How Can We Solve Our Social Problems?

Abstract

Preface About the Author Acknowledgments 1. Preparing to Solve Our Social Problems What Is a Social Problem? History of Studying Social Problems Teaching about Social Problems in Today's World How Can Sociologists Address Social Problems and Yet Remain Objective? What Social Problem Should We Solve First? How Might Sociological Theory Help Us to Solve Social Problems? A Theory of Conflict and Social Change: A Way to Better Understand and Therefore Solve Our Social Problems Causal Model: A Picture of Our Theory My Own Theoretical Orientation Other Sociological Theories to Help Us Understand and Solve Social Problems Concluding Thoughts on Theory and Social Problems Addressing Social Problems Within Capitalism The Next Chapter 2. Barriers, Possibilities, and How Can Sociology Help Barriers To Solving Our Social Problems Possibilities for Solving Our Social Problems How Can Sociology Help to Solve Social Problems? 3. How Can We Solve the Problem of Increasing Inequality? Definition and Statistics Causes of Growing Inequality Consequences of Growing Inequality Options We Have With Inequality What Should We Do? 4. How Can We Solve the Problem of Poverty? Assumptions We Can Make About Solving Poverty What Can We Do? Concluding on an Optimistic Note 5. How Can We Solve the Problem of Racial/Ethnic Inequality? Now and Where to Next? What Might Racial/Ethnic Equality Mean? What More Can We Do? 6. How Can We Solve the Problem of Gender Inequality? Causes of Continuing Income Inequality What Can We Do? Concluding Thoughts 7. How Can We Solve the Problem of Unequal Education? What Can We Do? Problems That Prevent Us From Having Excellent Public Schools Tax Money for Schools Positive Consequences What Will Not Work if We Want Excellent Public Education: The Voucher System 8. How Can We Solve the Problem of Crime? What We Can Do? A Dilemma: Capitalism and Crime 9. How Can We Solve the Problem of Drugs? Keep the Current Policy Legalize Drugs for Adults Take a Step-by-Step Approach by Legalizing One Drug at a Time Where to Go From Here? 10. How Can We Solve the Problem of Health Care? Consequences of Our Problem Why Don't We Have a National Health Care System Like All Other Industrial Nations? Possible Social Conditions Leading to a New Health Care System Criteria for a New Health Care System Elements of a New Health Care System to Satisfy These Criteria Advantages of a National Health Care System Disadvantages and Costs of a National Health Care System What Other Countries Include in Their National Health Care Systems The Future: What Could Happen? 11. How Can We Solve the Problems of Families? Decreasing Inequality to Help Families Decreasing Poverty to Help Families Enough Jobs and Enough Decent-Paying Jobs Creating Racial/Ethnic Equality to Help Families Creating Gender Equality to Help Families Creating Good-Quality Education for All Students to Help Families Decreasing Crime to Help Families Changing the Way We Deal With Drugs to Help Families Creating a National Health Care System to Help Families Including Homosexual Couples to Help Families Educating Students to Help Families Educating Parents to Help Families Summary of What We Can Do To Help Families 12: How Can We Solve the World's Population Problem? Causes of the World's Population Problem What Can We Do? Where Are We? 13. How Can We Solve the World's Environmental Problems? Consequences What Can We Do? Conclusion 14. Solving Our Social Problems: Predictions and Conclusions A Number of Similar Social Conditions Defining A Social Condition as a Social Problem Legitimation Values and Vested Interests Loss of Control Over the Social Problem Attention and Resources Someone Will Be Dissatisfied Compromise Becoming Accustomed to Social Change Capitalism and Social Problems Environment, Population, and Standard of Living Building a Sustainable Society Conclusion Index