The way the media portrays the foster care system comes across as over-exaggerated and it alters the way society views this system in reality. With the glorification of the foster system, much of its brokenness and outdated policies get overlooked and are never addressed. The show The Fosters was watched through the lens of Max Horkheimer’s critical theory on how certain parts of society are structured and why it’s necessary for change. Finding the similarities and differences between the media and reality, through oral histories, it’s a step in the right direction for change to be made within the foster care system. 

Robert Merton’s theory says individuals commit crimes connected with their social climate. This qualitative based study used two materials-based data sets and one interview with a juvenile probation officer to look at juvenile delinquency in Dauphin County, PA. Findings found four major themes: crime by committee, school attendance/influence, family life factors, and socioeconomic factors.  

Structural functionalism shows connections between poverty and social function. This study used content analysis to interpret news photographs and articles. Content analysis revealed three themes: factors of poverty, national poverty, and faces of poverty. By understanding the lived experience of poverty in Mozambique, poverty relief organizations can be most effective.