1. Read Chapters 11, 1 and 2, page 329-340 and 3-64 in Joel Best's Social Problems then discuss the following with your classmates:
2. Were there any vocabulary terms you found unfamiliar - for example, the way sociologists use the concept of "natural history" or "rhetoric?" If so, what were they and what do they mean to you now?
3. Discuss the social constructionist view of social problems. What are some aspects of social life that this ideology focuses on? Discuss and explain the chart on page 333 - what do all the arrows mean?
4. Name one of the newest social problems you have seen on social media (or on the news) and post a photo or weblink of it. Discuss the claims and additional grounds used to promote the problem. What emotions are pulled to increase sympathy for this issue? Who is the audience and how do you know? How are claims makers working to overcome obstacles or competing causes?
What part of our current social climate has led to the kind of positive or negative reaction to these claims? *You also did this to some extent in the last assignment, but it does not hurt to practice and to make sure you discuss audience and competing claims specifically.