Sociological Problem

Sociological Problem

Social issues are defined as being political debates that involve moral judgments dealing with how people In society, certain problems are considered significant depending upon the problem and who is looking at it. As we look at the world today, a problem that we face is drug abuse. To some people, especially the ones who have to deal with it or who have family and friends associated with drugs, it is a problem. On the other hand, to those people who are not connected or have any one close to them associated with or using drugs, it is not a problem and they are not concerned.

Because of the abundance of problems associated with drug abuse, various organizations have created or opened various programs to help drug abusers to overcome their problems and to deal with the possibility of relapse. SAMHSA and Mothers Against Drunk Driving are organizations that have been established through the community to offer assistance to people with drug abuse problems and those who have a problem with alcohol.

According to Eitzen et al. (2009:8) some problems keep people in society from growing to their fullest potential and using what they know and can do. This kind of suffering exists in society no matter what kind of personal or cultural differences exist.

Using drugs is not new in America and it continues to increase in certain poor neighborhoods and among certain cultures. According to the social conflict theory, drug abuse is is a class conflict problem and based on structural inequality. Although a lot of people within the community abuse drugs, it is associated more with minorities, lower class people and other minorities.

Mothers Against Drunk Driving

Government intervention programs are being offered to drug abusers as well as free counseling. Some churches and other local programs also offer assistance to abusers free of charge. One program that is offered by the

4) Please define and identify at least four concepts from our text relevant to your chosen social problem. Conflict theory refers to a group of social theories, most of which have roots in the works of Karl Marx. Conflict theory posits a model of society whereby different groups pursue their interests independently or against the interests of other groups. These groups compete for resources and power, and over time, some groups come to dominate others. The social order established by these dominant groups then comes to repress minority groups. One way dominant groups do this is through manipulation of the law and the legal process to reinforce the status quo. People in society handle social problems differently from the sociological approach. Problems in society are important are unimportant depending upon who looks what the problem is and from whose viewpoint they are being diagnosed. Social problems and issues center around several theories. The Functionalist Theory see society as system where everything comes together and works together although everyone maybe doing something different. The Conflict theory divides society based on inequality and conflict. Conflict theorists look at society as an area of conflict and power struggle. It does not see people working together to make things better, but it sees people as working only to benefit themselves at the expense of everyone else. The Symbolic Interactionist