SOCI 1004 - Social Problems

Issues such as poverty, unemployment, poor health, crime, drug addiction, homelessness, illiteracy and dysfunctional families are all labelled as 'social problems'. Consequently through public policy the state seeks solutions to reduce the negative impacts of these and similar harms. In this course you will explore the ways in which such social problems become defined. This includes an exploration of the different worldviews and theoretical perspectives that shape how we see social problems and the effects of different ways of defining social problems across time and cultures. Through learning to analyse how issues are problematized, you will gain insights into the social framing of contemporary policy initiatives. Key to this course is the focus on a range of social problems and the use of sociological theory to understand the social-economic processes surrounding the construction of issues as social problems and attempts by policymakers to address them.