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Social Problems: An Introduction to Critical Constructionism
Social Problems An Introduction to Critical Constructionism Author:Robert Heiner Social Problems: An Introduction to Critical Constructionism synthesizes conflict theory and social constructionism to help students think critically about social problem construction. A concise alternative to the all-encompassing standard textbooks currently available, this book examines a single theoretical paradigm in depth and demonstrates h... more »ow theory can be used to understand a breadth of real world phenomena. In six succinct chapters, it focuses on the four problems most often found in social problems courses--equality, family problems, crime/deviance, and population/environment--analyzing each from a critical constructionist perspective. This approach, popular among many sociologists, helps students conceive of social problems not as objective situations that are "out there," but as socially constructed phenomena whose importance varies according to media attention and the needs of particular interest groups. This second edition has been revised to include new and updated examples, covering such topics as the enormous military budget, white collar crime and "bookmaking" scandals, and the rejection of the Kyoto agreement.« less