Group Project 3

Whenever an issue is framed as a social problem, the person or group who is constructing the frame makes an argument regarding the cause or causes of the problem. Here is the issue; this is what is causing it. Usually, the purpose of identifying a cause is to propose a solution. Addressing or eliminating this cause will reduce or solve the problem.

It is not always the case that the problem frame explicitly identifies a cause in so many words. Sometimes the causal argument is implied, and rests on assumptions about what "everybody knows." Such is often the case with presumptions about human nature, although in that case the argument is usually cut short, since "everybody knows" that "you can't change human nature." But human nature arguments are really just an expression of ideology, and do not amount to analysis at all. An ideology is a system of beliefs about the world that is simply taken for granted, without question, and is often based on or is an expression of stereotypes, creating prejudice and discrimination against the target group. Racism and sexism are both ideologies that have largely been discredited in our society, but in many ways they continue to be manifested in our social structure.

Our job as sociologists (or students of sociology) is to use our sociological imagination and critical analysis to find and critique claims about causes and effects, and to apply sound research methods to discover what are the objective factors that contribute to problematic situations. When we read about someone else's claims about social problems, we should be able to figure out what they are claiming are the causes and effects. We should then assess the validity of those claims, to the best of our ability. To a certain extent, we have already practiced that assessment of logic and evidence in Group Project 1, so you should use the skills you developed then in this group project. The goal of this assignment, then, is to take the next step in the critical analysis of social problems by finding and assessing arguments about the causes of  a social problem.

For your review, here is a diagram of our social problem analysis model.

1. Read the articles in Intersections and on the web assigned in the course schedule. As always, you can also search for additional information on your own.

2. Between Wednesday, October 15 and Wednesday, October 22, discuss all the questions below first among members of your own small group.  You should see your group show up on your Discussion page as “GP3 Group x” where x is the number of your group.

3. In the topic in the Discussion board  titled “Group Project 3 Summary,” each member of a group will be responsible for presenting a brief summary of their group's discussion of only one of the questions. I will indicate which question each group should present in the description of the summary topic.  You should complete these summaries by Sunday, October 26. For a bonus point on the summary/report section of the project, you must also comment (discuss) at least one other class member's summary, preferably someone in another group.

1. Based on his extensive field work and research in  Philadelphia, Elijah Anderson says that the most pressing problem in the inner-city is "interpersonal violence and aggression." What is the complex sequence of causes that result in this situation? How have these causes impacted Black people in particular? In other words, summarize his argument regarding cause and effect, paying particular attention to the meaning of "the code of the street." What are the broader implications, in terms of the "oppositional culture" that develops? Can you see examples of this in popular culture, for example in hip-hop and rap music?

2. Ehrenreich recounts how 1970s feminists saw housework. What was the cause of women's exploitation then, according to those feminists? Who benefited (cui bono)? How has the use of maid services in recent years changed that relationship? Who benefits now, and who is exploited? Do you think Ehrenreich sees this situation as having been caused by an intentional desire by someone to exploit someone else? Can a cause of a social problem be unintentional, in other words?

3. Hochschild makes a similar analysis of the child care situation when nannies are employed by relatively affluent American families, but her argument about causes is somewhat different. What is the role of globalization in this social problem, according to Hochschild?

4. What is blowback? What does Johnson say is the cause of blowback? What are the "unintended, indefensible consequences" in his view?

5. Paul Street wants to explain what he calls "new age racism," a particular attitude he thinks is common among whites and some better off African Americans. Why do these people believe that racial equality is an "accomplished reality", according to Street? What does he say is the real cause of the continued inequality? Overt racism? Covert racism? What is the difference?