Social Problems Across the Life Course

Social Problems Across the Life Course
Author: Helena Znaniecka Lopata
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
Total Pages: 324
Release: 2003
Genre: Reference
ISBN: 9780742528352

The human life course is filled with and subject to a wide range of personal difficulties, many of which are shared by others. Social Problems across the Life Course offers accessible readings that examine the societal construction of social problems out of the personal troubles that people confront at major life stages.

U.S. Health in International Perspective

U.S. Health in International Perspective
Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 421
Release: 2013-04-12
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 0309264146

The United States is among the wealthiest nations in the world, but it is far from the healthiest. Although life expectancy and survival rates in the United States have improved dramatically over the past century, Americans live shorter lives and experience more injuries and illnesses than people in other high-income countries. The U.S. health disadvantage cannot be attributed solely to the adverse health status of racial or ethnic minorities or poor people: even highly advantaged Americans are in worse health than their counterparts in other, "peer" countries. In light of the new and growing evidence about the U.S. health disadvantage, the National Institutes of Health asked the National Research Council (NRC) and the Institute of Medicine (IOM) to convene a panel of experts to study the issue. The Panel on Understanding Cross-National Health Differences Among High-Income Countries examined whether the U.S. health disadvantage exists across the life span, considered potential explanations, and assessed the larger implications of the findings. U.S. Health in International Perspective presents detailed evidence on the issue, explores the possible explanations for the shorter and less healthy lives of Americans than those of people in comparable countries, and recommends actions by both government and nongovernment agencies and organizations to address the U.S. health disadvantage.

Communities in Action

Communities in Action
Author: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 583
Release: 2017-04-27
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 0309452961

In the United States, some populations suffer from far greater disparities in health than others. Those disparities are caused not only by fundamental differences in health status across segments of the population, but also because of inequities in factors that impact health status, so-called determinants of health. Only part of an individual's health status depends on his or her behavior and choice; community-wide problems like poverty, unemployment, poor education, inadequate housing, poor public transportation, interpersonal violence, and decaying neighborhoods also contribute to health inequities, as well as the historic and ongoing interplay of structures, policies, and norms that shape lives. When these factors are not optimal in a community, it does not mean they are intractable: such inequities can be mitigated by social policies that can shape health in powerful ways. Communities in Action: Pathways to Health Equity seeks to delineate the causes of and the solutions to health inequities in the United States. This report focuses on what communities can do to promote health equity, what actions are needed by the many and varied stakeholders that are part of communities or support them, as well as the root causes and structural barriers that need to be overcome.

Contemporary Social Problems in the UK

Contemporary Social Problems in the UK
Author: Selwyn Stanley
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Total Pages: 242
Release: 2022-09-30
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1000652742

Social problems are endemic to all societies. The UK is no exception and is grappling with a plethora of issues including poverty, family breakdown, domestic violence, teenage pregnancy, child abuse and neglect, youth offending, alcohol and drug misuse, mental health issues, homelessness, and ethnic and religious discrimination. These problems have huge implications for the individual, the family unit and society at large and take their toll on health, wellbeing, and community resources. They place an enormous amount of strain on government finances and the welfare state, and add to the burden on social institutions, such as the National Health Service and the social work and criminal justice systems. Contemporary Social Problems in the UK explores a wide range of social problems in the UK. Each social problem has been explored using a range of psychosocial theories to generate an understanding of various causal factors and to examine the linkages between different social problems. Government policy and legislation, remedial measures, preventive approaches, and strategies of intervention are also considered for each social problem that has been dealt with. Each chapter deals with a particular social problem and has been penned by an expert in that topic. The endeavour has been to provide a multi-dimensional overview of the social problem in a manner that is engaging and easy to read. The end-of-chapter content includes supplementary reading, useful topic related websites besides a quiz and individual / group activities to generate discussion and stimulate learning. This informative yet accessible textbook will be an invaluable resource for instructors and students in the social sciences as well as professionals who work with people who experience some of these problems.

Investigating Social Problems

Investigating Social Problems
Author: A. Javier Trevino
Publisher: SAGE
Total Pages: 573
Release: 2014-08-08
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1452242038

Each chapter in this innovative social problems text is written by a specialist or pair of specialists from appropriate subfields within sociology. The typical single-author approach is limiting given the complexity of the contemporary issues surrounding each social problem discussed. Involving many content experts ensures that the theories, research, and examples used in each chapter will be as current and relevant as possible. Chapters open with personal statements from the contributing authors, discussing how they got involved with studying the problem they are writing about. Javier Trevino serves as the general editor, making sure that each author follows the chapter template and maintains a consistency in level and style.

Mental Health and Social Problems

Mental Health and Social Problems
Author: Nina Rovinelli Heller
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 533
Release: 2010-11
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 1136892753

Mental Health and Social Problems is a textbook for social work students and practitioners. It explores the complicated relationship between mental conditions and societal issues as well as examining risk and protective factors for the prevalence, course, adaptation to and recovery from mental illness. The introductory chapter presents bio-psycho-social and life-modeled approaches to helping individuals and families with mental illness. The book is divided into two parts. Part I addresses specific social problems, such as poverty, oppression, racism, war, violence, and homelessness, identifying the factors which contribute to vulnerabilities and risks for the development of mental health problems, including the barriers to accessing quality services. Part II presents the most current empirical findings and practice knowledge about prevalence, diagnosis, assessment, and intervention options for a range of common mental health problems – including personality conditions, eating conditions and affective conditions. Focusing throughout upon mental health issues for children, adolescents, adults and older adults, each chapter includes case studies and web resources. This practical book is ideal for social work students who specialize in mental health.

Encyclopedia of Social Problems

Encyclopedia of Social Problems
Author: Vincent N. Parrillo
Publisher: SAGE
Total Pages: 1209
Release: 2008-05-22
Genre: Reference
ISBN: 1412941652

From terrorism to social inequality and from health care to environmental issues, social problems affect us all. The Encyclopedia will offer an interdisciplinary perspective into these and many other social problems that are a continuing concern in our lives, whether we confront them on a personal, local, regional, national, or global level.

Drugs, Alcohol, and Social Problems

Drugs, Alcohol, and Social Problems
Author: James D. Orcutt
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
Total Pages: 308
Release: 2003
Genre: Psychology
ISBN: 9780742528451

The 14 clearly written articles included in this collection exemplify the best of sociological scholarship on drug and alcohol problems. The readings strike a balance between constructionist, epidemiological, and ethnographic approaches to the study of drinking, drug use, and related problems such as domestic violence, crime, and the spread of HIV/AIDS. Visit our website for sample chapters!

Social Problems, Law, and Society

Social Problems, Law, and Society
Author: Kathryn A. Stout
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Total Pages: 438
Release: 2004-07-14
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1461642426

This collection of articles presents a critical, issue-oriented approach to law and society, emphasizing its important relationship to contemporary social problems. By exploring the interstitial area between the sociology of law, social problems and social movements, the initial chapters trace out a theoretical trajectory which points to the need to move beyond traditional and social constructionist approaches. A variety of empirical studies together explore the contradictory dynamics of class as they relate to race and gender in both a national and global context, illustrating the dialectical interplay between the state and social movements. Employing a wide range of perspectives so as to convey the great diversity found in the contemporary sociology of law and justice studies, these authors collectively share a broad consensus concerning the need to explore how social movements and the larger political economy play a pivotal role in shaping state reactions to the challenges presented by contemporary social problems. With its integrated presentation of theoretical perspectives and empirical studies, this unique anthology will be useful in a variety of sociology, criminology, and justice studies course offerings such Law and Society, Social Problems, Crime and Social Justice, Social Movements, Law and Social Control, Social Change, Law and Public Policy, Introduction to Legal Studies, and others. Undergraduate and graduate students alike will appreciate that these articles, selected for their academic rigor, are highly readable and strongly oriented towards high profile social issues, including those of class, race, and gender inequalities as well as social movement and legal struggles in community, national and global settings.

Health and Health Care as Social Problems

Health and Health Care as Social Problems
Author: Peter Conrad
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
Total Pages: 380
Release: 2003
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 9780742528574

This engaging and accessible reader takes a social problems approach to health and medicine, providing a broad and critical lens on contemporary health problems. Designed for courses on social problems and on medical sociology, the volume embraces two fundamental principles: that health and illness are at least partly socially produced, and that health care is not an unfettered good and often brings with it serious social problems. The volume is organized into six sections, addressing the medicalization of human problems; the social construction of health problems; social movements; gender; race and class and the provision of health care; and medical accountability. Taken together, the essays demonstrate the depth and richness of a social problems approach to health and medicine, and the critical perspective it brings to our understanding of health and illness in U.S. society.