Comments on: The Social Construction of Social Problems http://thesocietypages.org/socimages/2009/09/30/the-social-construction-of-social-problems/ Sociological Images encourages people to exercise and develop their sociological imaginations with discussions of compelling visuals that span the breadth of sociological inquiry. Thu, 24 May 2012 15:10:00 +0000 hourly 1 By: Creating a Social Problem | Plangere Culture Lab http://thesocietypages.org/socimages/2009/09/30/the-social-construction-of-social-problems/comment-page-1/#comment-549854 Creating a Social Problem | Plangere Culture Lab Wed, 04 Apr 2012 16:27:03 +0000 http://thesocietypages.org/socimages/?p=13565#comment-549854 [...] This graph is remarkable. [...] [...] This graph is remarkable. [...]

]]> By: tookechaw http://thesocietypages.org/socimages/2009/09/30/the-social-construction-of-social-problems/comment-page-1/#comment-533168 tookechaw Wed, 31 Aug 2011 16:03:00 +0000 http://thesocietypages.org/socimages/?p=13565#comment-533168 i think women are  like sex to much than guys so,i do not think!!! i think women are  like sex to much than guys so,i do not think!!!

]]> By: Louche http://thesocietypages.org/socimages/2009/09/30/the-social-construction-of-social-problems/comment-page-1/#comment-120335 Louche Fri, 02 Oct 2009 17:01:19 +0000 http://thesocietypages.org/socimages/?p=13565#comment-120335 Very good point. My freshman year in college (two years ago), a new alcohol policy was implemented that banned alcoholic beverages in all dorms, the student outrage was enormous. Activists complained that we couldn't unite the campus over anything except the desire for alcohol, despite the fact that probably the majority of the outraged students were under 21. Very good point. My freshman year in college (two years ago), a new alcohol policy was implemented that banned alcoholic beverages in all dorms, the student outrage was enormous. Activists complained that we couldn’t unite the campus over anything except the desire for alcohol, despite the fact that probably the majority of the outraged students were under 21.

]]> By: Social Construction of Social Problems « Christopher A. Haase http://thesocietypages.org/socimages/2009/09/30/the-social-construction-of-social-problems/comment-page-1/#comment-120260 Social Construction of Social Problems « Christopher A. Haase Fri, 02 Oct 2009 14:00:25 +0000 http://thesocietypages.org/socimages/?p=13565#comment-120260 [...] SocImages- One way to study social problems is to take a social constructionist approach.  This approach suggests that the degree to which a social problem is perceived as problematic, as well as the kind of problem it is understood to be, is a function of social interaction… Artist Susannah Hertrich developed this graphic (via) designed to bring to consciousness the difference between the likelihood of harm from certain threats and public outrage: [...] [...] SocImages- One way to study social problems is to take a social constructionist approach.  This approach suggests that the degree to which a social problem is perceived as problematic, as well as the kind of problem it is understood to be, is a function of social interaction… Artist Susannah Hertrich developed this graphic (via) designed to bring to consciousness the difference between the likelihood of harm from certain threats and public outrage: [...]

]]> By: notemily http://thesocietypages.org/socimages/2009/09/30/the-social-construction-of-social-problems/comment-page-1/#comment-119851 notemily Thu, 01 Oct 2009 19:13:31 +0000 http://thesocietypages.org/socimages/?p=13565#comment-119851 I wish she'd included car accidents in general--this seems to me to be a huge threat that people ignore every day. I live in Wisconsin, where we routinely get huge amounts of snow during the winter--but people are expected to "tough it out" and drive to work anyway, because we're Wisconsinites, dammit, and we won't be put off by a little snow. But so many more accidents happen in bad weather. Native Wisconsinite driving abilities can only do so much on a slippery road. So it always annoys me that people are expected to risk their lives just to get to work. I wish she’d included car accidents in general–this seems to me to be a huge threat that people ignore every day.

I live in Wisconsin, where we routinely get huge amounts of snow during the winter–but people are expected to “tough it out” and drive to work anyway, because we’re Wisconsinites, dammit, and we won’t be put off by a little snow. But so many more accidents happen in bad weather. Native Wisconsinite driving abilities can only do so much on a slippery road. So it always annoys me that people are expected to risk their lives just to get to work.

]]> By: Stentor http://thesocietypages.org/socimages/2009/09/30/the-social-construction-of-social-problems/comment-page-1/#comment-119739 Stentor Thu, 01 Oct 2009 14:21:12 +0000 http://thesocietypages.org/socimages/?p=13565#comment-119739 This seems to me to be only a halfway social constructionist approach -- because you're arguing that there's still a "real," objective risk level and that societies merely construct misunderstandings of it. But the social science literature on risks (by people like Paul Slovic, Mary Douglas, Sheila Jasanoff, etc) has thoroughly questioned that idea. A more fully constructionist approach would argue that the risk level is a function of what you value, and you can't assume that some metric like deaths per year is the real risk. That's not to say that societies don't misapply their values or that you can't argue that a society should worry about different risks, but it's not as convenient as pointing to a "real" risk level. This seems to me to be only a halfway social constructionist approach — because you’re arguing that there’s still a “real,” objective risk level and that societies merely construct misunderstandings of it. But the social science literature on risks (by people like Paul Slovic, Mary Douglas, Sheila Jasanoff, etc) has thoroughly questioned that idea. A more fully constructionist approach would argue that the risk level is a function of what you value, and you can’t assume that some metric like deaths per year is the real risk. That’s not to say that societies don’t misapply their values or that you can’t argue that a society should worry about different risks, but it’s not as convenient as pointing to a “real” risk level.

]]> By: grady http://thesocietypages.org/socimages/2009/09/30/the-social-construction-of-social-problems/comment-page-1/#comment-119591 grady Thu, 01 Oct 2009 05:54:59 +0000 http://thesocietypages.org/socimages/?p=13565#comment-119591 that's a really interesting graph...love the site that’s a really interesting graph…love the site

]]> By: archdiva http://thesocietypages.org/socimages/2009/09/30/the-social-construction-of-social-problems/comment-page-1/#comment-119532 archdiva Thu, 01 Oct 2009 03:22:20 +0000 http://thesocietypages.org/socimages/?p=13565#comment-119532 Here's another one, not documented above, but which I can share based on years of experience in college health. The actual hazard of college drinking is significantly higher than the public outrage -- if you're talking to students. But if you ask a college president or a judicial officer or someone (like me) who deals with the legal, financial, health,and other negative consequences of alcohol consumption by students, then it's a huge public outrage and equally huge actual hazard. Oh, the only time the students will be massively publicly outraged but there is little actual hazard? When a more restrictive alcohol policy is being implemented. Here’s another one, not documented above, but which I can share based on years of experience in college health. The actual hazard of college drinking is significantly higher than the public outrage — if you’re talking to students.

But if you ask a college president or a judicial officer or someone (like me) who deals with the legal, financial, health,and other negative consequences of alcohol consumption by students, then it’s a huge public outrage and equally huge actual hazard.

Oh, the only time the students will be massively publicly outraged but there is little actual hazard? When a more restrictive alcohol policy is being implemented.

]]> By: Duran2 http://thesocietypages.org/socimages/2009/09/30/the-social-construction-of-social-problems/comment-page-1/#comment-119327 Duran2 Wed, 30 Sep 2009 19:05:16 +0000 http://thesocietypages.org/socimages/?p=13565#comment-119327 I wonder if there is a correlation between public concern and perceived arbitrariness or immediacy of the threat. e.g. Terrorism is arbitrary, immediate, and unavoidable...heart disease creeps up on you over decades. I wonder if there is a correlation between public concern and perceived arbitrariness or immediacy of the threat. e.g. Terrorism is arbitrary, immediate, and unavoidable…heart disease creeps up on you over decades.

]]> By: Social Construction made Visible « Social Issues and Social Change http://thesocietypages.org/socimages/2009/09/30/the-social-construction-of-social-problems/comment-page-1/#comment-119298 Social Construction made Visible « Social Issues and Social Change Wed, 30 Sep 2009 17:34:04 +0000 http://thesocietypages.org/socimages/?p=13565#comment-119298 [...] September 30, 2009 The following is a post from the blog Sociological Images, where it appeared as The Social Construction of Social Problems.  The image was prepared by a graphic design artist for the purpose of conveying the gap [...] [...] September 30, 2009 The following is a post from the blog Sociological Images, where it appeared as The Social Construction of Social Problems.  The image was prepared by a graphic design artist for the purpose of conveying the gap [...]

]]> By: Fernando http://thesocietypages.org/socimages/2009/09/30/the-social-construction-of-social-problems/comment-page-1/#comment-119253 Fernando Wed, 30 Sep 2009 15:56:17 +0000 http://thesocietypages.org/socimages/?p=13565#comment-119253 My guess is that she used news articles and data on actual damage caused by those things. I'm just curious to what she used to determinate the size of each sphere, specially when you compare something like credit card fraud and pedestrian accident, where one results in financial damage while the other in physical and financial damage. I think the explanation for why things like terrorism, plane crash and bird flu provide for more public outrage it is because they are more newsworthy. They are big events that are a break from the norm, and jornalism will often go after that, different from cancer or pedestrian accident, which is constant and happens all the time. I'm not saying that is the proper way to make news, that's just unfortunately the way news are made. My guess is that she used news articles and data on actual damage caused by those things. I’m just curious to what she used to determinate the size of each sphere, specially when you compare something like credit card fraud and pedestrian accident, where one results in financial damage while the other in physical and financial damage.

I think the explanation for why things like terrorism, plane crash and bird flu provide for more public outrage it is because they are more newsworthy. They are big events that are a break from the norm, and jornalism will often go after that, different from cancer or pedestrian accident, which is constant and happens all the time. I’m not saying that is the proper way to make news, that’s just unfortunately the way news are made.

]]> By: Andrew http://thesocietypages.org/socimages/2009/09/30/the-social-construction-of-social-problems/comment-page-1/#comment-119240 Andrew Wed, 30 Sep 2009 15:36:27 +0000 http://thesocietypages.org/socimages/?p=13565#comment-119240 What is the public outrage over a Daily Glass of Wine? Is it one of those "Chardonnay-sipping Elitist" sort of things? What is the public outrage over a Daily Glass of Wine? Is it one of those “Chardonnay-sipping Elitist” sort of things?

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