Chapter 12: Piaget and Social Problems

Although the attention given to problems of teaching sociology greatly increased during the 1970\u27s, the implications of Piaget\u27s ideas for college level instruction remained unexplored by most sociologists. In 1978, only one of twenty-five articles published in Teaching Sociology, the discipline\u27s only journal devoted to teaching-related issues, contained references to Piaget\u27s work. Thus, the social problems course offered through the ADAPT program during the 1980 spring semester represents one of the few attempts to apply Piaget to teaching sociology in a university classroom. Recent developments in social problems theory (Spector and Kitsuse, 1977) are complementary to the constructivist epistemology underlying Piagetian theory and research. From the end of World War II through the 1960\u27s, most sociologists viewed social problems as objective conditions which negatively affected large numbers of people. The difficulty with this perspective is that many “problems” which upset large sections of the general public, such as long hair on males in the 1960’s, are not demonstrably harmful. And others, such as witches in Puritan Massachusetts, simply do not exist as empirical phenomena. Recognition of the inherent problems with the objectivist approach to social problems has created renewed interest in the value-conflict perspective originally developed in the 1930’s. Instead of studying conditions alleged to constitute social problems, proponents of this school concentrate on the definitional processes through which groups define selected characteristics of their social environment as problems requiring corrective measures. In other words, the focus is on how people “construct” social problems. The ADAPT course was taught from the value-conflict perspectiv

Social Structure, Race/Ethnicity, and Homocide

As discussed, the murder rates for Blacks in the United States are substantially higher than those for Whites, with Latino murder rates falling in the middle. These differences have existed throughout the 20th and into the 21st century and, with few exceptions, are found in different sections of the United States. Although biological and genetic explanations for racial differences in crime rates, including murder, have been discredited and are no longer accepted by most criminologists, both cultural and structural theories are widespread in the literature on crime and violence. It is also important to remember that Latino is an ethnic rather than a racial classification. The point of this exercise is to examine differences in selected structural positions of Blacks, Whites and Latinos in the United States that may help explain long-standing differences in their murder rates

Battered Police: Risk Factors for Violence Against Law Enforcement Officers

Although we hear more about violence committed by the police, violence against police officers is also a major problem in the United States. Using data collected from the Orlando, Florida Police Department files, this study examines situational variables, offender characteristics, and officer demographics that may correlate with violence directed at law enforcement officers. Logistic regression results indicate that battery against one or more police officers is significantly more likely when multiple officers are involved, when offenders are women, when offenders are larger than average as measured by body mass index (BMI), and when offenders are known to have recently consumed alcohol. We close with a discussion of policy implications and directions for future research. © 2014 Springer Publishing Company

Battered Police: Risk Factors For Violence Against Law Enforcement Officers

Although we hear more about violence committed by the police, violence against police officers is also a major problem in the United States. Using data collected from the Orlando, Florida Police Department files, this study examines situational variables, offender characteristics, and officer demographics that may correlate with violence directed at law enforcement officers. Logistic regression results indicate that battery against one or more police officers is significantly more likely when multiple officers are involved, when offenders are women, when offenders are larger than average as measured by body mass index (BMI), and when offenders are known to have recently consumed alcohol. We close with a discussion of policy implications and directions for future research. © 2014 Springer Publishing Company

Your Shelter Or Mine? Romantic Relationships Among The Homeless

The topic of sex and love is notable by its absence within the research literature on homelessness. If these topics are discussed, they are generally approached from a negative standpoint with a focus on topics such as HIV, sexually transmitted diseases, sexual victimization, or sexual abuse. With growing bodies of literature on homelessness and the many benefits of committed relationships, it is surprising that there is a lack of studies on these intersecting topics. By way of in-depth interviews, this article takes an initial look at the neglected study of the love lives of the homeless. These narratives provide information on the lives of homeless individuals, the importance of romantic relationships and sex, and challenges to these relationships. Recommendations for further research are provided. © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC

Differentiating Single And Multiple Victim Child Sexual Abuse Cases: A Research Note Considering Social Disorganization Theory

This study examined the utility of social disorganization theory as an explanation for child sexual abuse with a focus on differentiating single and multiple victim cases. Drawing on 1,172 child sexual abuse cases (including 159 cases with multiple victims) in Orange County, Florida, from 2004 to 2006, the present study considered case characteristics and elements of social disorganization as potential predictors of child sexual abuse cases involving single and multiple victims. We found that social disorganization theory does not successfully predict the locations of multiple victim child sexual abuse incidents and is not useful for distinguishing between child sexual abuse incidents with single or multiple victims. © 2014 Copyright Taylor and Francis Group, LLC

Social Disorganization And Unfounded Sexual Assault Case Clearances

Despite much research and policy development, it remains true that less than one half of all reported sexual assaults are cleared by arrest (Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI], 2011). Compounding this issue, many sexual assaults are not cleared by an arrest, but rather by being classified as unfounded by law enforcement (Soulliere, 1994, 2005; Tellis &Spohn, 2008). Grounded in the social disorganization perspective, this article examines the relationships between case-related and extralegal community-level characteristics and use of the designation of unfounded by the police. Contrary to initial expectations, findings show that communities with higher levels of concentrated disadvantage, immigrant concentration, and residential instability are less likely to have sexual assaults deemed unfounded by law enforcement. © 2013 Springer Publishing Company