FMST 303 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Symbolic Interactionism

• School: Towson University
• Department: Family and Human Services
• Course: FMST 303
• Professor: Jones- Eversley

Document Summary

Social construction of social problems and social policies: Relates to the ideology that human beings are always agents in the active construction of social reality- the way they act depends on the way in which they understand or give meaning to their behavior. Assumes that understanding, significance and meaning are created note within the individual, but in coordination with other human beings. How do private issues become social problems: factors: extent and intensity of problem (cid:862)poli(cid:272)(cid:455) wi(cid:374)do(cid:449)(cid:863, social problem comes to public attention, policy solution may be attempted, e(cid:454). Social policies are collective responses to perceived social problems: efforts to solve the problem, efforts to ameliorate the problem without solving it, efforts to avoid the problem. Absence of action also constitutes social policy. Broad definition: incl. military, economic, agricultural, immigration, education, tax, criminal justice policies. Interconnections among policy areas- impact of policies on individual & family well- being. Significance of tax policy as redistributive mechanism.