SW 102 – REVIEWER Essential Elements of Social Problem –

Social Situations – An emergent configuration of 1. Objective Condition – any aspect of society that can
people, culture, traits, perspectives, specific meanings, be viewed without bias (recorded number of crimes, no.
relationships, time and place dynamic processes such as of mass layoffs)
adjustment that requires interaction, social control,
social change, and readjustment. 2. Subjective Conditions – how one look at a condition
(whether it is a concern or not)
- (influence) involves time and space and also
through the interaction we can build and make - “it is not a problem if it does not affect me”
culture
For something to be considered as a legitimate social
Reality – refers to the actual condition’s circumstances problem (1) it must be agreed that it is a problem (2)
and experiences of individuals and communities. agreed that something can be done about it.

Social Realities – refers to the shared belief, customs, RA 9262 – (VAWC) tackles about domestic violence,
norms and values that shape the way individuals and especially on women and children.
groups perceive and interact with the world around
them. - not limited only on Male (but can also be
Female) as a perpetrator or violator
These are the conditions in the MACROLEVEL which
create a significant impact in the lives of individuals, Problems from Individual Perspective
families, groups, organization, communities and in the
society as a whole. Sociological Imagination – refers to looking at people’s
actions and attitudes in the context of social forces
Each member of the society shares their experiences (family, society, education) that shape them. As Mills
together. (shared) (1959) said, to understand our experiences in life, we
must understand our historical period and the social
 how we constitute reality forces that are sweeping the time in which we live.
 collective understanding
 maybe positive or negative Significance of Location – the term social location refers
to where you are located in the society. It includes not
Problem – a matter or situation regarded as unwelcome only physical faces, such as your neighborhood and city,
or harmful and needing to be dealt with and overcome. but also personal characteristics, such as your
education, sex, race, ethnicity, age, health and marital
Social Problem – Reab and Zelznick (1961) define social status.
problem as “a problem in human relationship which
seriously threatens society or impedes the important The Sociological Perspective helps make us aware of
aspirations of many people.” how the social context, from our historical era to our
smaller social locations.
 Is an issue that negatively affects a person’s
state of being in a society. To sum up the characteristics of Social Problem:
 Conditions among people leading to behaviors
that violate some people’s values and norms  Social Problems: Objective/Subjective
and cause emotional or economic suffering.  Dynamic
 Relative
Types of Social Problems  Competing Views

1. Open/Contested – (such as gender and development Stages of Social Problems (Undesirable)

issues) it can be solved in many ways
1. The Beginning – Pressures for Change
2. Close/Uncontested – (threat to life) it can be solve in
only ONE way  Defining the Problem (what is undesirable
about it? information dissemination, initial
Absolute Poverty – can someone define by the society, where it just discovers as a problem)
someone who cannot meet their most basic needs, such  Initial Organization
as food, clothing, and shelter (hindi kaya magsurvive)  Emergence of Leaders

Relative Poverty – which person’s income falls below a 2. The Official Response – reactions to growing
certain percentage of the national median income pressure (reprisal, condemnation, accommodation and
(earnings high in Phil while it is low in the other country) cooptation)

Social Conditions – situation in the society (macrolevel)  Get the attention of the public
as a result of income, occupation and level of education  Create force and pressure, attention
(i.e. poverty, unemployment, discrimination) can be
either positive or negative VANE – Violence, Abuse, Neglect, Exploitation

 Elements have to be there for it to become

social problem.
 Public concern that should be addressed.
  Support of the public interrelationship and relative importance in the
 Agreement of the public (not necessarily large, realization of its goal or purpose.
but can be a small portion of the community,
can be INFLUENTIAL people.  It is a comprehensive paradigmatic way of
 Influence the mindset of the people, so that the taking social structure seriously by studying
government will be pressured to make directly how patterns of ties allocate resources
immediate response. in a social system.
 Element on who will bring that to the  A distinctive form of social inquiry.
government’s attention (Influential People)
 If not ADDRESS, it will continue to be advocate Social Structure – general analytical framework, how
and use strategies to address the problem. system work efficiently.

3. Reacting to Official Response  Distinctive, stable arrangement of institutions

where by human beings in a society interact
 Taking Sides and live together.
 Acts of Approval and Disapproval  It is the framework of societal institutions
 Further division of dissidents’ elements (politics, family and social practices)
 Social roles, that make up a society and
4. Alternative Strategies establish limits on behavior.

 Continuing Strategies The Major Component of Social Structure

 New strategies to overcome the opposition
 Statuses (Main Component)
Other Model  Roles (Main Component)
 Social Networks
1. Agitation and Reaction – Pressure for Change  Groups and Organization
 Social Institution
2. Legitimation and Cooptation – Require support from  Society
the Public
Status – socially defined position in a group or in a
3. Bureaucratization and Reaction – For the society which has attached to it or more roles
government to make official response
 Astride (start on you were born)
4. Re-emergence – Find solution if the problem is not  Achieve (something we can acquire, ex. to be a
solved or address. social worker)
 Mastered (most important status, ex. Gender
Concepts about Social Problem and Race)
A. Problem as manifest need (unmet need) Role – the behavior expected on someone occupying a
B. Problem as person-centered particular status, socially constructed
C. Problem as universal and yet singular
D. Problem as cause and consequence How do these two components affect human
E. Problem as an institutional lack or dysfunction interaction?
in society’s institution for meeting needs
F. Problem as challenge and opportunity  People’s particular roles and statuses affect
G. Problem as requiring solution in the form of how they relate to one another.
Social Welfare Services  Statuses are ways of defining where individuals
H. Problem as requiring social worker’s help fit in society and how they relate to others
 Most roles have reciprocal roles that define the
5 Major Social Institution patterns of interaction between related
statuses such as husband and wife or teacher
1. Family and student.
2. Religion
3. Education Type of Interaction
4. Government
5. Economic  Exchange – interacting in an effort to receive a
reward or a return for one’s action
STHREAT Perspective – even the problematic problem  Competition – two or more people or groups
can be solved positively are in opposition to achieve a goal that only can
attain.
Universal – across boundaries, attributes on people  Conflict – deliberate attempt to control a
who experience that problem person by force, to oppose someone, or harm
another person
Tools for Social Analysis – SPECSEG Framework (Social,
 Cooperation – two or more people or groups
Political, Economic, Cultural, Spiritual, Environmental,
working together to achieve a goal that will
Gender)
benefit more than one of them.
 Accommodation – a state of balance between
Structural Analysis – defined as an examination of the
different components or elements that make up an
organization or a system, to discover their
 Gender Equality – absence of discrimination on the
Some Conclusions Drawn from the use of Structural basis of a person’s sex in opportunities the allocation of
Analysis as a Tool for Investigating Families resources or benefits, or in access to services (i.e., equal
 All social behavior is best analyzed by looking participation and decision-making power by men and
first at the ways in which networks allocate the women)
flow of scarce resources to system members.
 Structural analyst has developed “resource Gender Mainstreaming – defined by the United Nations
mobilization” which analyses to explain political Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) – “the process of
behavior. assessing the implications for women and men =of any
 Networks (friends, families, colleague planned action, including legislation, policies or
etc.) programs in any and at all levels.
 Resources or information that can be
- the ultimate goal of mainstreaming is to gender
get from networks
equality.
Five General PRINCIPLES that substantially guide
The Main Goals of Gender Analysis are:
Structural Analytic Work
1. To better understand our communities: Gender
1. Structured social relationships are more
Analysis creates a “gender looking glass”
powerful source of sociological explanation
through which we examine our community.
than personal attributes of system members.
2. To promote gender equality through our work:
2. Norms emerge from location in structured
Gender Analysis helps us make decisions in our
systems of social relationship
poverty reduction work that set the stage for
3. Social structures determine the operation of
gender equality.
Dyadic relationship
4. The world is composed of NETWORKS, not Inequality in a Global Perspective
groups.
5. Methods supplement and supplant,  Hunter – gatherer societies men and women
individualistic methods. social equals changed over time.
 Females as a Minority Group
 Ties are usually asymmetrically reciprocal,  Gender Primary Division
differing in constant and intensity.  Women – dominant in number are
 Indirect ties are not necessarily restricted to a discriminated against on the basis of physical
single role system. characteristics
 Ties link network members indirectly as well as  Society sets up barriers to ensure unequal
directly. Hence, they must define within the access on the basis of sex
context of larger network structure.  Patriarchy – was a social consequence of
 The structuring of social ties creates non- reproduction, women did not receive as much
random networks, hence clusters, boundaries, prestige for their work
and cross linkages.  Patriarchal (male dominated society) – theories
 Cross linkages connect clusters as well as point to social consequence of human
individuals. reproduction.
 Asymmetric ties and complex networks  Women – second class citizens
differentially distribute scarce resources.  Men viewed as superior.
Gender Analysis – is a tool for examining the Patriarchy – certain activities appropriate for men and
differences between the roles that women and men not women.
play, the different level of power they hold their
differing needs, constraints and opportunities and Sex Typing – activities associated with one sex or
impact of these differences. another (male and female jobs)

Gender Tracking Analysis Tool – involves following and George Murdock (1937) – his study found different
recording social and culture difference of males and cultures assign different work to men or women
females over time for a project. The results in turn help (exception metal working male)
predict gender behavior.
Why should we use gender analysis in our poverty
Gender – socially constructed roles and responsibilities reduction work?
of women and men, and includes expectations held
about characteristics, and likely behaviors of both men  To better understand the gender dimensions of
and women; the roles that we learn to fill from poverty in our communities.
childhood onward.  To promote gender equality through the
articulated outcomes of our work
Sex – the genetic and physiological characteristics and  To expose the barriers to women’s full
traits that indicate whether one is male or female. participation and economic development
 To help us find the best strategies and solutions
Gender Equity – fairness and justice in the distribution to address the different needs and dynamics of
of responsibilities and benefits between men and men and women living in poverty.
women (i.e., equal number of women and men on an
organization’s Board of Directors) How should Gender Analysis be done?
  To do an effective Gender Analysis, both R – Relevant
traditional and non-traditional research T – Time Bound
methods can be used to collect data. Analyzing the Information:
Problem Tree Analysis – is a central to many forms of A. Outcomes – Resources
project planning and is well developed among B. Resources – Services and Facilities
development agencies.
Example: “The quality of water is deteriorating” Information Requirement for Situational Analysis

Roots SOCIO-DEMOGRAPHIC
 Big Roots – primary causes and can be broken  Population Composition and Distribution
down into smaller roots.  Households and Family Formation
 Small Roots – minor causes  Health and Health Services
Trunk – the main problem or issue  Learning and Educational Services – Facilities
Leaves and Branches – Effects/Consequence/Impact  Housing Conditions – Primary Housing
Conditions
Who/What are Identified?  Peace and Order Status – Barangay Halls, Police
 Consistent issues and arguments Stations
 Political actors and processes
 Information, evidence or resources ECONOMIC ACTIVITY
How is it done?  National Accounts
 Identify an issue/problem that you’d like to  Labor Force Participation
work on  Wages
 Explore causes and consequences  Household Income and Expenditure Patterns
 Plot the causes at the roots and consequence  Poverty
at the branches or fruits.
SOCIO-CULTURAL AND POLITICAL
Objective Tree Analysis  Political Structure
Example: “There is a high level of camaraderie among  Political Participation
students”, “The water quality is improved”  Relevant laws, statuses, policies
 Gender Roles in the Household
 What you want to see after the thing that you  Time Use
have done or accomplished  Decision-Making Patterns in the Household
 Develop is a process  Predominant Social Structure
 Should not be passive
Note: Problem Tree can be a Situational Analysis
Situational Analysis – Problem identification is a
deductive process. This activity identifies the issues and SWOT Analysis – basic framework used tool for
problems that needed to be addressed. It seeks to institutional appraisal and a brainstorming exercise in
answer several questions: which the representative of the organization
participates fully.
 What is the problem?
 Why is there a problem? Helpful Factor Harmful Factor
 What are the probable causes of the problem? Internal S - STRENGTHS W-
 How serious is the problem? Factors WEAKNESSES
 Who are affected by the problem?
External O - OPPORTUNITIES T - THREATS
 How many are they? (Either be
Factors
qualitative/quantitative)
 Where are they located?
Strength Overview – fill the strengths factor with
 What are their characteristics?
internal and positive attributes of your
Framework for analyzing these possible social organization/institution.
outcomes: Strength Points:
 Dedicated Staff
 Innovative Mindset
 Recently Built Platform

Weaknesses Overview – negative factors that detract

from your organization’s strengths, things you need to
improve onto be more competitive.
Weaknesses Points:
 Insufficient Number of Staff
 High staff turn over
 Insufficient Fund
 Gap in staff set skills

Opportunities Overview – likely to contribute to your

organizations’ success like new stakeholders or policies
S - Specific Opportunities Points:
M - Manageable  New Community Target Partners
A - Achievable  Community Awareness of the Institutions
  Growing Interest/Support of the Community
Threat Overview – putting place emergency plans for
dealing with them if they occur. Fill the threats with
external factors you have no control over.
Threat Points:
 High-level of Employee Turn Over
 New Competitors from other Country
 Impact of Climate Change
 COVID-19 Pandemic’s Situation
 Global Economic Crisis