Beyond Case Studies: Expanding the Constructionist Framework for Social Problems Research

Joel Best

doi:10.18778/1733-8077.11.2.02

Authors

Joel Best University of Delaware, U.S.A.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18778/1733-8077.11.2.02

Keywords:

Case Studies, Domain Expansion, Social Constructionism, Social Problems, Social Problems Cluster, Waves

Abstract

Most constructionist analyses of social problems are case studies; these focus attention on the particulars of the case at hand. Analysts have devoted less attention to the ways cases can be connected. This paper presents a typology of such connections, based on five elements: the problem, the frame, the claims-makers, place, and time. The typology identifies ways each of these elements can serve as a basis for connecting different campaigns to construct social problems.

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Author Biography

Joel Best, University of Delaware, U.S.A.

Joel Best is a Professor of Sociology and Criminal Justice at the University of Delaware. His most recent books on constructing social problems are: The Student Loan Mess: How Good Intentions Created a Trillion-Dollar Problem (University of California Press, with Eric Best) and Kids Gone Wild: From Rainbow Parties to Sexting, Understanding the Hype over Teen Sex (New York University Press, with Kathleen A. Bogle).

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