These social problems are usually socially constructed, due to culturally defined values and beliefs, as well as policies. Change in societies and adaptation to new conditions or the inability to successfully adapt to change also cause social problems. It is also important to note that, although not all social problems affect every individual, for them to be considered a social problem they must affect the vast majority of people. A good example of this is crime. Crime affects everyone at some level. It affects the victim of the crime, the person who committed the crime, as well as the society in which the crime is committed. Through the functionalist perspective, crime is seen as “normal” and also an integral part of all healthy societies. While too much crime poses a threat to social order, too little crime or deviance is harmful (Weineck, 2007). It is how society responds to crime that contributes to the health and growth of a society, establishing laws and policies that provide a foundation for society's values. An example that Emile Durkheim gives in relation to a crime that brings benefits to a society is protest. Protest involves a small or large group of people showing up to raise awareness about an issue deemed discriminatory or unfair. Take for example the protests that took place to raise public awareness and introduce laws to allow gay marriage. States across America have staged protests that have sometimes ended in violent behavior. The violent behavior that was adopted during these protests, symbolically, made people aware of how important this issue was to a large number of people. It is in these events that issues such as gay marriage brought about a change in policies and revolutionized society's way of life
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