Social Problems In A Diverse Society, Third Canadian Edition Solution Manual

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CONTENTSPrefaceChapter 1: Taking a New Look at Social ProblemsChapter 2: Poverty in the Canadian ContextChapter 3: Racism and Ethnic InequalityChapter 4: Gender InequalityChapter 5: Inequality Based on AgeChapter 6: Inequality Based on Sexual OrientationChapter 7: The Sex Trade in CanadaChapter 8: AddictionsChapter 9: Crime and Criminal JusticeChapter 10: Health, Illness, and Health Care as Social ProblemsChapter 11: The Changing FamilyChapter 12: Problems in EducationChapter 13: Problems in the Globalized EconomyChapter 14: Problems Related to MediaChapter 15: Population, Urbanization, and the Environmental CrisisChapter 16: Global Social ProblemsEpilogue How Can Social Problems Be Solved?ii

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Social Problems in a Diverse Society, 3CeKendall/Nygaard/Thompson1CHAPTER 1Taking a New Look at Social ProblemsCHAPTER SUMMARYSocial problemsare social conditions or patterns of behaviour that people believe warrant publicconcern and collective action to bring about change. An example of a social problem isviolence—the use of physical force to cause pain, injury, or death, or damage to property and isrelational. Social problems such as violence often involve significant discrepancies between theideals of a society and their actual achievement. Sociologists study many types of socialproblems to determine their causes, effects, and possible solutions.Sociologyis the academicand scholarly discipline that engages in systematic study of human society and socialinteractions. Using thesociological imagination, we can place seemingly personal problems intoa larger context. Sociologists make connections between personal and public issues throughmicrolevel(focused on small-group relations and social interaction among individuals) andmacrolevel(focused on socialprocesses occurring at the societal level)analysis. Sociologistsuse four primary theoretical perspectives to examine social life and social problems: (1) thefunctionalist perspective; (2) theconflict perspective; (3) theinteractionist perspective; and,(4)feminist perspectives. Microlevel, mid-range and macrolevel attempts to solve socialproblems differ considerably.At the microlevel, the interactionist perspective focuses on howindividuals operate withinprimary groupsto try to remedy a problemthat affects them, theirfamily, or friends. Mid-range attempts focus onsecondary groupsand formal organizations,looking at how they can assist individuals in overcoming problems such as drug addiction ordomestic violence. Macrolevel analysis of solutions to social problems focuses on how large-scale social institutions such as the government and the media may become involved inremedying social problems.Collective behaviour, social movements,andspecial interestgroupsare among the methods people use in their attempts to reduce social problems.LEARNING OBJECTIVESAfter reading Chapter 1, students should be able to:1.State the sociological definition of a social problem and distinguish between subjectiveawareness and objective reality of social problems.2.Distinguish between microlevel, mid-range and macrolevel analyses of social life.3.Explain the functionalist perspective on society and state how functionalist theorists believethat social problems arise.4.Explain the conflict perspective on societyand state how conflict theorists (using differentapproaches under this perspective) believe that social problems arise.5.Explain the interactionist perspective on society and state how interactionists believe thatsocial problems arise.6.Explain feminist perspectives on society and state how feminist theorists believe that socialproblems arise.

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Social Problems in a Diverse Society, 3CeKendall/Nygaard/Thompson27.Discuss, and distinguish between, microlevel, mid-range and macrolevel attempts to reduceor solve social problems.8.Describe how sociological theories can be used to analyse social problems such as violence.9.Describe the part that primary groups and secondary groups play in reducing social problems.10.Compare and contrast grassroots groups and special interest groups, and discuss how eachseeks to bring about positivesocial change.11.Describe ways in which collective behaviour may be used to address a perceived socialproblem.12.Identify the five major categories of social movements and note the types of social problemsthat each is most likely to address.KEY TERMScapitalismprimary groupscivil disobedienceself-fulfilling prophecycollective behavioursituational approachconflict perspectivesocial changediscriminationsocial disorganizationdominant groupsocial movementfunctionalist perspectivesocial problemgrassroots groupssocietyhate crimesociological imaginationindustrializationsociologyinteractionist perspectivesubordinate grouplifestyle-routine activity approachtheorymacrolevel analysisurbanizationmicrolevel analysisvaluesnormsviolenceperspectiveCHAPTER OUTLINEI.WHAT IS A SOCIAL PROBLEM?A.Asocial problemis a social condition or a pattern of behaviour that people believewarrants public concern and collective action to bring about change.B.Social conditions or patterns of behaviour such asviolencebecome defined as socialproblems when they systematically disadvantage or harm a significant number of peopleor when they are seen as harmful by a number of “significant people” who wield power,wealth, and influence ina group or society.

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Social Problems in a Diverse Society, 3CeKendall/Nygaard/Thompson3C.Insociology, examination of social problems primarily focuses onsociety.1)Some social problems (e.g., violence and crime) are commonly viewed asconditions that affect all members of a population.2)Other social problems (e.g., racialized discrimination and sexual harassment) maybe viewed (correctly or incorrectly) as conditions that affect some members of apopulation more than others.D.Social problems often involve significant discrepancies between the ideals of society andtheir actual achievement. One example isdiscrimination(actions or practice ofdominant groupmembers that have harmful effects onsubordinate groupmembers),which heightens existing inequalities along class, racialization, gender, and age lines. Itmay be directed against subordinate group members whose sexual orientation, religion,nationality, or other characteristics are devalued by those who discriminate against them.This type of discrimination, when acted out in the form of violence, is known as ahatecrime.E.Why Study Social Problems?1)Studying social problems helps us understand the social forces that shape ourlives on both the personal and societal levels.2)We learn to take a sociological approach as opposed to a commonsense (“whateverybody knows”) approach. Many commonsense notions are “myths” and maybe widely and publicly accepted, even when erroneous.3)A sociological examination of social problems also enables us to gain newinsights into ourselves and to develop an awareness of the connection betweenourown “world” and those of other people.4)A global perspective reveals that the lives of all people are closely intertwined,that and any one nation’s problems are part of a larger global problem.II.THE SOCIOLOGICAL IMAGINATION AND SOCIAL PROBLEMSA.Sociologists use systematic research techniques and report their findings to other socialscientists for consideration. Sociologists strive to beobjective, although completeobjectivity may not be attainable or desirable.B.According to sociologist C. Wright Mills, thesociological imaginationis the ability tosee the relationship between individual experiences and the larger society.1)The sociological imagination enables us to connect personal troubles to publicissues.2)Personal troublesare private problems of individuals and the networks of peoplewith whom they associate regularly. For example, one person’s unemployment isa personal trouble facing the individual, other family members, and friends.3)Public issuesare matters beyond a person’s control thatoriginate at the regionalor national level and can be resolved only by collective action.4)The sociological imagination helps us place seemingly personal troubles, such asbeing a victim of violence, into a larger social context and see how personaltroubles may be related to public issues.5)A clearer understanding of our situations may allow us to develop more effectiveand better preventions and interventions.

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Social Problems in a Diverse Society, 3CeKendall/Nygaard/Thompson4C.Sociologists make connections between personal and public issues in society throughmicrolevelandmacrolevel analysis. Using microlevel analysis, a sociologist mightinvestigate how fear of unemployment affects workers and their immediate families. Amacrolevel analysis might examine how globalization, and the attendant labour marketrestructuring, has impacted Canadian workers and their families.III.SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES ON SOCIAL PROBLEMSA.How Sociologists View Society1)Sociologists developtheoriesand conduct research to determine how social life isorganized. Theories help us interpretsocial reality in a distinct way by giving us aframework for organizing our observations and may allow us to describe, explainor possibly even predict social events.2)Sociologists refer to a theoretical framework as aperspective, an overall approachorviewpoint toward some subject.B.The Functionalist Perspective1)According to thefunctionalist perspective, society is a stable, orderly systemcomposed of a number of interrelated parts, each of which performs a functionthat contributes to the overall stability of society.2)These interrelated parts are social institutions (such as families, the economy,education, and the government) that a society develops to organize its mainconcerns and activities so that social needs are met. Each institution performs aunique function, the contribution that each part makes to the overall stability ofsociety and the well-being of individuals.3)Manifest and Latent Functions:Social institutions perform two different types of societal functions:manifest functions(theintended and recognized consequences of an activity orsocial process) andlatent functions(the unintended consequences of an activity orsocial process that are hidden and remain unacknowledged by participants).4)Dysfunctions and Social Disorganization:From the functionalist perspective, social problems arise when social institutionsdo not fulfill the functions they are supposed to perform or whendysfunctions(undesirable consequences of an activity or social process that inhibit a society’sability toadapt or adjust) occur.a.According to functionalists, dysfunctions in social institutions createsocial disorganization, causing a breakdown in traditionalvaluesandnormsthat serve as the social control mechanisms that, under normalcircumstances, keeppeople from engaging in nonconforming behaviour.Although values provide ideas about behaviour, they do not stateexplicitly how we should behave; normsdostate explicit rules ofbehaviour or standards of conduct.b.Social disorganization is intensified byrapid social change that disruptsthe stability of society. Early sociologists examined the relationshipbetween social problems andindustrializationandurbanizationinBritain, Western Europe, and the United States in the late nineteenth andearly twentieth centuries.

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Social Problems in a Diverse Society, 3CeKendall/Nygaard/Thompson55)Applying the Functionalist Perspective to Problems of Violence:Functionalists provide several explanations for violence in societies. Oneapproach believes that violence arises from a condition of anomie, in which manyindividuals have afeeling of helplessness, normlessness, or alienation. Anotherfunctionalist explanation of violence is thelifestyle-routine activity approach, inwhich the patterns and timing of people’s daily movements and activities are thekeys to understanding violent personal crimes as well as other types of crime.C.The Conflict Perspective1)Theconflict perspectiveis based on the assumption that groups in society areengaged in a continuous power struggle for control of scarce resources.2)According to conflict theorists, certain groups of people are privileged whileothers are disadvantaged through the unjust use of political, economic, or socialpower. This perspective consists of a variety of related approaches that holddiffering views regarding the most important form of conflict.3)The Value Conflict Perspective:According tovalue conflicttheorists, social problems are conditions incompatiblewith group values.a.Value clashes are ordinary occurrences in families, communities, and thelarger society, where peoplecommonly hold many divergent values.Although individuals may share certain core values, they do not share allvalues or a common culture (the knowledge, language, values, customs,and material objects that are passed from person to person and from onegeneration to the next in a human group or society).b.Discrepancies betweenideal(the values and beliefs people claim theyhold) andrealculture (the values and beliefs they actually follow) are asource of social problems in all societies.4)Critical-ConflictPerspective:According tocritical-conflicttheorists, social problems arise out of majorcontradictions inherent in the way societies are organized.a.Some of these approaches focus on class inequalities resulting fromcapitalism, while others focus on inequalities based onracialization/ethnicity or gender.b.According to early German economist Karl Marx, members of thecapitalist class(thebourgeoisie) control the means of production (e.g., theland, tools, factories, and money for investment) and are atthe top of asystem of social stratification that affords them different lifestyles and lifechances from the members of theworking class(theproletariat), whomust sell their labour power (ability to work) to capitalists. In the process,the capitalists derive excessive profit from the workers’ labour.c.Marx believed that capitalism led workers to experience increased levelsof poverty andalienation, feelings of powerlessness and estrangementfrom other people and from oneself. He predicted the workerswouldeventually overthrow the capitalist economic system.5)Some critical-conflict approaches focus on racialized and gendered subordinationinstead of on class-based inequalities. Theorists who emphasize discriminationand inequality based on racializationor ethnicity note that many social problems

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Social Problems in a Diverse Society, 3CeKendall/Nygaard/Thompson6are rooted in the continuing exploitation and subordination of people of colourand Indigenous people by White people and White-dominant systems.6)Applying the Conflict Perspective to Problems of Violence:Critical conflict theorists believe that in capitalist societies the wealthy mayengage in some forms of violence to further their economic interests (e.g., theabuse of police or military power to protect property) whereas people living inpoverty may engage inother forms of violence as a reaction against the unjustsocial and economic conditions they experience daily.D.The Interactionist Perspective1)Theinteractionist perspectivefocuses on a microlevel analysis of how people acttoward one another and make sense of their daily lives, viewing society as thesum of the interactions of individuals and groups.2)Most interactionists study social problems by analyzing the process wherebycertain behaviour is defined as a social problem and how individuals and groupscome to engage in activities that a significant number of people view as a majorsocial concern.3)A founder of the interactionist approach, German sociologist Georg Simmel,investigated the impact of industrialization and urbanization on people’s valuesandbehaviour within small social units. He noted that rapid changes intechnology and dramatic growth of cities produced new social problems bybreaking up the “geometry of social life.”4)According to Simmel, alienation is brought about by a decline in personal andemotional contacts. How peopleinterpretsubjective messages they receive fromothers, as well as the situations they encounter in their daily life, stronglyinfluences their behaviour and their perceptions of what constitutes a socialproblem.5)Labelling Theory and the Social Construction of Reality:Other interactionists examine how people impose meanings on others. Accordingto sociologist Howard Becker,moral entrepreneursare persons who use theirown views of right and wrong to establish rules andlabelothers as deviant.a.Labelling theorysuggests that deviants are people who have beensuccessfully labelled as such by others.b.It raises questions about why some individuals and types of behaviour arelabelled deviant but others are not.c.Accordingto some interaction theorists, many social problems can belinked to thesocial construction of reality, or the process by whichpeople’s perception of reality and their subsequent reaction, if any, isshaped largely by the subjective meaning that they give to an experience.d.A related approach that some interactionists favour is thedefinition of thesituation approach,often called theThomas Theorumafter sociologistsDorothy S. Thomas and William I. Thomas. The Thomas Theroumsuggests that how people define a situation determines their reaction to it.If a situation is perceived as real, itisreal in its consequences.e.Sociologist Robert Merton has suggested that when people view asituation in a certain way and act according to their perceptions, theendresult may be aself-fulfilling prophecy.

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Social Problems in a Diverse Society, 3CeKendall/Nygaard/Thompson76)Applying Interactionist Perspectives to Problems of Violence:a.To analyze the problem of violence, interactionists focus on socialinteraction, and note that human behaviour is learned through interaction.For interactionists, violence is a learned response, not an inherentcharacteristic.b.Interactionists also look at the types of social interactions that commonlylead to violence. Thesituational approachsuggests that violence resultsfrom a specific interaction process, termed a “situational transaction.”c.According to interactionists, reducing violence requires changing thosesocietal values that encourage excessive competition and violence.E.Feminist Perspectives1)Feminist theorists begin their analysis by pointing out that mainstream sociologicalthought and theory is bothandrocentricandEurocentric, in that most sociologicaltheory is based on the experiences, ideas, and issues of concern for males,particularly those males of European/Western extraction.2)There are no “feminist issues”per sesince every issue is a feminist issue. Whenfeminist theorists engage in analysis, they “gender” the issues under study bylooking at the differential impacts of social phenomena for men and women, andmore recently fortransgendered and/or non-gendered people as well.3)Feminist theories typically examine dynamics of power in relationships betweenindividuals, roles, and structures. This focus on power differentials is shared withconflict and Marxist theories, but feminist theories add a focus on gendered powerand patriarchy. These theories generally begin an analysis from a particular“standpoint” by examining social life from the situated vantage points of theindividuals and/or groups involved.4)A classification systemthat categorizes various feminist theories includes:a.theories of difference (men and women experience different realities);b.theories of inequality (women’s experiences are less privileged or aredisadvantaged relative to men’s); andc.or, theories of oppression (women are actively subordinated and keptdisadvantaged, both by patriarchal structures and individuals reinforcingsexist socialization and ideologies).5)Modern-day feminist theories, if they are reflexive, turn the lenses back uponthemselves. Many contemporary feminists spend a good deal of timedeconstructing the theories they favour, the underlying assumptions, theexclusions, the inclusiveness, the intersections and the impacts of the analysis.6) Applying Feminist Perspectives to Problems ofViolence:a.Feminist perspectives of violence highlight issues of dominance andpower, and suggest that inequalities between groups result in violence.They conclude that people who enjoy power and privilege likely commitas many acts of violence as those who are disenfranchised, and that maindifference between groups is that those without power aredisproportionately targeted as the perpetrators or viewed as bringing it onthemselves.b.One feminist perspective suggests that violence against women is a meansof reinforcing patriarchy. Gender stratification is reinforced by powerful

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Social Problems in a Diverse Society, 3CeKendall/Nygaard/Thompson8physical, psychological, and social mechanisms of control, including forceor the threat of force. Fear of violence forces women to adapt their waysof being in and navigating thesocial world in order to ensure they are notin a position to be victimized by men.IV.SOCIAL CHANGE AND REDUCING SOCIAL PROBLEMSA.The concept ofsocial changeis important to our discussion of reducing social problems.Social change often occurs over time. Some efforts to deal with social problems areshort-termstrategies, whereas others aremiddle-termremedies, and still others constitutelong-termefforts to alleviate the root causes of a social problem. For example, efforts toalleviate individual unemployment or reduce unemployment rates in a community have adifferent temporal dimension than long-term efforts to change the political economy insuch a manner that high levels of employment and greater wage equity are brought aboutthroughout a nation or nations. Some discussions of social change sound idealistic orutopian; however, for most social problems, a combination of strategies will be requiredto reduce them (for example, unemployment would need multi-level strategies toeffectively prevent it).V.MICROLEVEL ATTEMPTS TO SOLVE SOCIAL PROBLEMSA.Seeking Individual Solutions to Personal Problems1)Microlevel analysis of solutions to social problems focuses on how individualsoperate within small groups to try to remedy a problem that affects them, theirfamily, or friends. In this case, most people turn to theirprimary groups. Primarygroups include one’s family, close friends, and other peers with whom oneroutinely shares the more personal experiences in life (such as school-or work-related peer groups).2)According to sociologists, members of our primary groups are usually there tosupport us even when others are not. Consequently, many people turn first tofamily members and friends. For example, some analysts believe that we havemany more people who are without a domicile (who are technically “homeless”)than current statistics indicate: whenever possible, homeless individuals may livewith relatives or friends, many of whom may already live in overcrowded andsometimes substandard housing. When people seek such short-term solutions topersonal troubles, most believe the situation will be temporary. However,problems that are widespread or embedded in the larger society may stretch intomonths or years without resolution. At best, individualized efforts to reduce aproblem are short-term measures, which some critics refer as the “band-aidapproach” because such efforts most often do not eliminate the causes of theproblem.

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Social Problems in a Diverse Society, 3CeKendall/Nygaard/Thompson93)Some microlevel approaches to reducing social problems focus on howindividuals can do something about the problems they face. For example, a personwho is unemployed or among the “working poor” because of low wages, seasonalemployment, or other factors may be urged to get more education or training andwork experiencein order to find a “better” job and have the opportunity forupward mobility.VI.MID-RANGE ATTEMPTS TO SOLVE SOCIAL PROBLEMSA.Groups That Help People Cope With Their Problems1)Groups that attempt to reduce a social problem by helping individuals copewithit, or to eliminate it from their own lives, are commonplace in our society (e.g.Alcoholics Anonymous or “AA”). The basic assumption of most mid-rangeapproaches to reducing social problems is that prevention and intervention aremost effective at the personal and community levels.2)Typically, self-help groups bring together individuals who have experienced thesame problem and have the same goals-quitting the problematic behaviour. Anunderlying assumption of this approach is that some social problems can best bereduced by reaching one person at a time. Volunteers who have had similarproblems (and believe they are on the road to overcoming them) often act as rolemodels for newer members.3)Mid-range approaches may bring changes in the individual’s life; however, suchgroups typically do not systematically address the larger structural factors (suchas unemployment, work-related stress, and aggressive advertising campaigns) thatmay contribute to the problems. As a result, larger, societal interventionisnecessary to reduce the underlying problems that contribute to individualbehaviour. For example, AA typically does not lobby for more stringent lawspertaining to drunk driving or the sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages.B.Grassroots Groups That Work for Community-Based Change1)Somegrassroots groupsfocus on bringing about a change that may reduce oreliminate a social problem in a specific community or region. From this approach,people learn how to empower themselves against local, provincial,territorial, andnational government officials; corporate executives; and media figures whodetermine what constitutes the “news” in their area.2)Social analysts suggest that more community dialogue is needed on social issues,and more people need to become involved in grassroots social movements.Becausesocial movementshave not become institutionalized and are outside thepolitical mainstream, they empower outsiders by offering them an opportunity tohave their voices heard.3)Grassroots organizations andother local structures are crucial to national socialmovements because these movements must recruit members and gain theeconomic resources necessary for nationwide or global social activism.Numerous studies have shown that the local level constitutes anecessary micro-foundation for larger-scale social movement activism.

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Social Problems in a Diverse Society, 3CeKendall/Nygaard/Thompson104)Some social movements participate in what has been defined ascounter-hegemonic practiceby Canadian sociologist William K. Carroll. Counter-hegemonic practice refers to creating truealternatives to hegemony, althoughcounter-hegemonic social movements need to be aware of the movement’spotential to create new injustices by defining its own issues as “the” issues.VII.MACROLEVEL ATTEMPTS TO SOLVE SOCIAL PROBLEMSA.Working ThroughSpecial Interest Groups for Political Change1)Examples ofspecial interest groupsinclude the Canadian Labour Congress, theReform Party, and REAL Women. They are often referred to aspressure groupsorlobbies, and may be categorized on the basis of fourfactors:2)Issues.Some groups focus onsingle issues(such as abortion, gun control, orteaching acceptance for family diversity in Canadian schools); others focus onmultiple issues(such as equal access to education, employment, and health care).3)View ofthe present system of wealth and power. Some groups makeradicaldemandsthat would involve the end of patriarchy, capitalism, governmentalbureaucracy, or other existing power structures; others do not attack thelegitimacy of the present system of wealth and power but insist on specific socialreforms.4)Beliefs about elites. Some groups want toinfluenceelites (or incorporatemovement leaders into the elite); others want toreplacethe existing eliteswithpersons whom they believe share their own interests and concerns.5)Type of Political Action.There are often many different groups, all of whom donot entirely agree on the nature or extent of the problems of proposed solutions,who may try to gain recognition from elected officials or bureaucratsfor theiragendas.B.Working through National Social Movements to Reduce Problems1)Collective behaviorand national social movements are significant ways in whichpeople seek to resolve social problems. Examples of collective behavior includepublic demonstrations and riots.2)Beginning with the 1919 Egyptian revolution against British occupation, anincreasingly popular form of public demonstration iscivil disobedience. Peopleoften seek to bring about change through actions such as sit-ins, marches,boycotts, and strikes. When people refuse to abide by a policy or law andchallenge authorities to do something about it, they are demanding social changewith some sense of urgency. Sometimes referred to asprotest crowds, thesegroups engage in activities that they hope will achieve specific political goals.3)National social movements are divided into five major categories:a.Reform movementsseek to improve society by changing some specificaspect of the social structure. Environmental groups and disability rightsgroups are examples of groups of people who seek to bring about a changethat they perceive will benefit themselves and others.Activists in reformmovements typically seek to bring about change by working within theexisting organizational structures of society.

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Social Problems in a Diverse Society, 3CeKendall/Nygaard/Thompson11b.Revolutionary movementsseek to bring about a total change in society.Examples include utopian groups and radical terrorists who use fear tacticsto intimidate and—at least briefly—gain concessions from those withwhom they disagree ideologically.Some radical terrorists may kill peoplein their pursuit of a society that more closely conforms to their ownworldview.c.Religious movements(also referred to asexpressive movements) seek torenovate or renew people through inner change. For this reason, religiousmovements are often linked to local and regional organizations that seekto bring about changes in the individual’s life. National religiousmovements often seek to persuade political officials to enact laws that willreplace or eliminate what they perceive to be social problems.d.Alternative movementsseek limited change in some aspects of people’sbehaviour and currently include a variety of “New Age” movementswhich emphasize such things as the development of a new nationalspiritual consciousness.e.Resistance movementsseek to prevent change or undo change that hasalready occurred. In public debates over social policies, most socialmovements advocating change will face resistance from the members ofreactive movements that hold opposing viewpoints and want social policyto reflect their own beliefs and values. Examples of resistance movementsinclude those which oppose same sex marriage, anti-abortion groups, suchas “Operation Rescue,” which seek to close clinics which provideabortions and to recriminalize abortion; and anti-immigrant groupsseeking to close Canadian borders to outsiders or to place harsherdemands on immigrant workers.TEACHING SUGGESTIONS FOR ACTIVE LEARNINGProfessor Kathleen McKinney, one of the recipients of the Hans O. Mauksch Award fordistinguished contributions to undergraduate sociology, is an advocate of active learning and hasprovided outstanding suggestions for classroom techniques to encourage students to do morethan simply listen to a lecture. Accordingto McKinney, active learning techniques are mostlikely to succeed when instructors prepare students in advance by providing specific objectivesfor the activities and explaining how using active learning techniques will benefit them. It isimportant to solicit student feedback afterwards in order to improve the activity in the future.Four of McKinney’s suggestions are summarized here because they are incorporated intoteaching suggestions throughout this manual:1.Think-Pair-Share:After giving students aquestion or problem to solve, give them a fewminutes to think about the problem alone. Then have them discuss their ideas with theperson sitting next to them. Finally, have student pairs share their ideas with the wholeclass or a larger group. This canbe done in any size class, including those meeting inlecture halls with permanently fixed seating.

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Social Problems in a Diverse Society, 3CeKendall/Nygaard/Thompson122.Collaborative Learning Groups: Students work in groups to fulfill a task. Each groupchooses a leader and someone to take notes, and the group presentsa response or a paperto the entire class. This requires flexibility in classroom space or having some otherlocation or time when students can confer with each other.3.Analysis or reaction to videos:Before showing a video, prepare students with questionsor ideas on which to focus. After the video, ask them to answer the questions or write areview or reaction, applying sociological concepts and perspectives. Have the studentspresent their ideas to the class.4.Student debates:Having students prepare for and present debates on the social issuesdiscussed in the text and in class provides an outstanding opportunity to expose them tomore than one viewpoint. Students should be given advance assignments, suggestedresources, and a game plan for how toapproach the debates so they can take a position,gather data, and support their viewpoints.Kathleen McKinney, Sociology, Illinois State University,Normal, Il, kmckinne@ilstu.eduACCESSING THE REAL WORLD: ACTIVEENGAGEMENT WITHPROBLEMS RELATED TO VIOLENCEFocus on Community ActionHave a class discussion about prevention and intervention strategies for reducing youth violenceand gang participation in your community.Although people have initially laughed at ideassuchas midnight basketball,bowling, or dances,some social analysts believe that activities such asthis keep some young people out of trouble.What other types of activities and training might beuseful in reducing youth-related violence inthecommunity?Separate students in to smallgroups and have studentsinvestigate the current programs in placeto deter youth from engaging in violence. Have these programs or initiatives been effective intheir communities? Why or why not? Next, have themdevelop a set of suggestions forprograms that might provide other opportunities for young people or activities that mighthelpyouth make better life choices.What resources would be necessary to bring such programs intobeing? How would the costs of these programs compare with the cost of processing peoplethrough the justice system and following up with young offenders?Each group should prepare asmall report on their findings and share it with the rest of the class.Focus on Theoretical AnalysisBased on Chapter One or other information you might wish to provide to students, have the classdecideon asocial problem(such as youth violence)they would like to analyze during the nextclass meeting. Set up four collaborative learning groups and determine which group will be the“experts” oneach of the major theoretical perspectives. Students should bring notes to turn in totheir note-taker on the following: (1) key factors involved in the theoretical perspective, (2) howthat approach might explain the social problem under consideration, (3) how that approach might

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Social Problems in a Diverse Society, 3CeKendall/Nygaard/Thompson13suggest resolving the problem, and (4) major strengths and weaknesses of the theoreticalperspective as applied to that problem.Have students meet in their collaborative learning groups for about 20-30 minutes (depending onthe length of your class) to compile their notes and prepare a presentation for the entire class.Then, ask group leaders to appoint other people in their group to do various aspects of thepresentation, so that other members do not become dependent on the leader doing most of thegroup’s work and talking.Focus on Media EngagementAsk students to do a content analysis of television programs such as Saturday morning cartoons,prime-time police and hospital shows, college and professional sporting events, andInternetwebsites which are likely to depict violent acts. Also have students go to web sites such as MediaWatch(http://www.mediawatch.com) and Media Awareness Network (www.media-awareness.ca) to get the latest “Television and Internet Statistics” on how many hours childrenspend watchingtelevisionand surfing the Internetand what perceptions they have about violenceinmedia. For example, a2005 Canadian study found this in regard to children and Internetusage:•Almost one-third of the 50 favourite Web sites listed by kids incorporate material that isviolent (28 percent) orhighly sexualized (32 percent). Kids in Grades 8 and 9 include thesesites in their list offavourites most frequentlyvisited.•Two sites that appear in the top four most popular sites with students in Grades 8 to 11–NewgroundsandeBaumsworld–contain mature content. These sites also appear on the listof favourites for Grade 6 and 7 students.Students should take note of the frequency of violent acts on television programs and theInternet. As well, they should write about the gendered, racialized and class dimensions of eachviolent act depicted. Were they surprised with their findings? Why or why not?Have studentsbring their notes on what they observedon the television and Internetso they can shareinformation withthe rest of the class.APPLYING CRITICAL THINKING THROUGH DISCUSSION1.How can the sociological imagination help us as we deal with social problems that affect uspersonally? What kinds of insights might advanced sociological training provide for a personwho wants to engage in problem solving in politics, government, education, the military, orother social organizations and institutions?2.Has Canada’s adoption of harsher penalties for people convicted of hate crimes had anyimpact for victims or perpetrators? What, if any, impacts might these penalties have had sofar?

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Social Problems in a Diverse Society, 3CeKendall/Nygaard/Thompson143.Some critical-conflict theorists believe that social problems arise from the majorcontradictions inherent in capitalist economies. What roles does violence play in a capitalisteconomy?4.How might labelling theory work with the concept of the self-fulfilling prophecy to increaseor decrease the life chances of a youth who is suspected of committing a deviant act?5.Some feminist theorists suggest that the use of violence against women is one way that menuse to maintain and reinforce patriarchal oppression throughout society. Construct argumentsthat support and/or refute this position.6.Suppose that you were given the economic resources and political clout to reduce a majorsocial problem. Which problem would you choose? What steps would you take to alleviatethe problem? How would you measure your success or failure in reducing or eliminating theproblem?7.Do governments at all levels in Canada listen to their constituents about social issues? Whatevidence can you find to support that they do or do not? Why is the situationthe way it is?AUDIO-VISUAL MEDIA FOR FURTHER EXPLORATIONAfrican Canadian Issues Collection—This 5-part collection of NFB titles illustrates that there isa life beyond the streets for inner city youth. A gritty focus on the serious problems of poverty,drug abuse, violence and street gangs. 2006. Varying clip lengths. National Film Board ofCanada,www.nfb.ca.Charting New Waters: Responding to Violence against Women with Disabilities—This is a videoand a study guide about violence against womenwith disabilities. 1996. 38 mins. National FilmBoard of Canada,www.nfb.ca.Cheating Death—This documentary tells the story of a young Toronto man and the littleunderstood world of guns, gangs and drugs. 2004. 24 mins. National Film Board of Canada,www.nfb.ca.Cultivating Peace in the 21st Century—The four films inCultivating Peace in the 21st Centuryprovide teachers with tools to engage students to search for a “culture of peace” in our homes,schools, neighbourhoods and global communities. 2002.100 mins. National Film Board ofCanada,www.nfb.ca.Exiles in Lotusland—This video is gritty look a the life of Canadian youth living on the edge,suicide and “street kid” culture. 2005. 71 mins. National Film Board of Canada,www.nfb.ca.It’s a Girl’s World—This film looks at bullying and social power in a clique of 10 year old girls.2004. 54 mins. National Film Board of Canada, www.nfb.ca.

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