Making Sense of Social Problems - 9781588268556

This collection of 16 essays presents examples of social constructionist analysis when considering social problems. The editors, Best (sociology, U. of Delaware) and Harris (sociology, St. Louis U.), have organized the contributions into five sections that focus on different dimensions of the social construction process: claims, claims-makers, experts, the media, and policy outcomes. The essays themselves examine some sort of social problem, from pet grief exploitation to linking autism to vaccines to getting trans-fats noticed by policy makers. The editors claim that the social construction method can help readers interpret the competing claims of various people about social problems, their causes, and solutions. They reinforce the analytic categories with an introduction to each of the major sections and a final "three questions for constructionism," which include: is constructionism dangerous, is it trivial and impractical, and can it really offer a distinct approach to social problems? Annotation ©2012 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)