Sociological Approaches to

Social Problems
Trends and Issues in Social Studies
 The Definition of Social Problem
A social problem is any condition or behavior that
has negative consequences for large numbers of
people and that is generally recognized as a
condition or behavior that needs to be addressed.
This definition has both an objective component
and a subjective component.
 Theoretical Perspective

Three theoretical perspectives guide sociological

thinking on social
problems: functionalist theory, conflict theory,
and symbolic interactionist theory. These
perspectives look at the same social problems, but
they do so in different ways.
 Functionalist Theory
The functionalist perspective sees society as a
complex system whose parts work together to
promote solidarity and stability. This approach looks
at society through a macro-level orientation and
broadly focuses on the social structures that shape
society as a whole.
 Functionalist Theory
This theory suggests that gender inequalities exist as an efficient
way to create a division of labor, or as a social system in which
a particular segment of the population is clearly responsible for
certain acts of labor and another segment is clearly responsible for
other labor acts. The feminist movement takes the position
that functionalism neglects the suppression of women within
the family structure.
 Functionalist Theory
In sociological research, functional prerequisites are the basic
needs (food, shelter, clothing, and money) that an individual
requires to live above the poverty line. Functional prerequisites
may also refer to the factors that allow a society to maintain social
order. According to structural functionalists, gender serves to
maintain social order by providing and ensuring the stability of
such functional prerequisites.
 Functionalist Theory
This view has been criticized for reifying, rather than reflecting,
gender roles. While gender roles, according to the functionalist
perspective, are beneficial in that they contribute to stable social
relations, many argue that gender roles are discriminatory and should
not be upheld. The feminist movement, which was on the rise at the
same time that functionalism began to decline, takes the position that
functionalism neglects the suppression of women within the family
structure.
 Conflict Theory
Conflict theory states that tensions and conflicts arise when resources,
status, and power are unevenly distributed between groups in
society and that these conflicts become the engine for social change.
In this context, power can be understood as control of material
resources and accumulated wealth, control of politics and the
institutions that make up society, and one's social status relative to
others (determined not just by class but by race, gender,
sexuality, culture, and religion, among other things).
 Conflict Theory
Conflict theory examines any social phenomenon through the lens that there
is a natural human instinct towards conflict.  Marx is not saying that conflict
is good or bad, but instead that it is an unavoidable aspect of human nature
and helps explain why things are the way they are.

For example, conflict theory can be used to look at wars, violence,

revolutions, and forms of injustice and discrimination by explaining that
there is a natural disparity in society that causes these problems.
 Conflict Theory
Intersectionality
Intersectionality is a feminist sociological theory first highlighted by leading
critical theorist thinker Kimberlé Crenshaw (1989). The theory proposes
that different biological, social, and cultural factors, such as gender, race,
and class, do not operate in isolation of one another. Rather, they are
interrelated, forming a system of oppression that consists of different forms
of discrimination. This theory will be further discussed under the feminist
perspective of gender stratification in the chapter, “Understanding Gender
Stratification and Inequality.”
 Symbolic Interactionism

Symbolic interactionism theory assumes that people

respond to elements of their environments according to
the subjective meanings they attach to those elements,
such as meanings being created and modified through
social interaction involving symbolic communication
with other people.
 Symbolic Interactionism

Symbolic Interactionism is a theoretical framework in sociology

that describes how societies are created and maintained through
the repeated actions of individuals (Carter and Fuller, 2015). In
simple terms, people in society understand their social worlds
through communication — the exchange of meaning through
language and symbols.
 Symbolic Interactionism
Instead of addressing how institutions objectively define and affect
individuals, symbolic interactionism pays attention to these
individuals’ subjective viewpoints and how they make sense of the
world from their own perspective. The objective structure of a
society is less important in the symbolic interactionist view than
how subjective, repeated, and meaningful interactions between
individuals create society. Thus, society is thought to be socially
constructed through human interpretation.
Thank you
Ashley Bancoro

BSED III- Social Studies