This thirty-third edition of Annual Editions: Social Problems is a compilation of articles selected from the best of the public press including magazines, newspapers, and journals. This title is supported by Dushkin Online (dushkin.com/online/), a student website that provides study support tools and links to related websites.

UNIT 1. Introduction: The Nature of Social Problems and General Critiques of American Society1. Social Problems: Definitions, Theories, and Analysis, Harold A. Widdison and H. Richard Delaney, McGraw-Hill/Dushkin, 1995This essay, written specifically for this volume, explores the complexities associated with defining, studying, and attempting to resolve ¿social¿ problems. The three major theoretical approaches¿symbolic interactionism, functionalism, and conflict¿are summarized.2. The Fragmentation of Social Life, D. Stanley Eitzen, Vital Speeches of the Day, July 1, 2000In this essay about America, Stanley Eitzen addresses a crucial problem: the fragmentation of social life. He suggests that America could come apart in the future. Eitzen discusses excessive individualism, heightened personal isolation, increasing inequality, and the deepening racial/ethnic/religious/sexuality divide.3. How to Re-Moralize America, Francis Fukuyama, The Wilson Quarterly, Summer 1999Recently many of the indicators of moral decline have started to show improvement. Francis Fukuyama reports the changes and accepts the challenge of explaining how moral regeneration occurs generally and what caused a potential moral regeneration in the 1990s. In the process he explores the basic sociological questions: What are the sources of value systems? How do they arise and change? In his search for an answer he leads the reader through a sociological detective story.UNIT 2. Problems of the Political EconomyPart A. The Polity 4. Who Rules America?, G. William Domhoff, from Who Rules America? Power and Politics in the Year 2000, The McGraw-Hill Companies/Mayfield, 1997G. William Domhoff is the leading proponent of the power elite view of American Politics as it applies to political influence in America today.5. Rights, Liberties, and Security: Recalibrating the Balance After September 11, Stuart Taylor Jr., Brookings Review, Winter 2003A rule of government is that when dangers increase, liberties shrink. Yes, but how much? Where should the balance be? Stuart Taylor Jr. analyzes the problem starting with the premise that today we face dangers without precedent: a mass movement of militant Islamic terrorists who crave martyrdom, hide in shadows, are fanatically bent on slaughtering as many of us as possible. Taylor calls for a reassessment of the civil liberties rules that restrict the government¿s investigative powers.6. How the Little Guy Gets Crunched, Donald L. Barlett and James B. Steele, Time, February 7, 2000Politics means a win for some and a loss for others. The authors show that the campaign contributions of powerful special interests provide gains for the contributor but losses for the little guy.Part B. The Economy 7. Surveying the Global Marketplace, Murray Weidenbaum, USA Today, January 2004According to Murray Weidenbaum the global economy is very mixed up and that is a good thing. The Honda has more parts made in America than the Pontiac. Half of Xerox¿s employees work abroad. More than half of the revenues of many multinational American companies orginate overseas. Globalization lowers the prices that we pay in the stores but also creates problems and calls for new institutions to manage it. 8. Evaluating Economic Change, Joseph E. Stiglitz, Daedalus, Summer 2004Joseph E. Stiglitz evaluates the costs and benefits of the momentous changes involved in the precesses of globalization. These processes have greatly benefitted some countries and hurt other countries. Surprisingly his economic analysis leads him into an extended discussion of morals. 9. Shopping and Prosperity: The Consumer Economy, Robert J. Samuelson, Current, March/April 2004The consumption side of the economy gets little attention in academia and the media but it is a big part of our lives and the economy. Robert J. Samuelson tells its story including its historical roots, its consequences, and its psychological dimensions. 10. Is Your Job Going Abroad?, Jyoti Thottam, Time, March 1, 2004Part of the debate in the last election was about the shortage of jobs and the number of jobs that are going overseas. Jyoti Thottam provides the data and the issues behind this debate. While politicians argue, however, college students wonder if their future job is about to be given to college graduates in India. According to Thottam they have reason to worry.Part C. Problems of Place11. A Broken Heartland, Jeff Glasser, U.S. News & World Report, May 7, 2001Stories of economic decline are grim. Such is the situation today in many midwest rural counties that are distant from cities. They are dying economically and many residents are moving away, making it harder for those who remain to survive economically. Their history includes heroic struggles against economic hardships but today they fight a losing battle. 12. The Longest Journey, The Economist, November 2¿8, 2002Are immigrants on average a drain on the American economy or net contributors? The Economist cites studies showing that in the long run they pay more in taxes than they draw out in expenditures. Some economists even argue that many immigrants are necessary to support the increasing numbers of elderly. But immigration issues are complex and have no easy answers.UNIT 3. Problems of Poverty and InequalityPart A. Inequality and the Poor13. For Richer: How the Permissive Capitalism of the Boom Destroyed American Equality, Paul Krugman, The New York Times Magazine, October 20, 2002The American economy has made the rich very rich in the past three decades but has not been nearly as generous to the poor. As a result the income gap has widened considerably. Paul Krugman details the facts about the growing inequality and explains how it happened.14. The Real Face of Homelessness, Joel Stein, Time, January 20, 2003The bum sleeping on the park bench is not the new face of homelessness. Increasingly the homeless are mothers with children. Joel Stein points out why this is the case and tells the painful stories of some homeless families.Part B. Welfare15. Requiem for Welfare, Evelyn Z. Brodkin, Dissent, Winter 2003The old welfare system has been buried. What is the new welfare system and what has happened to the people who were on the old welfare system? Evelyn Z. Brodkin tackles these issues and criticizes some aspects of the transformed welfare system.Part C. Racial and Ethnic Inequality and Issues16. What¿s At Stake, Barbara Kantrowitz and Pat Wingert, Newsweek, January 27, 2003The issue of affirmative action is in confusion today. It was definitely a badly needed policy in the beginning, and it has accomplished much, and made our society much more fair and just. But is it needed now and is it unfair now? This article clarifies what affirmative action is, where it stands legally today, and how universities should handle the issue.17. Why We Hate, Margo Monteith and Jeffrey Winters, Psychology Today, May/June 2002The authors demonstrate the prevalence of prejudice and hatred in America and explain this in terms of social identity theory. Whenever people are divided into groups, negative attitudes develop toward the out group.Part D. Gender Inequalities and Issues18. Human Rights, Sex Trafficking, and Prostitution, Alice Leuchtag, The Humanist, January/February 2003One of the evil plagues haunting the world today is sex slavery and it is getting worse. It is the product of extreme poverty and considerable profits. The exploitation involved is horrendous. Human rights groups are trying to stop the practice. Alice Leuchtag covers many aspects of this issue. 19. The Battle Over Gay Marriage, John Cloud, Time, March 22, 2004The legal definition of marriage is one of the hot topics of today since Massachusetts has legalized gay marriages. John Cloud reviews the history of and contested viewpoints on this issue. 20. Reversing the ¿Gender Gap¿, Joel Wendland, Political Affairs, March 2004Joel Wendland counters the recent magazine articles announcing a gender gap that favors women. Yes girls do better in school than boys and graduate from high school and college in greater numbers, but on many other dimensions of inequality women still substantially trail men.UNIT 4. Institutional ProblemsPart A. The Family21. The American Family, Stephanie Coontz, Life, November 1999Stephanie Coontz explains that modern families are better than the way the media portray them and that families of the past were probably worse. She corrects myths about the modern family with many underreported facts. 22. Living Better: Get Wed, Amy M. Braverman, Current, January 2004Amy Braverman reports on the latest research on the many benefits of marriage that include better physical and mental health, sex life, financial stability for parents, and many benefits for the kids.23. We¿re Not in the Mood, Kathleen Deveny, Newsweek, June 30, 2003Kathleen Deveny discusses a problem that has not received much attention: that overworked married couples do not have energy for much of a sex life. ¿Their once steamy love life slowly cooled¿ sums up her analysis. She also describes ways that couples are trying to resist this trend.Part B. Education24. Against School: How Public Education Cripples Our Kids, and Why, John Taylor Gatto, Harper¿s, September 2003John Taylor Gatto attacks the American school system for preventing children from growing up and for being boring. He suspects that this result is exactly what those who control the school system want schools to be. In arguing his radical thesis, he presents a very provocative history of the evolution of the American school system. 25. How I Joined Teach for Americäand Got Sued for $20 Million, Joshua Kaplowitz, City Journal, Winter 2003Most parents think favorably of the schools that their children attend, although some inner city schools are bad. Joshua Kaplowitz¿ personal story sheds much light on some of the problems.Part C. Health 26. Whose Hospital Is It?, Arthur Allen, Mother Jones, May/June 2004One aspect of the current health care crisis in the U.S. is the closing of many hospitals because they are not making enough profit for the corporations that own them. Arthur Allen reports on this trend along with other health care problems.27. Death Stalks a Continent, Johanna McGeary, Time, February 12, 2001One of the greatest and most painful crises in the world today is the AIDS epidemic in Africa. Johanna McGeary¿s report on this crisis reveals shocking behavior by families and others toward victims and points out cultural and structural factors which contribute to the crisis.UNIT 5. Crime, Violence, and Law EnforcementPart A. Crime 28. The Criminal Menace: Shifting Global Trends, Gene Stephens, The Futurist, May/June 2003Gene Stephens describes crime trends throughout the world. Overall crime rates in the United States were the highest in the Western world in 1980 but have fallen in the United States and increased in many other nations. Now several Western countries have higher rates. Nevertheless, the U.S. murder rate is still the highest. The author also reviews the competing explanations for the decline of crime in the U.S. 29. The Aggregate Burden of Crime, David A. Anderson, Journal of Law and Economics, October 1999David Anderson makes a valiant effort to compute the annual costs of major types of crime and the net annual total costs of all crime that he claims exceeds $1 trillion or over $4000 per capita. Fraud and cheating on taxes costs Americans over 20 times the costs of theft, burglary, and robbery.Part B. Law Enforcement30. Reasonable Doubts, Stephen Pomper, The Washington Monthly, June 2000Stephen Pomper critically assesses the criminal justice system and recommends strong, badly needed reforms.31. On Patrol, Eli Lehrer, The American Enterprise, June 2001The police have been both strongly praised and strongly criticized this past decade. Now it is time to get up close and personal as the police do their work. Eli Lehrer follows a policewoman on her patrol and lets us see how extremely varied police work is.Part C. Terrorism 32. The Terrorism to Come, Walter Laqueur, Policy Review, August/September 2004Walter Laqueur provides a rich lesson on terrorism from the left-wing revolutionary terrorism of several decades ago to the religiously inspired terrorism of today, which is not a response to poverty conditions. Currently the terrorist war is more cultural than political. 33. Understanding the Terrorist Mind-Set, Randy Borum, The FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, July 2003How do terrorists think? If terrorists are our greatest threat today¿we need to understand their beliefs, values, and motives. This is what Randy Borum teaches us in this article.UNIT 6. Problems of Population, Environment, Resources, and the FuturePart A. Two Descriptions of the State of the Planet: Population and the Environment 34. Rescuing a Planet Under Stress, Lester R. Brown, The Humanist, November/December 2003Lester Brown summarizes the state of the planet¿s environment that he portrays as under significant stress, and therefore, requires that significant changes occur throughout the world in how humans use the environment. He proposes solutions that involve ¿rapid systemic change.¿ 35. The Pentagon and Climate Change, Monthly Review, May 2004The climate change problem has been raised to a higher level of concern because of a Pentagon study of the possible social impacts¿including economic and political instability and even war¿of an abrupt climate change. In addition to this story this article assesses the seriousness of the negative impacts of global warming, the possibility of abrupt climate change, and some of the hindrances to addressing the problems.Part B. Technological Issues36. The Future of Humanity, Colin Tudge, New Statesman, April 8, 2002DNA research has opened up breathtaking possibilities and excrutiating moral dilemmas at the same time. Now society has to decide whether to continue to leave the creation of humans to providence or evolution, or to genetically engineer our offspring. In this article, Colin Tudge presents the issues, options, and debates. 37. The Secret Nuclear War, Eduardo Goncalves, The Ecologist, April 2001An extremely consequential technology is nuclear. The energy it produces has greatly benefited mankind, but at what price? Eduardo Goncalves reports on all the nuclear accidents, testings, experiments, leaks, production, cover-ups, and storage and reuse materials that he can find out about. The death toll could be as high as 175 million, and the shameful behavior of countless agencies that he reports on is shocking.Part C. The Future 38. The Globalization of Politics: American Foreign Policy for a New Century, Ivo H. Daalder and James M. Lindsay, Brookings Review, Winter 2003Since the Berlin wall came down the bipolar world power arrangement disintegrated and the new world power arrangement is not entirely clear. The authors focus on the globalization of politics and the appropriate role of the United States.39. Community Building: Steps Toward a Good Society, Amitai Etzioni, Current, January 2001As America becomes more diverse and more unequal, can we build community? Identity politics have partly corrected past injustices, ¿but have also divided the nation along group lines.¿ According to Amitai Etzioni a new thrust is needed. He reviews the threats to community and recommends communitarian solutions including ways to curb inequality, ways to increase bonding, and ways to increase value commitments. 40. Sleepwalking Through the Apocalypse, William Van Dusen Wishard, Vital Speeches of the Day, September 1, 2003William Van Dusen Wishard is president of a firm that does research on trends and he begins this article by describing ten key world-wide trends that suggest ¿we¿ve come to the end of the world, as we¿ve known it.¿ The world is becoming global economically, socially, and psychologically. The growth of international travel, migration, and communication are transforming world institutions and cultures. To cope we need a world consciousness.