Social Pathology Essay

434 Words2 Pages
Social pathology is a term used to describe social factors, such as poverty, old age or crime that bolster social disorganization. At the same time, the term refers to the study of these factors and the social problems they may lead to. Social pathology as a concept appeared late in the 19th and early in the 20th century, when sociologists classified as social pathology all human actions that contradicted with ideals such as residential stability, sobriety, habituation to work, sexual discretion, family solidarity, neighborliness and discipline of the will. The study of social pathology is crucial to the maintenance of social health. Similar to pathology in medical science, a more definite knowledge and deeper understanding of social pathology gives sociologists an insight into the healthy social organization. The aim of social pathology is to identify the causes of social disease and to find ways to remove them. In the early 20th century, for example, poverty was one of the most discussed and studied forms of social pathology. Sociologists were deeply interested in the effects that poverty had on people. The concept of social pathology has changed significantly in the past era. In the 21st century actions often defined as social pathology include substance abuse, violence, abuses of women and children, crime, terrorism, corruption, criminality, discrimination, isolation, stigmatization and human rights violations. These society problems are relative and usually differ among different cultures. Social pathology also depends on the values and organization of the time that a person lives in. Social disorganization is a concept closely related to social pathology. The two terms overlap to certain extend, while social disorganization may also be viewed as supplementing social pathology. Social disorganization is defined as a state of disequilibrium and lack of
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