Seeing Social Problems: The Hidden Stories Behind Contemporary Issues

Within the last four years, the death of George Floyd brought a new level of urgency to understanding police violence; the world experienced two of the three hottest years on record; drug overdose deaths in the U.S. surpassed 100,000 per year for the first time; the foreign-born percentage of the population became the highest ever; and COVID-19 transformed education, work, and public health. Seeing Social Problems: The Hidden Stories Behind Contemporary Issues, Second Edition shows students how to think about social problems in a new way, by exploring the connection between their own experiences and larger social forces. The personal relevance of this book’s content is at the forefront of every discussion. Chapters engage students in thinking about the world sociologically by focusing on case studies that represent broader social problems. In each chapter, learning objectives attune students to important concepts. Two sets of discussion questions— “First Impressions” and “What Do You Know Now?” — encourage students to recognize how the chapter has broadened their perspectives. An exploration of social policy at the end of each chapter shows students that how someone understands an issue influences the ways they go about addressing it. New to the Second Edition: - New chapter, “LGBTQ+ People and Their Critics,” explores different ways of understanding growing diversity in American society based on gender identity and sexual orientation - New chapter, “Education and Upward Mobility,” encourages readers to think more expansively about their schooling experiences, starting when they were very young and continuing through college - New chapter, “Immigration and Border Security,” exposes competing ways of seeing the rising influx of migrants entering the U.S. from Mexico - New chapter, “Health and the Environment,” draws on discussion about familiar topics including Covid-19, obesity, and climate change - New chapter, “Technology and Instant Pleasure” motivates students to recognize the wider societal impacts of their frequent usage of mobile devices to make life more convenient

Table of Contents:
Preface Chapter 1 - Introduction: Making Sense of Hot-Button Issues What Is the Problem? Exploring Multiple Perspectives The Craft of Sociology Igniting Your Sociological Imagination The World Is Your Oyster PART I: INEQUALITY Chapter 2 - Class and the American Dream Struggling to Get By Unequal Chances for Success Stuck in Poverty Living the Dream Looking Inward Chapter 3 - Race, Crime, and Policing Tragic Encounters Assigning Personal Blame Images of Danger Susceptibility to Crime Gaining New Perspective Chapter 4 - Gender, Violence, and Power Invisible Scars in Plain Sight Sources of Abuse Be a Man Limited Options Adding Insult to Injury Seeing a Private Matter as a Public Issue Chapter 5 - LGBTQ+ People and Their Critics The Pulse of Opposition Protecting Vulnerable Children Widespread Panic Living with Labels Expanding Your Mind PART II: DANGER AND RISK Chapter 6 - Drug Use and Abuse Just Say No External Influences Menaces and Miracles Getting an Edge Unequal Impacts of Drug Enforcement Thinking Broadly about Drugs Chapter 7 - Health and the Environment Social Determinants of Health Food Choices and Other Indicators of Well-Being Going Upstream Houston, We Have a Problem Preying upon Vulnerabilities Surrounded by Doughnuts Chapter 8 - Mass Shootings, Hate Groups, and Access to Weapons Familiar Scenes of Horror Displaying Masculinity Seeking Revenge Contagious Behavior Locked and Loaded A Pack of Wolves Chapter 9 - Mental Illness and Suicide A Source of Stigma Distracted in School Feeling Sad When You Should Be Happy Making Sense of the Unexplainable Living and Dying without Shame PART III: INSTITUTIONS Chapter 10 - Immigration and Border Security Navigating Perilous Waters Entering and Staying in the United States Bringing Vice into the Country Fleeing from Imminent Dangers Looking Globally and Locally Chapter 11 - Education and Upward Mobility Crumbling Classrooms Funding for Public Schooling Reinforcing Inequalities Going to College Education as Transformation Chapter 12 - Media, Body Image, and Self-Worth Pursuing an Ideal Thin Is In Hitting the Gym Feeling Disembodied Love Yourself Keeping It Real Chapter 13 - Technology and Instant Pleasure Divided Attention Constantly Scrolling Feeling Disconnected Sowing Division Behaving Compulsively Rethinking Technology’s Rewards Chapter 14 - Conclusion: Seeing Multiple Realities Stepping Outside Your Matrix Thinking Comprehensively Glossary Photo Credits Index

About the Author :
Ira Silver is Professor of Sociology at Framingham State University. He also teaches during the summer at Wellesley College. He is the editor of Social Problems: Readings.

Review :
"Seeing Social Problems, second edition is major and welcome contribution to understanding and teaching about timely and divisive issues in contemporary society. Silver draws on diverse literatures; skillfully integrates concepts and data; offers a direct and engaging writing style and a recurring arc in each chapter, from “first impressions” to dominant framings of issues in culture and media, toward a more comprehensive and constructive array of policy options. A superb source for students, teachers, and researchers." Ira Silver’s Seeing Social Problems?is defined by distinctive, memorable chapter topics that address social problems which students are actively interested in. Those chapters are written in an eminently approachable manner that encourages students new to sociology to be inquisitive, reflecting on both what they knew and what they learn. Ira Silver has produced a timely and highly effective resource for developing the skills needed to grasp the importance of differing viewpoints and for demonstrating how they shape the ways we address social problems. The clear writing, impactful learning objectives, and relatable content set this text apart from all others. "Seeing Social Problems, second edition presents qualitative and quantitative evidence to show that hot-button issues such as the environment, drugs, and immigration are more complicated than often thought. It also shows that policy responses to social problems are vastly different when you view them through a sociological rather than individual perspective." Beautifully written in the language of compassionate mentorship, Ira Silver’s text delivers on its promise of engaging approaches to current social issues. Ira reminds us that “seeing is something we do with our minds,” a quintessential sociological insight that will pull students in. He passionately encourages students to learn by experiencing, and by keeping an open mind; which also reminds us, instructors, that if you don’t enjoy the class, neither will students! Seeing Social Problems is an essential tool for understanding the pivotal societal issues that both separate and bring humanity together in the modern world. This book effectively bridges sophisticated sociological theory with practical, real-life examples, making it highly relevant and accessible to new learners in sociology. This book is perfect for readers who want to understand how our day-to-day lives are impacted by the history of society and the contemporary systems in which we operate. Ira Silver’s outstanding Seeing Social Problems is exactly what we need. Everyday our lives intersect with insecurities, violence and fear, and technology overload. Silver’s lively approach demonstrates how we can employ Sociology to understand not only why we tolerate these problems and their societal consequences, but why we sustain hope.