Social Problems Process: Gun Control Activism and the Hegelian Dialectical Model in America
Overview
This paper analyzes gun violence as a social problem in the United States by applying the social problems process framework and Hegelian Dialectical Model. It examines how claims makers and activists advocate for gun control, how the media covers both pro- and anti-gun control arguments, and how this has created ideological divisions between Democrats and Republicans despite 85% public support for stricter gun control.
What this essay covers
- Introduction to social problems and gun violence as a critical issue in America
- Analysis of claims making by gun control activists and the role of media coverage in presenting opposing viewpoints
- Application of the Hegelian Dialectical Model to demonstrate thesis-antithesis-synthesis in policy-making debates
- Discussion of the disconnect between public opinion and elected officials' positions on gun control policy
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Social Problems Process: Gun Control Activism
Social problems are issues with the society that impede people from realizing their full potential. Gun violence, for instance, is among America’s most poignant social problems that require the immediate attention by all levels of society. For such problems to become apparent, they must undergo the social problems process: a series of stages involving claims making, media coverage, public reaction, policy-making, policy implementation work, and policy outcomes. Based on these practical dimensions, the purpose of the current paper is to utilize concept (social problems process) and theory (The Hegelian Dialectical Model) to understand the current discussions on gun violence in the United States.
According to the gun violence archive, 2021 ended with 693 mass shootings and in 2022 (as of June), there have been 27 school shootings (GVA). Claim makers, including experts in sociology and pro-gun control activists have called for tighter restrictions in gun ownership, including extensive background checks, a limit to the number and types of guns that can be owned, and control of the types of bullets that should be solved to civilians. These claims by experts and activists have made headways into the media where even more experts have been called to discuss how these changes on the 2nd Amendment would prevent gun violence incidences. The media, in its role of being impartial, has also aired claims of people that oppose these propositions. In their view, changes in the 2nd Amendment cannot prevent such incidences.