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Conflicting Interests: Readings in Social Problems and Inequality
Featuring twenty-six in-depth and engaging articles, Conflicting Readings in Social Problems and Inequality is a unique social problems reader in which the majority of the selections reflect the conflict perspective. This approach views social problems as the consequence of social and economic inequalities and therefore encourages students to critically analyze American public policy responses to social problems.
Conflicting Interests is organized into five Thinking about Social Problems, The Economics of Inequality, Social Inequalities, Problems of the Family, Crime and Drugs, and Problems of the Environment. Several articles address the contemporary economic crisis and the role that the media plays in constructing social problems. In addition, many of the essays describe public policies in countries outside of the United States, providing students with alternative, cross-cultural perspectives and solutions to social problems. Each section begins with an introduction that briefly summarizes the articles and shows how they are interrelated. Each essay concludes with critical thinking questions that are designed to stimulate class discussion and to help students carefully evaluate the issues.
A thought-provoking and accessible supplement for social problems courses, Conflicting Interests can also be used in courses on inequality or social stratification. It is an ideal supplement to editor Robert Heiner's textbook, Social An Introduction to Critical Constructionism, Third Edition.
Conflicting Interests is organized into five Thinking about Social Problems, The Economics of Inequality, Social Inequalities, Problems of the Family, Crime and Drugs, and Problems of the Environment. Several articles address the contemporary economic crisis and the role that the media plays in constructing social problems. In addition, many of the essays describe public policies in countries outside of the United States, providing students with alternative, cross-cultural perspectives and solutions to social problems. Each section begins with an introduction that briefly summarizes the articles and shows how they are interrelated. Each essay concludes with critical thinking questions that are designed to stimulate class discussion and to help students carefully evaluate the issues.
A thought-provoking and accessible supplement for social problems courses, Conflicting Interests can also be used in courses on inequality or social stratification. It is an ideal supplement to editor Robert Heiner's textbook, Social An Introduction to Critical Constructionism, Third Edition.
320 pages, Paperback
First published November 5, 2009
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August 21, 2021
We originally got this for a college course, for which we don't remember the details. So, about 7-8 years ago.
I remembered the last essay (chapter 26) the best, which made a significant impact on our questioning how our society allows great suffering to happen by feigned inaction. It goes into a lot of detail about Hurricane Katrina, showing us how poor communities and neighbourhoods populated by people of colour were already neglected before the disaster, and afterwards the displaced people were given the least assistance (if any) in returning home and rebuilding their lives. In addition, these same communities were simultaneously seen as the least in need of chemical sanitation, while deemed suitable places to put chemical landfills of hurricane debris next to. By way of such violent discrimination and exploitation, the effects of a "natural" disaster become terribly unnatural.
There are several other essays we find productive for reflecting on, with a few highlighted here: the invention of "professional objectivity" in journalism (ch 4); the unfair legitimization of work being tied to financial transactions (ch 15); advocating harm reduction instead of criminalization for drug use (ch 21); and how PR companies and mass media control the public narrative around climate change (ch 24).
Unfortunately, the collection is quite flawed because of Heiner's own liberal ideological limitations, or at least the limitations he operated under in putting this book together. With no critical reading of the selection of the texts themselves, the reader will be given the impression that while we must critique capitalism, we cannot ever envision a world outside of capitalism. This makes many of the conclusions of the best essays frustrating, since they well identify significant issues, but constrain themselves to reformism at best. At worst, they operate under an insulting disregard for why things are the way they are. Quite possibly the most offensive is chapter 25, which claims exploited third world countries could lift themselves up by the bootstraps if they just managed their resources better!
Because of these issues, we didn't bother with about half of the essays included. The extreme hit and miss variety leaves us disappointed. However, the better essays could be a good stepping stone for moving further left than the authors themselves, as it certainly helped give us a push 8 years ago when we first read it. Just make sure you retain a critical eye open through each essay, especially for what they under examine or leave out entirely.
- N & J
I remembered the last essay (chapter 26) the best, which made a significant impact on our questioning how our society allows great suffering to happen by feigned inaction. It goes into a lot of detail about Hurricane Katrina, showing us how poor communities and neighbourhoods populated by people of colour were already neglected before the disaster, and afterwards the displaced people were given the least assistance (if any) in returning home and rebuilding their lives. In addition, these same communities were simultaneously seen as the least in need of chemical sanitation, while deemed suitable places to put chemical landfills of hurricane debris next to. By way of such violent discrimination and exploitation, the effects of a "natural" disaster become terribly unnatural.
There are several other essays we find productive for reflecting on, with a few highlighted here: the invention of "professional objectivity" in journalism (ch 4); the unfair legitimization of work being tied to financial transactions (ch 15); advocating harm reduction instead of criminalization for drug use (ch 21); and how PR companies and mass media control the public narrative around climate change (ch 24).
Unfortunately, the collection is quite flawed because of Heiner's own liberal ideological limitations, or at least the limitations he operated under in putting this book together. With no critical reading of the selection of the texts themselves, the reader will be given the impression that while we must critique capitalism, we cannot ever envision a world outside of capitalism. This makes many of the conclusions of the best essays frustrating, since they well identify significant issues, but constrain themselves to reformism at best. At worst, they operate under an insulting disregard for why things are the way they are. Quite possibly the most offensive is chapter 25, which claims exploited third world countries could lift themselves up by the bootstraps if they just managed their resources better!
Because of these issues, we didn't bother with about half of the essays included. The extreme hit and miss variety leaves us disappointed. However, the better essays could be a good stepping stone for moving further left than the authors themselves, as it certainly helped give us a push 8 years ago when we first read it. Just make sure you retain a critical eye open through each essay, especially for what they under examine or leave out entirely.
- N & J
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