Психология и социология / 13.
Современные технологии социологических опросов
K. culturology Belova L.I.
South
Ural State University, Russia
Traditional and constructivist approaches in the study
of social problems
Historically sociology as a science emerged to finding
the causes of and possible solutions to social problems. However, in the
various areas of the world public opinion are quite different approaches to
explaining the essence of social problems. Traditional approaches (social
disorganization (W. Thomas, F. Znaneckij), deviant behaviour (E. Durkheim),
functionalism (R. Merton) and others) explain social problems as some
"objective" social conditions are undesirable, dangerous,
threatening, opposite nature of the "socially healthy",
"normal" functioning of society. On the sociological meaning they
described as manifestations of social pathology, social disruption,
dysfunction, social contradictions, structural stress and so on.
As says
one of the modern researchers of social problems I.G.Yasaveev, a sociologist
with the traditional point of view is to detect these harmful conditions,
analyze them, install those social forces that contributed to their emergence,
and may propose certain measures to correct these situations [3; 107]. In fact,
this understanding of social problems is treated as a social condition.
In the second half of the 20th
century traditional approaches are beginning to be criticized for failing to
explain the fact why some terms are defined as problems and attract rapt
attention to the public, and others are no less dangerous, are not recognized
as such. Starting with the 1960-70 's there is an alternative direction in the
explanation of social problems-constructivism, whose social problems result
from the collective consciousness.
The basic ideas of the
constructivist approach to social problems has been developed by M. Spector and
D. Kits'juz in the 1970 's, who thought that social problems need to be defined
as the activities of individuals or groups expressing dissatisfaction and
seeking approval of a demanding nature of some alleged conditions. Social
problems is a design created by individuals or groups that attract public
attention to the anticipated conditions and requirements changed [1; 161-162]. Further, this approach has been criticized
by sociologists, and followers of Constructivism is not completely deny the
influence of objective conditions of existence.
Thus,
the importance of the constructivist approach is that it directs the attention
of researchers on the volatile public recognition of situations as social
problems. And logically raises the question: why are some situations are the
focus of the public and journalists and others do not meaning as a social
problems?
Why the
same problem situations are selected for recognition as a social problem by the
public?
In the
information society the media were at the forefront of the construction of
social reality. In our view, the most reasoned response to this question gives
the sociological concept of public arenas by S.Hilgartner and Ch. Bosk. The
authors argue that the social problems of competing to get into the public
agenda [2; 151]. The competition between the social problems caused by limited
resources such as bandwidth media and public attention. The Media is not physically
able to report about all that is happening in society. The bandwidth is limited
to broadcasting news programmes, newspaper squares, etc.
We
agree with the opinion of the I.G. Yasaveev, that the theory of S. Hilgartner
and Ch. Bosk, formulated on the basis of the study of American media, can be
used quite successfully to clarify a number of issues relating to coverage of
some social problems and suppressing other Russian media.
Thus
constantly are rigid selection of social problems-what are the most important
and deserve immediate lighting or any specific action, and which can be
squeezed out of the public eye.
Of
course, most likely to get on the agenda are issues that novel, dramatic,
correspond to the interests of the power elite and cultural preferences of
society [2; 158].
We
believe that in the study of social problems lighting modern media makes sense
to combine the konstruktivivistskij approach with the traditional sociological
study. This combination of fusion approaches could give rise to a new vision of
the problem and uncover previously unknown aspects.
Literature:
1. Spektor,
M., Kits'juz, Dzh. Konstruirovanie social'nyh problem // Konteksty
sovremennosti – II. – Kazan', 2001. S.161–162.
2.
Hilgartner, S., Bosk, Ch.L. Rost i upadok social'nyh problem: koncepcija
publichnyh aren // Social'nye problemy: konstrukcionistskoe prochtenie. Kazan',
2007. – S.145-184.
3. Yasaveev,
I.G. «Social'naja problema» v sociologicheskom leksikone // Social'naja
real'nost'. Zhurnal sociologicheskih nabljudenij i soobshhenij. –2006. – № 6. –
S. 101-117. http://shelly.kpfu.ru/e-ksu/docs/F17659795/SR0606-101-117.pdf
4. Yasaveev, I.G. Social'nye problemy i media (konstrukcionistskoe prochtenie).
– LAP Lambert Academic Publishing GmbH & Co., 2010. – 238 s.