The DOI matches its Crossref record.
Social Problems as Collective Behavior
Abstract
Sociologists have erred in locating social problems in objective conditions. Instead, social problems have their being in a process of collective definition. This process determines whether social problems will arise, whether they become legitimated, how they are shaped in discussion, how they come to be addressed in official policy, and how they, are reconstituted in putting planned action into effect. Sociological theory and study must respect this process.
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“The characteristic feature of all of these systems is that social interactions among the individual organisms give rise to patterns and structure at higher levels of organization”
From Stewardship of global collective behavior (2021) · cites this paper as [4]
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The Rise and Fall of Social Problems: A Public Arenas Model
Hilgartner, S., & Bosk, C. L. (1988) · American Journal of Sociology · doi:10.1086/228951 · Cited by 2,286
SELLING ISSUES TO TOP MANAGEMENT
Dutton, J. E., & Ashford, S. J. (1993) · Academy of Management Review · doi:10.5465/amr.1993.9309035145 · Cited by 970
Seven Models of Framing: Implications for Public Relations
Hallahan, K. (1999) · Journal of Public Relations Research · doi:10.1207/s1532754xjprr1103_02 · Cited by 941
“The constructivist approach to communication draws on ideas from the symbolic interactionism school of sociology (Blumer, 1971).”
MethodFor a Sociology of Expertise: The Social Origins of the Autism Epidemic
Eyal, G. (2013) · American Journal of Sociology · doi:10.1086/668448 · Cited by 717
“…1980Þ focuses on the process by which moral, social, or legal problems become redefined as medical problems, while the social problems tradition ðBlumer 1971; Gusfield 1981; Hilgartner and Bosk 1988Þ analyzes processes of collective definition that frame problems as worthy of public…”
BackgroundCornelissen, J., & Werner, M. (2014) · Academy of Management Annals · doi:10.5465/19416520.2014.875669 · Cited by 897
Metadata
- Authors
- Blumer, H.
- Affiliations
- University of California, Berkeley (US)
- Corresponding author
- Blumer, Herbert
- Venue
- Social Problems
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Published
- 1971-01
- Volume
- 18
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 298-306
- ISSN
- 0037-7791 (ISSN-L)
- 1533-8533
- OpenAlex
- W2129695636
- Cited by
- 1,281
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 33 · 2025: 37 · 2024: 52 · 2023: 52 · 2022: 55 · 2021: 64 · 2020: 62 · 2019: 53 · 2018: 82 · 2017: 49 · 2016: 49 · 2015: 60 · 2014: 42 · 2013: 52 · 2012: 49
- FWCI
- 41.24
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Social Problems (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Contemporary Sociological Theory and Practice
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Crime, Deviance, and Social Control
- Social Sciences › General Social Sciences › Social Science and Policy Research
- Keywords
- collective behavior, legitimation, social construction of problems, policy making, social action, sociology of social problems
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