Assessing the Seriousness of Social Problems
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 2483835 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Jerome G Manis (Western Michigan University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 1974 |
| Volume | 22 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 1-15 |
| Publication date | 1974-10-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Social Problems (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0037-7791 • E-ISSN: 1533-8533 |
| Publisher | Oxford University Press (OUP) (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.2307/799563 |
| OpenAlex | W2147434183 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 36 |
| References cited | 8 |
Recognition of anomalies in “normal science” results in the collapse of accepted paradigms. Anomalies are apparent in prevailing definitions of social problems. To many sociologists, social problems are conditions considered undesirable by significant numbers of people. This definition precludes or obscures distinctions between spurious and genuine (objective) social problems and between minor and serious ones. The paper proposes the use of scientific knowledge and values for identifying social problems and for determining their seriousness. Three ways of assessing seriousness are proposed. Primacy refers to the causal impact or multiplicity of influences of social problems. The magnitude of social problems refers to their extent or frequency. Severity concerns the degree or level of harmfulness. Scientific criteria are less ethnocentric, less erratic, and less influenced by vested interests than those of the public. Using public opinion as the criterion is a more knowledge-free than value-free definition of social problems
Criminology · Economics · Epistemology · Ethnocentrism · Political science · Positive economics · Seriousness · Social issues · Sociology · Spurious relationship · Value (mathematics) · Community Health and Development · Cultural Differences and Values · Evaluation and Performance Assessment · Innovation, Sustainability, Human-Machine Systems · Law · Mathematics · Philosophy · Psychology · Qualitative Comparative Analysis Research · Social Psychology
Medieval Security in the Modern State
Introduction
Introduction
Angewandte Sozialforschung und soziale Indikatoren
Von der alltagsweltlichen zur sozialwissenschaftlichen Begründung der Soziologie sozialer Probleme und sozialer Kontrolle
Vorüberlegungen zu einer „Theorie sozialer Probleme“
Delinquency and Drug Use as Risk Factors in Teenage Sexual Activity
The Social Construction of Abducted Children as a Social Problem
Fear of the drunk driver
Measuring crime seriousness perceptions
The Energy-Environment Crisis
Establishing Priorities
Social Construction of Social Problems Over Time
The Policy Perspective
Victim-Blaming and the 'Looping' Effect of Social Policy
Defining Social Problems
Trends and Topics in 'Social Problems' 1953-1975
A-t-il jamais existé un modèle de l'étiquetage
Quantifying Accidents
Cognitive Claims-Making, Enclosure, and the Depoliticization of Social Problems
A policy analysis framework of cost and feasibility of social problem intervention
| Unique citing works | 21 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,72 |
| Citation span | 1976 - 2021 (46) |
| Citation velocity | historical |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 33 |