Images of Issues: Typifying Contemporary Social Problems / Edition 2

by Joel Best

Overview

Constructionist theory describes and analyzes social problems as emerging through the efforts of claimsmakers who bring issues to public attention. By typifying a problem and characterizing it as a particular sort, claimsmakers can shape policymaking and public response to the problem. Th is new edition of Images of Issues addresses claimsmaking in the 1990s, featuring such issues as fathers' rights, stalking, sexual abuse by the clergy, hate crimes, multicultural education, factory farming, and concluding with an expanded discussion of the theoretical debate over constructionism.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780202305394
Publisher:	Transaction Publishers
Publication date:	12/31/1995
Series:	Social Problems & Social Issues
Edition description:	2nd ed
Pages:	372
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

Joel E. Best is professor at the department of sociology and criminal justice, University of Delaware. He is the author of numerous books, including Flavor of the Month: Why Smart People Fall for Fads; Deviance: Career of a Concept; and Random Violence: How We Talk about New Crimes and New Victims.

Table of Contents

Introduction; 1: Typification and Social Problems Construction; I: Claims; 2: Horror Stories and the Construction of Child Abuse; 3: Stalking Strangers and Lovers: Changing Media Typifications of a New Crime Problem; 4: Rethinking Medicalization: Alcoholism and Anomalies; 5: The Moral Drama of Multicultural Education; II: Claimsmakers; 6: Clergy Sexual Abuse: The Symbolic Politics of a Social Problem; 7: The Social Construction of Infertility: From Private Matter to Social Concern; 8: The Crack Attack: America’s Latest Drug Scare, 1986-1992; III: Connections; 9: “All We Want Is Equality”: Rhetorical Framing in the Fathers’ Rights Movement; 10: Hate Crimes in the United States: The Transformation of Injured Persons into Victims and the Extension of Victim Status to Multiple Constituencies; 11: Down on the Farm: Rationale Expansion in the Construction of Factory Farming as a Social Problem; IV: Policies; 12: Writing Rights: The “Homeless Mentally III and Involuntary Hospitalization; 13: Creativity, Conflict, and Control: Film Industry Campaigns to Shape Video Policy; 14: Cold Wars, Evil Empires, Treacherous Japanese: Effects of International Context on Problem Construction; Afterword; 15: Constructionism in Context

Editorial Reviews

A collection of articles about a wide range of contemporary social problems all very much in current public discussion: spousal, elder, and child abuse; AIDS; dyslexia and other learning disabilities; concern about infertility; substance abuse; concern about rock lyrics; and the supposed threat of illegal immigration… The articles are all competent, well written, and adequately documented… [T]he authors cast light on an interesting collection of social problems, in a style that is constantly readable and frequently interesting. Readers at all levels.” —S. M. Soiffer, Choice

From the Publisher

Explores how social problems come to public attention as types, and how this typification shapes the response of policy makers and the public. Working within a constructionist theory, the 13 essays discuss such issues as crack, AIDS, missing children, sex and violence in rock music, illegal immigration, and family violence. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Booknews