CHAPTER 1

UNDERSTANDING
SOCIAL PROBLEMS

Dr.Ajitha Eswaramangalam
 Learning outcomes of the Chapter
• To identify social problems
• To define social problems
• To list out personal problems
• To list out social problems
• To identify some research methods used in understanding social problems
• To define research methods used in social problems.
What is a Problem

• a situation, person, or thing that needs attention and needs to be dealt

with or solved

• I'm having problems with my computer.

• Our main problem is lack of cash.

• No one has solved the problem of what to do with radioactive waste.

• Who is going to tackle (= deal with) the problem of poverty in the inner
cities?
 Examples of problem
a. I can not attend my class because of traffic issues.
b. There is a heavy traffic jam at Rusayl roundabout.
c. I feel very tired because of fever.
d. Coronavirus is spreading very fast.
e. I am depressed today because of failure in one subject.
f. The number of depression among young people increasing day by day.
g. My son is not listening to me
h. Nowadays kids are watching YouTube videos very often and showing
hyperactive and attention problems.
 Categories of problems
• PERSONAL TROUBLES

• PUBLIC ISSUES

• SOCIAL PROBLEMS
• Personal troubles : are things that affect individuals and those immediately around them.

Personal problem affects at the individual level

• Public issues: on the other hand, have an impact on large numbers of people and are matters
of public debate; collective solutions, rather than individual or familial ones.

• A social problem exists when an influential group defines a social condition as threatening its
values; when the condition affects a large number of people; and when the condition can be
remedied by collective action
 Definition of Social problem
• A social issue is a problem that affects many people within a society.

• A social problem is any condition or behavior that has negative consequences for large numbers
of people

• It is generally recognized as a condition or behavior that needs to be addressed.

• Social problems represent conditions that should not be allowed to continue

• because they are perceived to be problems for society

• requiring society to react to resolve it.

• The term “social problem” is usually taken to refer to social conditions that disrupt or damage
society.
 Examples of personal problems
• Family issues

• Divorce

• Separation

• Physical diseases

• Financial problems

• Interpersonal relationship problems

• Psychological problems- depression, anxiety, stress

• Academic problems-lack of attention, lack of motivation

• When parents discover that their daughter has a serious drug problem, theirs is a personal
trouble because the values and goals of only that family are threatened.
Examples of social problems

• Crime • Corruption
• Poverty • Nuclear weapons
• Racism
• War
• Violence
• Pollution • Road safety
• Economical instability of the nation • Public Health
• Climate change • Drug usage
• Covid 19 issues • Political issues
• Homelessness
One thing to remember-Lets look at
this example
• We know crime, drug addiction, poverty, racism, violence, and pollution exist.
• These are not considered social problems unless a segment of society believes these
conditions diminish the quality of human life
• In some countries usage of dugs are legally approved-US, Canada.
• So a social problem will be defined only it is disturbing a particular society
and culture.
 Things to be remember…
•Personal troubles do not become public issues, then, unless an influential group so

defines them.

•The mere existence of a social condition does not make it problematic, no matter how

harmful it may be.

•Conditions are viewed as social problems

•when they threaten a group’s values.

•they affect a large number of people.

• The more people are affected

 Challenge for social science:

Challenges for social science in terms of the social problems are define

as following one:

• to understand social problems,

• to find solution for them,

• to increase the awareness of existence of those social problems

 RESEARCH ON SOCIAL PROBLEMS
• A. Stages of Conducting a Research Study:

1. Formulating a research question

a. Question may come from the researcher’s own life experiences, test a sociological theory, or reflect

current events or concerns of community/activist groups

2. Reviewing the literature: review of published material on the topic to find out what is already known

3. Defining variables

a. Variable: any measurable event, characteristic, or property that varies.

b. Operational definition: specifying how a variable is to be measured.

. Formulating a hypothesis
a. Hypothesis: prediction about how one variable is related to
another variable
b. Dependent variable: the variable which will be affected by
independent variable.
c. Independent variable: the variable that has the power to
change another variable.
d. Researchers often assess the effects of several independent
variables on one or more dependent variables.
A Study on impact of videogames usage in children
Formulating a research question

Does the overuse of media and technology negatively affects children ?

2. Reviewing the literature: Search research papers on technology, media, videogames .children etc.

3. Defining variables :-two variables identified:- use of videogames & children’s academic grades.

4. Formulating a hypothesis

a. Hypothesis: There will be a relationship with overuse of videogames and academic grades of

children.

b. Dependent variable: academic grades

c. Independent variable: use of videogames

B. Methods of Data Collection

Research Description
Experiments:
The researcher will manipulate the independent variable to determine how it affects
the dependent variable.
a. EXPERIMENTAL GROUP & CONTROL GROUP
b. Major strength: provides evidence of causal relationships
c. Major weakness: results from small samples and artificial laboratory settings;
may not be generalizable to people in natural settings

Surveys eliciting information from respondents through questions.

a. Requires a representative sample: a portion of the population selected so that the
information from the sample can be generalized to a larger population
Interviews use trained interviewers to ask questions
a. Advantages: interviewers can clarify questions and follow up on answers
b. Disadvantages: Cost; Lack of anonymity that may result in respondents refusing
to participate or concealing or altering information
Research Description

Questionnaires
mail or personally administered
i. Advantages: Less expensive and time-consuming; Provides privacy
and anonymity to the respondents
ii. Disadvantage: difficult to obtain an adequate response rate

Field Research
Observing social behavior in its natural setting
a. Two types of field research:
i. Participant observation: researcher participates in the
phenomenon being studied so as to obtain an insider’s perspective
on the people and/or behavior being observed.
ii. Non-participant observation: researcher observes the
phenomenon begin studied without actively participating in the
References
• Gosselin, D. (2009). Heavy hands: an introduction to the crimes of
family violence. Upper Saddle River: Pearson-Prentice Hall. ISBN:
9780136139034.
• William Kornblum, Joseph Julian in collaboration with Carolyn D.
Smith. 2012. Social Problems. Fourteenth ed. p. cm. PEARSON,
Pearson Education Inc.ISBN-13: 978-0-205-83232-3 ISBN-10: 0-
205-83232-6