Writeacher
The period of time fir the social question is the Edo period. Sorry about thar!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edo_society
There are several articles, here, too:
http://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=social+controls+shape+Japanese+identity+and+citizenship+edo+period&hl=en&as_sdt=0&as_vis=1&oi=scholart&sa=X&ei=ucVRUfevHInc2AXdyoDwBA&ved=0CC4QgQMwAA
Choose carefully and read lots.
No problem! It looks like you're mentioning the Edo period as the time period for a social question. The Edo period is a significant era in Japanese history that spanned from 1603 to 1868. During this time, Japan was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate, and the capital was located in Edo (now known as Tokyo).
However, since you haven't specified the exact social question you're referring to, I'm unable to provide a detailed answer. If you could provide more information or restate your question, I'll be happy to assist you further.