AP PROACHES TO SOCIAL PROBLEMS

CONFLICT PERSPECTIVE; APPROACHES TOWARDS SOCIAL PROBLEMS

The Value-Conf lict Approach

The Deviant Behaviour Approach

THE VALUE- CONFLI CT AP PROACH

Depression and World War II (1938-1945)
Concept:
"Some social problems may be problema tic as a whole but normal or justifia ble to
a particular group"
"Social problem isa condition that are incompatible with
group values"

THE VALUE-CONFLICT AP PROACH

Causes:
Problems occur when groups with d i fferent values meet and compete
Example: Landlords and Tenan ts
Effects:
Consequences are costly as groups become polarized (against each other). Higher
goals are sacrificed for lower ones *com promise)

THE VALUE-CONFLICT AP PROACH

Suggestions:
Conflicts to be solved by:
Consensus (agreement on compro m ise) Trad ing (exchange)
Power (dominancy)
Example: Landlordsand Tenants

THE DEV IANT BEHAVIOUR APP ROACH

Concept:

"Social Problemsare created by people whodeviate from the accepted normsand are
delinquents"

THE DEV IANT BEHAVIOUR APP ROACH

Causes:
"Behaviour or conditions that are deviant from the norms, they ar ise when
legitima te (systema tic) meansof
achieving cultural goals are blocked"

Example :
Unemployment, corruption, violence

THE DEVIANT BEHAVIOU R APP ROACH

Remedies:
Re-social ize deviants by increasing their cont acts with accepted patterns of
behaviou r.
Social systems mu st be less r igid, legitimate Opportunities and goals should be
more attainable
APPROACH ES TO SOCIA L PROBLEMS

INTERACTIONIST PERSPECTIVE: APPROACH TOWAR DS SOCIAL PROBLE MS

Labeling Approach
Recent approach to study Social Problems
Labelling approach are interested in explaining why and under what conditions
certai n acts and situations come to be defined as problema tic or deviant

Concept:
"Social Problemsare cond itions in which certain behaviou r or situation become
defined as social problem s"

Labeling Approach
Causes:

Awareness of people about certai n behaviour or situation's existence

mal<es them socia l problems.

Definition of social problems cha nges according to our own situation, interest or
by pressuregroup.

Labeling Approach
Consequences:
People who are considered devian t and are labelled will accept that definition and
will or may adopt more devian t acts to compliment / reinforce deviancy

For Example:
Drug Addiction leading towards crime and life style change as secondary deviance
APPROACH ES TO SOCIAL PROBLEMS

FUNCTIONALIST PERSPECTIVE; APPROACHES TOWARDS SOCIAL PROBLE MS

Socia l Pathological Approach Social Disorganization Approa ch Institutiona l

Approach

Social Pathology Ap proach

Nineteenth- century American & European sociologists

Concept:

"Individ uals and groups who deviate from social norms, or institutions that do not
fit with core social norms, are "sick"or pathologic and a risk to the society's
'health' "

Social Pathology Ap proach

Causes:
Social Problems arise when either ind ividuals or social institu tions fai l to
keep pace with cha nging conditions and thereby disrupt the healthy opera tion of
the social organism (individuals or groups) su ch individuals or institu tions were
considered "Sick" hence the term "Social Pathology"
For Example:
Rural Migrants who fail to adju st in urban life are considered as a source of
"sickness" or "illness"

Social Pathology A pproach

Causes:
Early social pathologists identify individual's as a source of society's problems
who could not be properly socialized or who rejected society's values and beliefs
because of their internal defects.

For Example: Social pathology includes: su bstance abuse, violence, abuses of women
and children, crime, terrorism, corruption, criminality, d iscrimi nation,
isolation, stigmat isation and huma n rights violations.
 Social Pathology A pproach
Causes:
Modern Social Pathologists focus more on defects of society and its institution.
Immoral society produce immoral individu als.

For Example: Corrupt ion.

Many contemporary social problems are global in nature and are
shared by many countries.

Social Pathology Ap proach

Consequences:
Social pathologies "often lead to a flood of social, econom ic and psychological
problems t hat undermine well-being" and therefore need to be considered in
developing a mental health policy that promotes popu lation mental health well-
being and addresses issues that contribute to mental illness.

Increase the cost of maintaining social order

(terrorism)

Social Pathology Ap proach

Solutions:

Education as a solution to social problems

Programs to prevent the transmission of defects in next

generations

Social Disorganization A pproach

Concept and Causes:
Society is orga nized by a set of expectat ionsand rules.Social Disorganizat ion
results when these fail and result in:
Normlessn ess (people have no rules)
Cultural Conflicts (people feel trapped by contradictory set of rules)
Breakdown (obedience to a set of rules results in no rewards
or in punish ment)
For Example:
Rapid Social Change, Job Discrimination, drug addiction,
sonal, family and commun ity disorganization