SOCI

ALPOLI
CYNOTES,
QUESTI
ONSANDANSWER

Not
esnot
esnot
esnot
esnot
esnot
esnot
esnot
esnot
esnot
esnot
esnot
esnot
esnot
es

Lear
ningobjecti
ves
Whati ssoci
alpoli
cy
Whati ssoci
alprobl
em
Whati ssoci
ologi
calprobl
ems
Exampl esofsoci
alandsociologi
calpr
oblems
Thelinkbetweensocialpol
icyandsocialproblems
Perspecti
vesonsocialpoli
cyandsocialproblems

Whati
ssocial
poli
cy
Itcanbedefinedast
hemeasur
esputi
npl
acet
oer
adi
cat
esoci
alpr
obl
emssuch
asprosti
tut
ion.

Calvetandcal
vet(1992)defi
nesocialpr
obl em poli
cyasthemai npri
nciples
underwhichgovenmentdirecteconomicresour cestomeetspecif
icsocial
needssuchashousi ng,
educati
on,cr
imepr eventionandhel
ptheelderl
y.

Itcanalsobedefi
nedasanactiontakenbyt
hegover
nmenti
nrel
ati
ont
oit
s
cit
izensinmeet
ingthesoci
alneedsofpopul
ati
on.

Soci
alpol
i
cyi
sanar
eawher
esoci
alandsoci
ologi
cal
probl
emsf
requent
lymeet
.

Examplesofsoci alpolicy
Domest icvi
olenceact
BasicEducat ionAssistancemodul
e
Affi
r mat i
veacti
onpol i
cy
Mai ntenancelaw
Inheritanceact
Educat ionforall
Commandagr i
cult
ure
Landr ef or
m act
Droughmi ti
gationprogram

Whatisasoci
alprobl
em
NB:notal
lpr
oblemsaresoci
alpr
obl
ems

I
tisabehav
iorseent
ocausepubl
icfri
cti
onorpr
ivat
eout
cryandmi
ser
yusual
l
y
i
nvol
vesacallf
oract
ion(St
anl
ey2004)

I
tisabehav
iort
hatpower
ful
groupsdi
sappr
ove.

I
tisaspeci
alcondi
ti
ont
hati
sper
cei
vedt
obehar
mful
tomor
ethanf
ewpeopl
e.
 Tosoci
ologi
sts,
sui
cideisasoci
alpr
obl
em becausei
tisasoci
alcondi
ti
ont
hati
s
per
cei
vedtobeharmf ul
tomorethanj
ustafewpeopl
e.

Exampl
esofsoci alprobl
ems
Drugabuse
Corruption
Unempl oy ment
Domest icv i
olence
Pov ert
y
Suicide
Prostit
ution
Childlabor
Childabuse
Humant raff
icking
Terrori
sm

Soci
ologi
cal
probl
ems

Accordi
ngtowill
is(2011)asociological
probl
em issi
mpl
yaquseti
onthat
demandsexplanati
one. gwhydisabledpeoplefacedi
scr
imi
nat
ionthusthi
s
mightneedssociol
ogicalexpl
anation.

Examplesofsociol
ogi
calprobl
emsi ncl
udeInadequat
esoci
ali
zat
ion,
eff
ect
sof
soci
alchangee.gcult
ural
dilut
ionandcult
ureerosi
on,
Cul
tur
alcausesofgender
i
nequali
tyetc.

Thel
i
nkbetweensoci ol
ogyandsocial
poli
cy
Soci
ologycanhaveadirecti
mpactonandI
nputi
ntot
hegov
ernmentpol
i
cy
maki
ng( soci
alpol
icy
).

Soci
ologycancreateacondusi
vecl
i
mat
eofopi
nioni
nfl
uencest
hedev
elopment
ofgovernmentpoli
cies.

Gov
enmentcandeducel
awsorsoci
alpol
i
cyf
rom soci
ologi
cal
language.

However
,somesocial
scient
ist
sar
eoft
hev
iewt
hatsoci
ologyhasv
eryl
i
ttl
eor
noef
fectonsoci
alpol
icy
.

Thejobofsoci
ologyi
stost
udysoci
alpol
i
ciesnott
ofor
cet
hegov
ernmentt
oI
enactpol
i
cies.

Theywentontoarguethatsoci
ologyshoul
dbev al
uef
reeandconf
inedof
descr
ibi
ngandunderst
andingthesocial
world.

Soci
ologyi
nfl
uenci
ngsoci
alpol
i
cy
Manysoci
alsci
ent
ist
sbel
i
evet
hatsoci
ologyhast
hepowert
oInf
luencesoci
al
pol
i
cy.

Manysoci
alsci
enti
stinU.
S.Acampai
gnedagai
nstpov
ert
yfort
hemost
di
sadv
antagedgroups.

Thi
smadet
hegov
ernmentt
odecl
areawaronpov
ert
y.

USpresident
,LyndonBJohnsonlaunchedtheeconomi
coppor
tuni
tyt
o
coor
dinatetocoordi
nat
emeasurestof i
ghtpover
ty.

Theref
ore,f
rom t
heaboveevi
dence,
itpr
udentf
oronet
onot
ethatsoci
ologyhas
agreatimpactonsoci
alpol
i
cy.

Becker(1967)arguest
hatsoci
ologi
cal
resear
chshoul
dpr
omot
ethei
nter
estof
thedisadvant
agedgroup'
s.

ThombsandWhy tefr
om aleftwi
ngperspect
ivestr
essthattherol
eof
sociol
ogi
stsi
stoempowert hepowerl
essbyprovi
dingpoli
ciesandinf
ormat
ion
requir
edt
ochall
engepol
ici
eswhi chdonotbenef
itthem .

Marsl
and(1995)fr
om anewr
ightper
spect
ivear
guest
hatsoci
ologyshoul
d
addr
esssocial
problems.

Hemant ainst hatsoci

ologi
calresearchhasanecessary
,impor
tantand
const
ructi
v eroletoplayinrel
ationtoSocial
Pol
icyformati
on,i
mplementat
ion
andevaluation.

Goul
dner(
1979)acri
ti
cal
femini
st,bel
i
evesthatt
hepoi
ntofsoci
ologyi
sto
makeanimpactandi
mprovesoci
alpol
ici
es.

Femini
stscampai
gnshaveinf
luencedgov
enment
stoi
ntr
oducepol
i
cieswhi
ch
chal
l
engegenderi
nequal
i
ties.

Forinstance,
Aff
ir
mati
veacti
onpol
i
cywasintr
oducedi
neducati
onwhichall
ows
agirlchil
dtoent
eruni
ver
sit
ywit
honepoi
ntlesst
hanboysforapar
ti
cular
program inZi
mbabwe.

Femini
stscampai
gnsl
edt
odomest
icv
iol
encet
obedecl
aredasasoci
al
probl
em andacri
measwel
l.

Theinfluenceandi
mpactoff emini
sm wasprimar
il
yf el
tinZimbabwewhent he
governmentintr
oduceddomest i
cviol
enceacttof
ightdomest i
cvi
olence.
Inher
itanceandmaintai
nancelawsaresocial
poli
ciesint
roducedbythethe
zimbabweangov er
nment .
 Att
hisj
unct
ure,
onecansaf
elyar
guet
hatsoci
ologyhasagr
eati
mpactonsoci
al
pol
i
cy.

Soci
ologybei
ngi
nfl
uncedbysoci
alpol
i
cy

Mostsociol
ogi
stsbel
iev
ethatsoci
ologyhasnoi
mpactonsoci
alpol
i
cy,
inf
act
,it
i
simpactedbysocial
poli
cy.

Theyarguethatsoci
ologi
calr
esear
chmayor
igi
nat
esf
rom soci
alpol
i
ces
i
ntroducedbythegovernment

InBr
itai
nfori
nstance,t
heintr
oduct
ionofquasi
-market
sineducati
onsy st
em
andthishadgenerat
edsociol
ogi
calresear
chonthei
ref
fectoneducat
ion.

Itwasasi t
uationwherebyschoolswerefundedaccordi
ngtothei
rsuccessi
n
att
ract
ingleaners.
.
Sociol
ogicalresear
chwasgener atedint
hatthepoli
cywasdiscri
minat
orysi
nceit
l
edt othosefrom ther
icherbackgroundsecuri
ngplacesatt
hemostsuccessful
school
swhi lethepoorhadnochance.

Soci
ologi
calresear
chwasgener
atedi
nBr
it
ainwhent
hegov
ernmenti
ntr
oduced
welf
arestat
e.

Iti
sastateinwhi
chthegover
nmentacceptresponsi
bil
i
tyf
orensur
ingmi
nimum
standar
dsfort
hepeopleasari
ghtf
orit
'scit
izens.

Marslandcr
it
ici
zedt
hisBr
it
ishwelf
aresy
stem ar
gui
ngthati
twaspromotingt
he
dependedsyndr
omeanddiscour
agedselfi
mprov
ementthr
ougheducat
ion.

From t
hispoi
ntofv
iew,
onecanarguet
hatatsomepoi
nt,
iti
sindeedsoci
ology
thati
simpact
edbysoci
alpol
i
cy.

Femini
sm r
esearchhasfocusedonar angeofpol
i
cyi
ssuesandpr
act
ices
desi
gnedtopromotegenderinequal
i
ties.

Forexample,
Pascal
l(1997)hashi
ghl
i
ght
edsomeoft
hepol
i
cieswhi
chr
est
ri
cted
womenf r
om worki
ng.

Soci
ologi
cal
per
spect
ivesonsoci
alpol
i
cyandsoci
alpr
obl
ems

Funct
ional
i
sm

al
lpar
tsofsoci
etydependoneachot
hert
obr
ingaboutast
abl
esoci
alor
der
.

Thust
hef
ami
l
ydependsont
heschool
toeducat
eit
schi
l
dren,
andt
heschool
,i
ntur
n,
 dependsonthefami
lyt
oprovi
deemotional
support
,andbot
htheschool
andt
hef
ami
l
y
dependonthegover
nmenttooff
erasafeenvi
ronment.

I
fsomepar t
sofsoci
etyf
ailt
operf
ormthei
rfunct
ionssoastodisruptt
henet
wor
kof
i
nter
dependenceamongall
part
s,wehaveacaseofdysfunct
ion.

Asdysfunct
ionsoccur,
soci
aldi
sorderwi
llt
akepl
acei
nfor
m ofsoci
alpr
obl
emssuchas
cr
ime,povert
y,pr
osti
tute,
unemploymentetc.

AccordingtoDurkheim,theroleofsoci
alpoli
cyist
omaintai
nthesoci
alpr
oblemsata
normallevelnotnecessari
l
yt oremovesocialpr
obl
emssincesomesocial
probl
emsare
funct
ionalsuchascr i
mewhi chcanchangesociety
.

Dur
kheim bel
i
evest
hati
ndi
vi
dual
sshoul
dnotbebl
amedf
orsoci
alpr
obl
emssuchas
sui
cide.

Dur
kheimturnedtosoci
alfor
ces,
onef
orcet
hathef
oundt
ohav
eagr
eati
mpacton
sui
cidewassocial
isol
ati
on.

Hesai
diti
sthesoci
etyt
hati
sbl
amedf
orsoci
alpr
obl
emssuchassui
cide.

Hesai
dmostsoci
alprobl
emssuchasprost
it
utear
efunct
ional
becausei
thassav
ed
manyf
ami
li
esormar r
iagesf
rom col
l
apsi
ng.

Ift
hespousei
snotsat
isf
iedbyt
hepar
tnercanr
esor
ttopr
ost
it
uteandt
hemar
ri
agei
s
saved.

Par
son'
s,ar
guesthat,
soci
alpr
oblemsmayresul
tfr
om i
nadequatesoci
ali
sat
ion,
thusi
t
i
sthesoci
etyt
hatitbl
amedforsoci
alpr
obl
emssuchastheftcases.

Hemantai
nsthatsoci
alpr
obl
emsmaycausedi
sorderhencet
her
oleofsoci
alpol
i
cyi
s
t
ocant
ainsocial
probl
emshenceor
deri
smantai
ned.

Sy
mbol
i
cint
eract
ioni
sm

Soci
alpr
obl
emsaccurasar
esul
toft
woway
s

.
Onewayi nvol
vesdiffer
ent
ial
associat
ion,
theprocessofacquir
ing,
throughassociat
ion
wit
hothers,“
anexcessofdefini
ti
onsfavorabl
etoviol
ati
onoflawov erdefi
nit
ions
unf
avorablet
ov i
olat
ionofl
aw”(Sutherl
and,1939)
.

Thismeanst hatani
ndivi
dualisli
kelyt
ocommitacri
meiftheindiv
idual
int
eractsmor
e
fr
equentl
ywithpeoplewhodef inethecri
meposi
ti
vel
y(“
it
’sokay”)t
hanwiththosewho
defi
neitnegativ
ely(
“i
t’
swr ong”).

Anotherwayforasoci
alprobl
em t
oemer
geisthroughlabel
i
ngindi
vidual
sasdev i
ants,
usual
lybyconvi
cti
ngandimpri
soni
ngt
hem ascri
minalsortr
eat
ingthem asdi
sreputabl
e
 char
act
ers.

Onceapersonhasbeenl
abel
edathi
eforar obberoradrunk,
heorshemaybest
uck
wi
ththatl
abel
forl
if
eandrej
ect
edandisol
atedasar esul
t.

Fi
ndi
ngaj
obandmaki
ngf
ri
endsmaybecomeext
remel
ydi
ff
icul
t.

Consequent
ly,
thepersonmaybefor
cedt
ocont
inuecommi
tt
ingsuchact
sormay
commitincr
easingl
ydevi
antact
s.

Bei
nglabel
edadev
iant
,then,
canpusht
hei
ndi
vi
dual
towar
dfur
therandgr
eat
er
dev
iance.

Beinglabel
edadev
ianti
nvol
ves,
inef
fect
,thei
ndi
vi
dual
bei
ngcaughtupi
nasy
mbol
i
c
i
nteract
ion.

Mar
xsi
m

beli
evesthatsoci
alpr
obl
emsar
ecausedbycapi
tal
i
sm whi
chpaywor
ker
slowwages
andsalar
ies.

Thi
sexploit
ati
venatureofcapi
tal
i
sm causesmanysocial
probl
ems,
suchascr
imeand
dev
iance,bygener
atingpovert
yamongthelowercl
asses.

Capi
tal
i
sm f
urt
hercausessoci
alpr
obl
emsbybr
ingi
ngaboutwi
despr
eadunempl
oyment
.

Toi
ncr
easeprofi
t,capi
tal
i
stsmustfi
ndway
stoenhancepr
oduct
ivi
tyatl
owl
aborcost
s,
i
ncl
udi
ngint
roduct
ionofautomat
ion.

Thesemeasur
esi
nev
itabl
ythr
owsomeoft
heexi
sti
ngl
aborf
orceoutofwor
k.

Thewor ker
s’i
nabi
l
ityt
omai
ntai
nadecentl
i
vingpr
essur
est
hem t
owar
dcr
imeand
dev
iance.

Capi
tal
i
sm producesnotonlypropert
ycrimessuchastheftandrobber
yamongthe
unempl
oyedlower-cl
asspeople;i
tal
socausespersonalcri
messuchasassault
,rape,
andhomici
deinadditi
ontovariousotherfor
msofdeviancesuchasalcohol
i
sm.

Soci
alPol
i
cyi
sal
awwhi
chr
efl
ect
sthei
nter
estoft
her
uli
ngcl
ass.

Soci
alPol
i
cyi
stobebl
amedf
ormai
ntai
ningsoci
alpr
obl
emsr
athert
hancur
bingt
hem.

Tomarxi
sts,
rev
olut
ionandacommuni
sm soci
etyi
stheonl
ysol
uti
ont
osoci
alpr
obl
ems
suchasunempl
oyment,cr
imes,
pov
ert
yetc

I
nthi
ssoci
ety,
themeansofpr
oduct
ionwi
l
lbeownedbyt
hecommuni
ty.

Femi
nism
 Femi
nist
sdidnotbel
iev
et hatmostsoci
alpr
obl
emsar
ecausedbycapi
tal
i
sm butt
hey
bl
amethepatr
iar
chal
society.

accordingtoleber
alfemini
sm,womenbothfr
om t
heuppercl
assandworki
ngclassar
e
discri
minatedatworkplaceshencet
heyar
einpover
tyt
husprost
it
uti
on,
shopl
i
ftingwi
ll
bet heotheroftheday.

t
hus,
femi
nism i
nter
pret
edsoci
alpr
obl
emsi
ntemsofPat
ri
archal
cal
tur
enotcapi
tal
i
sm.

Leberalf
emini
sm bel
iev
ethatf
emi
nisthav
emadepr
ogr
essi
vesuccessesi
nchal
l
engi
ng
poli
cieswhi
chexploi
twomen.

Therol
eofSoci
alPol
i
cyi
stoempowerwomenbyr
aisi
ngt
hest
atusofwomeni
nal
l
spher
esofl
if
e.

ThusGoul
dner
,not
est
hati
fsoci
alpol
i
cywasi
nter
pret
edi
nthi
swayt
hengenderequal
i
tymust
fol
l
ow.