ABSTRACT
This chapter compares the two general perspectives on social problems, and summarizes what the constructionist framework tells us about social problems in particular and social life in general. There are many different objectivist perspectives on social problems. First, conflict theory, feminism, deviance, and functionalism all approach social problems as objective conditions. Second, each objectivist approach to social problems begins with its own vision of what conditions cannot be tolerated and its own theory about what causes social problems. Third, people approaching social problems as objective conditions present themselves as experts who can and should tell audience members how the world should work. Even with such a brief definition of what is shared by objectivist approaches to social problems, it is clear that they differ from social constructionist perspectives in several ways. The social construction perspective allows us to see some aspects of our lives that are not visible when social problems are examined only as objective conditions in the environment.
