:

The author presents four theoretical perspectives for each social problem: functionalist, conflict, feminist, and interactionist.
More than most social problems texts, there is a strong focus on social policy, social action, and the significant social policy decisions and debates taking place in our society.
The text includes five chapters that focus on the bases of social inequality and emphasizes how social class and poverty, race and ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and age and aging contribute to our experience and understanding of social problems.
Throughout the text, the consequences of social problems throughout the world are highlighted (“Taking a World View”), drawing on data and research from international scholars and sociologists.
The “Exploring Social Problems” features use quantitative data to tell the story of one social issue (the demographics of poverty, public support for same-sex marriage, teen birthrates, etc.) through a series of maps, charts, and tables.
Each chapter discusses attempts to address the problem in question through government policies, social movements, and the actions of individuals and organizations.
“Sociology at Work” profiles recent graduates, the workplace skills they developed by studying sociology, and the jobs they perform in government or community service.

Sample Materials & Chapters

Chapter 1. Sociology and the Study of Social Problems

Chapter 2. Social Class

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Community, Policy, and Social Action

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