Problematic Sociality: Uncertainty and the Study of Social Problems

John Kitsuse and Malcolm Spector’s theoretical framework for the analysis of social problems is revisited and an alternative formulation is sketched out, albeit one that maintains a focus on constructivist processes. Spector and Kitsuse’s model posits actors (claims-makers and counter-claimants) who possess moral certitude regarding what is objectionable and worthy of remedial action; by contrast, the present discussion suggests grounding the study of social problems in experiences characterized by uncertainty. The concept of “problematic sociality” is proposed as a way of identifying such circumstances. Sociality — routine, coordinated and manageable forms of association among individuals and between groups — becomes problematic when interactions are experienced as persistently difficult to navigate, distressing, or otherwise viscerally onerous. Encounters with problematic sociality may be connected to underlying social transformations and disruptions. The concept of problematic sociality therefore suggests there is merit in pairing the study of social problems with the study of social change.