LS263 Lecture 1: Organized Crime - Janurary 10
9 Mar 2017
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Document Summary
Do social problems present themselves as problems by virtue of inherent harm or taboo. Are social problems objective conditions of social arrangements. Are social problems a product of collective definition. Questions social constructionism asks: social actors constitute social problems by identifying them, by rallying people together to attempt to deal with them, and by providing means of how to combat these problems. Actors attempt to get other people to agree that these problems are ones that need to be dealt with. Social problems need to be accounted for in terms of the activities of groups making assertions of grievances and claims with respect to come putative conditions. (exam) Sociology of social problems should account for the emergence and maintenance of claims making and responding activities. (exam) Social constructionism asks how does certain categories of crimes come to be defined as criminal. Key idea: harm is only one factor in determining whether a problem is recognized as a social problem.
