social pathology: Meaning and Definition of

so'cial pathol'ogy

Pronunciation: [key]
  1. a social factor, as poverty, old age, or crime, that tends to increase social disorganization and inhibit personal adjustment.
  2. the study of such factors and the social problems they produce.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.