For over fifteen years Spector and Kitsuse's social constructionist model has served as the most popular explanation of how social problems develop. Despite its popularity, their natural history perspective has received little empirical scrutiny. This investigation (1) assesses the applicability of Spector and Kitsuse's model to the empirical reality of social-problem histories reported in the literature and (2) suggests a practical elaboration of the schema Initial consideration is given to an historical survey of natural history models prior to the Spector and Kitsuse schema. Subsequently, their natural history framework is systematically diagramed in evolutionary sequence. Theoretical contributions and limitations of the Spector and Kitsuse framework are examined. This segment ends with a review of three successive natural history models A second section surveys 53 social-problem histories appearing in the literature since 1973. The studies are analyzed to determine presence of agreement with the implied premises, labelling, ordering, content, and particular contingency points of Spector and Kitsuse's model. An assessment of how studies of social-problem development are constructed empirically is based upon the references, data sources and methods, research designs, concept operationalization, levels and periods of data analyses, specification of variables, and deviations from the Spector and Kitsuse perspective utilized in the data set A third section explores empirical concerns associated with the role and use of Spector and Kitsuse's schema in research investigations. Problems in model application relate to linearity and stage demarcation, specification of processes and subprocesses, designation of study variables, data adequacy and reliability, and 'cult research' practices The following section updates and extends the work of Spector and Kitsuse by providing a tool to study systematically the social processes making up social problems. The rudimentary taxonomy dissects social-problem solving into nine activity steps whose outcomes are shaped by three necessary factors and six contingent factors Last, the study recapitulates survey findings and reviews two recent attempts at theoretical exposition of the social definitionalist perspective. The final segment considers future directions of the taxonomic research proposed / acase@tulane.edu
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:TULANE/oai:http://digitallibrary.tulane.edu/:tulane_27661 |
| Date | January 1989 |
| Contributors | Allen, Tupper Lampton (Author), Sheley, Joseph F (Thesis advisor) |
| Publisher | Tulane University |
| Source Sets | Tulane University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Rights | Access requires a license to the Dissertations and Theses (ProQuest) database., Copyright is in accordance with U.S. Copyright law |
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