Full Description
Focus on Social Problemscurrent issues in the field. The selections in this reader help students understand how social problems are defined and constructed, increase their empirical knowledge about the causes and consequences of social problems, and develop empathy. Working from a critical social constructionist foundation, the readings address a wide variety of social problems. Editors Mindy Stombler and AmandaM. Jungels include a combination of research-based articles and popular media pieces. Each chapter opens with an interview of a social-change activist doing work related to the chapter's featured social problem,giving students an opportunity to envision themselves as agents of social change.
Contents
PrefaceContributor ListIntroduction Chapter 1: Social Construction of Social ProblemsActivist Interview: Sut Jhally1. Interpersonal Violence as Social Construction: The Potentially Undermining Role of Claims Making and Advocacy Statistics, Robin D. Perrin and Cindy L. Miller-Perrin2. Terrorism, Ziad MunsonBox: Making Claims: The Role of Language in the Construction of Social Problems, Kiersten Kummerow3. Telling the Truth about Damned Lies and Statistics, Joel BestChapter 2: Core American ValuesActivist Interview: Stiv Wilson4. The Way We Were: Rethinking the American Dream, David Kamp5. Endangered Childhoods: How Consumerism is Impacting Child and Youth Identity, Jennifer Ann Hill6. Public Attitudes toward the Next Social Contract, Bruce StokesBox: Hidden Beneficiaries of Federal Programs, Gwen Sharp7. Political Polarization in Contemporary American Society, Megan M. TeseneBox: The Story of Citizens United v. FECr, Annie Leonard, Jonah Sachs, and Louis Fox Chapter 3: Wealth and Income InequalityActivist Interview: Ann Larson8. Building a Better America--One Wealth Quintile at a Time, Michael I. Norton and Dan ArielyBox: For the Public, It's Not about Class Warfare, but Fairness, Pew Research Center9. Rising Inequality and the Fading American Dream, Renee M. ShelbyBox: The "Middle Class" Myth: Here's Why Wages are Really So Low Today, Edward McClelland10. Roots of the Widening Racial Wealth Gap: Explaining the Black-White Economic Divide, Thomas Shapiro, Tatjana Meschede, Sam Osoro11. Of the 1%, by the 1%, for the 1%, Joseph E. StiglitzBox: Paying for Politics: How Elite Donors Purchase Political Power, Lee DrutmanChapter 4: PovertyActivist Interview: David Pirtle12. Rethinking American Poverty, Mark R. RankBox: Poverty as a Childhood Disease, Perri Klass, M.D.13. Surviving the Great Recession: Growing Need and the Stigmatized Safety Net, Jennifer Sherman14. Traps, Pitfalls, and Unexpected Cliffs on the Path Out of Poverty, Mary A. Prenovost and Deborah C. YoungbloodBox: Voices of the Near Poor, Sabrina Tavernise, Jason DeParle, Robert Gebeloff15. The Compassion Gap in American Poverty Policy, Fred Block, Anna C. Korteweg, Kerry Woodward, Zach Schiller, and Imrul MazidBox: "I Wish I Could Eat That Well": Misconceptions and Resentment about Food Stamp, Arthur Delaney16. The Myth of Prosperity: Poverty among Native Americans, Chris McGrealChapter 5: Racial and Ethnic InequalityActivist Interview: Allegra Phox17. Sociologists on the Colorblind Question, Elaine McArdleBox: White Americans' Racial Attitudes and their Effect on Anti-Discrimination Policies in the 'Age of Obama', Amanda Atwell18. Fences and Neighbors: Segregation in 21, John E. Farley and Gregory D. Squires19. The New Jim Crow, Michelle Alexander20. Explaining and Eliminating Racial Profiling, Donald Tomaskovic-Devey and Patricia Warren21. Tomahawk Chops and "Red" Skin: Cultural Appropriation of Sports Symbols, Elizabeth S. Cavalier22. Learning to Be Illegal: Undocumented Youth and Shifting Legal Contexts in the Transition to Adulthood, Roberto G. GonzalesChapter 6: Gender InequalityActivist Interview: Emily May23. The Problem When Sexism Just Sounds So Darn Friendly, Melanie TannenbaumBox: Selling Feminism, Consuming Femininity, Amanda M. Gengler24. "Men are Stuck" in Gender Roles, Emily Alpert Reyes25. Normalizing Sexual Violence: Young Women Account for Harassment and Abuse, Heather R. HlavkaBox: Tackling the Roots of Rape, Frank Bruni26. Transgender Discrimination in the Workplace, Elis Herman and Elroi J. Windsor27. Why Gender Equality is Good for the World, Stacy Gorman HarmonChapter 7: Social Problems related to Sex and SexualityActivist Interview: Heather Corinna28. "Children" Having Children, Stefanie MollbornBox: Reducing Unintended Pregnancy: The Role of Long-Acting Reversible Contraceptives (LARCs), Stacy Gorman Harmon29. Sexuality Education in the United States: Shared Cultural Ideas across a Political Divide, Jessica FieldsBox: The Social Consequences of Abstinence-Only Sex Education, Lanier Basenberg30. One Town's War on Gay Teens, Sabrina Rubin Erdely31. Prostitution: Facts and Fictions, Ronald WeitzerBox: Selling People: Sex, Money, and Brutality, Sutapa Basu Chapter 8: Social Problems related to MediaActivist Interview: Josh Golin32. A Modern Empire: The Concentration of Media, Desmond GossBox: Connection Failed: Internet Still a Luxury for Many Americans, Jana Kasperkevic33. How to Stop the Bullies, Emily Bazelon34. Constructing Crime, Gary W. Potter and Victor E. KappelerBox: #IfTheyGunnedMeDown and the Power of Social Media to Change the Message, Mindy Stombler and Nate Steiner35. Equal Opportunity Objectification? The Sexualization of Men and Women on the Cover of Rolling Stone, Erin Hatton and Mary Nell TrautnerBox: At the Movies, The Women are Gone, Linda HolmesChapter 9: Social Problems related to EducationActivist Interview: Jesse Hagopian36. Inequality and School Resources: What Will it Take to Close the Opportunity Gap, Linda Darling-HammondBox: Why Some Schools Want to Expel Suspensions, NPR Staff37. How Schools Really Matter, Douglas B. Downey and Benjamin G. Gibbs38. The (Mis)Education of Monica and Karen, Laura Hamilton and Elizabeth A. ArmstrongBox: A Campus More Colorful than Reality: Beware that College Brochure, Deena Prichep39. Screw U: How For-Profit Colleges Rip You Off, Yasmeen Qureshi, Sarah Gross, and Lisa DesaiChapter 10: Social Problems related to FamiliesActivist Interview: Oscar Hernandez40. Families Facing Untenable Choices, Lisa Dodson and Wendy LuttrellBox: Challenges Faced by LGBT Families with Children, Kaitlin A. Hippen41. Unmarried with Children, Kathryn Edin and Maria KefalasBox: The Changing American Family: Bonding from Behind Bars, Natalie Angier42. Does It Pay to Have Kids? Not for Working Moms, Kirstin Ralston-ColeyBox: Lean In, Dad: How Shared Diaper Duty Could Stimulate the Economy, Catherine Rampell43. Fighting Back, Tim Stelloh44. Families and Elder Care in the Twenty-First Century, Ann Bookman and Delia KimbrelChapter 11: Social Problems related to Health and the Healthcare SystemActivist Interview: Elba L. Saavedra45. They've Got a Pill for That: The Medicalization of Society, Stephanie Medley-RathBox: Selling Sickness: How Drug Ads Changed Health Care, Alix Spiegel46. Paying Till It Hurts: The $2.7 Trillion Medical Bill, Elisabeth Rosenthal47. Big Pharma Comes of Age, Rose WeitzBox: The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, Rose Weitz48. What's Killing Poor White Women?, Monica Potts49. How We Do Harm, Otis Webb Brawley, M.D., and Paul GoldbergChapter 12: Social Problems related to Crime and the Criminal Justice SystemActivist Interview: Nicole D. Porter50. Mass Shootings and Masculinity, Tristan Bridges and Tara Leigh ToberBox: More Guns, More Mass Shootings-Coincidence?, Mark Follman51. Crimes of the Powerful: Crafting Criminality, Miriam KonradBox: Inequality in Life and Death: The Death Penalty in the U.S., Erin Thomas Echols52. For-Profit Justice: How the Private Prison Industry and the Criminal Justice System Benefit from Mass Incarceration, Amanda Atwell53. How Prisons Change the Balance of Power in America, Heather Ann Thompson54. Can the Police be Reformed?, Ronald WeitzerChapter 13: Social Problems related to the Economy and WorkActivist Interview: Ai-jen Poo55. The Rhetoric and Reality of "Opting Out", Pamela StoneBox: How Sheryl Sandberg and Getty are Making Stock Photos Less Sexist, Claire Suddath56. Sex Segregation at Work: Persistence and Change, Anastasia Prokos57. Pride and Prejudice: Employment Discrimination against Openly Gay Men in the United States, Andras TilcsikBox: ENDA's End Game: Why Workplace Protections for LGBT People is a Necessary Step, J. Jennings Moss58. The Case against Racial Colorblindness in the Workplace, Carmen NobelBox: What's in a Name? Discrimination, Erin Thomas Echols59. The Hands that Feed Us: Challenges and Opportunities for Workers along the Food Chain, Food Chain Workers AllianceBox: Why U.S. Taxpayers Pay $7 Billion a Year to Help Fast-Food Workers, Allison Aubrey60. In China, the Human Costs that are Built into an iPad, Charles Duhigg and David BarbozaChapter 14: Social Problems related to the Environment and Food SystemActivist Interview: Daniel Wildcat61. Environmental Inequalities,Hollie Nyseth Brehm and David PellowBox: U.S. Electronic Waste Gets Sent to Africa, Ron Claiborne62. Fixing the Bungled U.S. Environmental Movement, Robert Brulle and J. Craig Jenkins63. Why Beef is What's for Dinner: Agricultural Policy and Its Implications, Emily Stutzman JonesBox: Consumers Fight Back, Food Chain Workers Alliance64. The Extraordinary Science of Addictive Junk Food, Michael Moss65. A Bug in the System: Why Last Night's Chicken Made You Sick, Wil S. HyltonChapter 15: Strategies for Social ChangeActivist Interview: Alicia Garza66. Same-Sex, Different Attitudes, Kathleen E. Hull67. Small Change: Why the Revolution Will Not Be Tweeted, Malcolm Gladwell68. Get Angry. Go Viral. Change Everything!, Alexis Jetter69. What Can We Do? Becoming Part of the Solution, Allan G. JohnsonBox: The Arc of Justice and the Long Run: Hope, History, and Unpredictability, Rebecca Solnit
