Social problems clusters as contexts for claimsmaking: implications for the study of off-campus housing

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

3-3-2016

Abstract

Many social problems claims occur in a context that involves (1) actors’ recognition of other stakeholders, (2) relationships among those actors, and (3) varying temporal frameworks that influence how each claimsmaker views the current collection of issues. We call actors’ involvement in overlapping issues a social problems cluster, a set of claimsmaking efforts that involve many of the same people and groups as advocates, or opponents. Using a case study of local student housing issues as an example, we suggest the following regarding the social problems cluster. First, we consider how the interactions among social problems cluster members shape what happens with a particular issue. Second, we consider the way participants within one social problems cluster recognize links may reflect participants’ biographies, interests, ideologies, and so forth. Attending to how the social problems cluster’s members interact and link issues helps to locate a particular claim within its broader context.

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