Individual v Structural Frames of Social Problems: News on Cooking, Eating, and Obesity

Abstract

This activity has students replicate Merin Oleschuk’s (2020) content analysis study which demonstrated how our culture favors individual-level causes and solutions to larger social problems in the context of the obesity epidemic. The study analyzed news articles on obesity as it relates to cooking and eating at home. Yet obesity and related topical...

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Details

Subject Area(s):

Introduction to Sociology/Social Problems, Medical Sociology, Qualitative Methodology

Resource Type(s):

Class Activity

Class Level(s):

Any Level

Class Size(s):

Any

Usage Notes

I have students do this class activity early in the semester, typically in the second week. Before you do this activity in class, you need to review the basic sociological (i.e., structural) perspective as it applies to social problems. It is also important students understand “levels of analysis” and our culture of individualism.

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Learning Goals and Assessments

Learning Goal(s):

1. Students learn to identify individualistic frames of social problems.
2. Students learn to identify structural frames of social problems.
3. Students learn to differentiate individual-level and structural-level causes and solutions of social problems.

Goal Assessment(s):

1. Students read, analyze, and highlight individual-level explanations and solutions for the obesity epidemic.
2. Students read, analyze, and highlight structural-level explanations and solutions for the obesity epidemic.
3. Class discussion and/or reflection paper.