Bringing Historical Dimensions Into the Study of Social Problems: The Social Construction of Authority

Frank Furedi

doi:10.18778/1733-8077.11.2.07

Authors

Frank Furedi University of Kent, England

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18778/1733-8077.11.2.07

Keywords:

Authority, Legitimacy, Social Problems, Claims, Tradition

Abstract

Appeals to authority have always played a key role in the construction of social problems. Authority legitimates claims, which is why claim-makers have always sought its validation. An exploration into the historical dimension of the social construction of authority provides insight into changing foundations on which claims about social problems are made. In contrast to the Middle Ages, the modern era has found it difficult to gain consensus on the meaning of authority. This historical shift in the status of authority provides the context for contemporary competitive claims-making about social problems.

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Author Biography

Frank Furedi, University of Kent, England

Frank Furedi is a Professor of Sociology at the University of Kent in Canterbury, England. His studies have been devoted to exploring the cultural developments that influence the construction of contemporary risk consciousness. His research has been oriented towards the way that risk and uncertainty is managed by contemporary culture. He has published widely about the construction of social problems relating to issues such as health, parenting children, food, and new technology. In recent years, his research has focused on the historical sociology of cultural authority. Currently, he is working on a comparative study of the construction of the Reading Wars in the UK and the U.S.

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