Social Problems, 4e

Available for Spring 2021 classes • Ebook from $30

An engaging, unconventional guide to thinking about social problems

Equip your students with tools to identify and evaluate social problem claims with the Fourth Edition of Social Problems. The Fourth Edition is packed with highly relevant examples and case studies, connecting the social constructionist theory to the real world and also providing practical advice for analyzing any social problem, helping students become informed citizens and thoughtful media consumers.

Want to learn more about Joel’s constructionist perspective on the COVID-19 outbreak? Please fill out this form to download the supplement:

". . . [I]t is a mistake to try and think of COVID-19 as a single social problem. Rather, it is the focus for many, many claims. . . . My book is organized around a model of the social problems process with six stages: claimsmaking, media coverage, public reactions, policymaking, social problems work, and policy outcomes. COVID-19 is relevant to each of these topics. . . ." — Joel Best

About the author

Joel Best is a professor of sociology and criminal justice at the University of Delaware. Best’s research focuses on understanding how and why we become concerned with particular issues at particular moments in time.

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