Learning Objectives

  • Describe how working-class young adults are currently experiencing their lives.
  • Define what constitutes a social problem.
  • Explain the sociological imagination.
  • Discuss how sociological research can be used to study social problems.
  • Explain the three main sociological perspectives of structural functionalism, conflict theory, and symbolic interactionism.
  • Evaluate how each of the three theoretical perspectives can be applied to improve our understanding of social problems.
  • Discuss the role of social policy in managing social problems.
  • Explore the role of specialized theories in sociology.
  • Identify ways in which service sociology can make a difference.