Social Problems In America Essay

Social Problems In America Essay
What I have learned in Social Problems in American Society was about the different aspects of society, and how society and groups are formed. I got
exposed to many social problems such as race, ethnic conflict, criminal justice reform, social justice, and economic inequality. In this course, I have
learned that race is a social construct, which mean that it is a modern concept. After reading about this concept in the C. wright mill article I started to
do my own research and learned that in ancient times, people were more likely to be divided according to religion, language, lineage, and nationality.
That in the 16th century, Europeans used three different categories to classify the different groups of people they encounter with. Which these
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Social Problems Essays
A way of distinguishing a realist perspective between theories of social problems within is to contrast the 'level of analysis' on which their
explanations are focused. Many theories that seek to explain social problems function at the level of the psychological or biological conditions that
make some people behave badly – discovering the gene, chromosome or mental characteristic that separates the deviant from the normal. Such
clarifications tend to operate at an individual level of analysis, dealing with the certain characteristics of the different and deviant individual. Others
explanations tend to focus on a micro–social level, dealing with patterns of interaction between specific individuals and groups for example peer
groups. (May...show more content...
This is a classic example of social problem construction; but the official definition ignores the most harmful drugs – tobacco and alcohol – and targets
on smaller substances like crack, cocaine, most commonly used in inner cities. (Blau 2004:7–8) But what would be the right alternative in this "war of
drugs"? The Economist suggests that, "the least bad policy is to legalise drugs. "Least bad" does not mean good. Legalisation, though clearly better
for producer countries, would bring (different) risks to consumer countries." Right now the United States alone spends about $ 40 billion each year on
trying to eliminate the supply of drugs, but with little or no result. However, those in favour of the legalisation of recreational drugs argue that
legalisation would not only drive away the gangsters but also transform drugs from a law–and–order problem into a public–health problem, which is
how, they argue, it ought to be treated. (The Economist 2009) The social policy to remedy this problem emerges from this framework and social
problems have been ought to fight earlier. The different perceptions as to how to

Examples Of Social Problems In Sociology
Kyle Olmsted Introduction to Sociology Homework #1 9/18/17 Part–1 Problem# 1: The first problem that I am dealing with in my life is that I have
Attention Deficit Disorder(ADD). This problem is something that I deal with everyday since I was diagnosed with and has been made easier due
to the use of Adderall. This issue that I have encountered really was not influenced or made worse by me, it was kinda uncontrollable. However it
was heavily influenced by society and the social forces that we have covered in class. The first aspect of this problem that society played a huge
role in was that my second grade teacher Mrs. Carlson notice that I may have ADD and informed my mom. This interaction that I had with my
teacher is a good example of a social relationship. I really don't think that a lot of people understand what it is like to have ADD. Most people are
like you are so lucky to be able to get Adderall. They do not know though that I take Adderall to feel normal like how they feel everyday. They do
not understand that if I do not take it that it is near impossible for me to be able to do homework, study, or to just stay on one task that I need to get
done. I find this to be a good ideology because kids who do not have ADD have a set view and belief on not even ADD but the use of Adderall.
They think that it is like a superdrug for them to focus when in all reality it just makes me feel normal while if they take it they might get a whole
different effect but for them to think that, that is how it is for me everyday is so false. Problem# 2: The second problem that I face in my life is
stress from trying to get into the nursing program here at NIU. I am getting ready to apply this semester and am also really nervous about not
getting in. The pressure that I have put on myself is due to the fact that I know that the nursing program here is super competitive and only a
fraction of the kids that apply get in. I am also a bit behind due to the fact that I missed over a month of school last fall when my dad suddenly and
unexpectedly passed away. There is also pressure Problem# 3: The last problem that I chose to discuss in my paper is that I have not really made that
many new friends. I am the kind of

Essay On Social Problems
What is a Social Problem Throughout society there are a multitude of social problems ranging from micro to macro scales. Social problems are
considered something that negatively affects an individual's state of being in a society. Unfortunately, there are a wide range of social problems that
effect such a magtiude of people. Some examples of nationwide social problems: LGBT adoption rights, abortion, planned parenthood funding,
transgender soldiers, death penalty, and many others. Some of the most pressing social problems in my community are racism, transgender
acceptance, and abortion. These problems have always been in existence throughout society on a macro scale. My community has marches
throughout the town to spread the word that abortion is not okay. Abortion in my opinion will never be settled due to the multitude of arguments that
could be presented to make abortion widely accepted or denied. Transgender acceptance has become an issue due to the fact that we have an older
gentleman that cross dresses and is in the middle of transitioning to a woman and wants to use the lady's restroom. Being from a small town and
having kept the standards from ancestors we do not accept what he is trying to do. Currently we are trying to resolve the issue by compromising with
the individual by just allowing him to use the family restroom. Finally, racism is especially a problem throughout our community. A lot of individuals
are racist towards black individuals and will not

Social Problems Of A Social Problem Essay
Social Problem a)What is a Social Problem? My understanding of a social problem is that a substantial group of individuals consider an issue to
be problematic and that the matter in question does not reconcile itself between the good of the group and what has been done for society.
Although the issue can be advantageous for some members of a culture or community, it can be detrimental to others and therefore must be
examined. b)What are some social problems that currently exist in society? Problems that occur recycle themselves over time in a society. As an
example, in the 1950's many people believed that there could be a nuclear war at any time. Today, even though we have disarmed many nuclear
warheads, the threat of a war is still a concern from nations who desire to use nuclear power as a weapon. Another concern is economic stability.
During the "Great Depression" many people were out of work and families stood in soup lines to be fed. Today our economic situation is still a
concern and we have shelters and foundations to feed and care for those unable to find work. Our government has also provided programs whereby
individual and families can obtain food and shelter while trying to find work. I also recognize that many have given up the quest to find employment.
Some other social concerns in society are: education, wage equality, and human trafficking only to name a few in the mountain of issues we face
today. c)How do sociologists define a social

Society today is riddled with problems that are deemed important. Such as racism, sexism, economy, and there are many more, but how do
problems such as these become to be a social problem? This question is important to ask to find out the inner workings of society. Society has
many concerns and issues but the one that impacts everyone is the economy, But before we can understand social problems there needs to
understanding of the process by which a sociologic view is established compared to other viewpoints of problems. In the text book, Social
Problems: Community, Policy, and Social actions, there is an exert by wright Mills on the sociological imagination. Basically a personnel problem
is "character of the individual and within the range of his immediate relationships with others" and a public issues is "character of the individual
and within the range of his immediate relationships with others" (p.5). The sociological imagination is a way that we can see a personnel problem
can evolve and become a social problem. This understanding of the difference between a personnel problem and a public one, will help identify why
certain problems become more significant than others. After the problem escalates from an issue of few into a problem for many, sociologist gather
data and use the information to create theories of why things are the happening and ways to solve them, it is a very rigorous process. By doing this we
can understand how some problems would be deemed more

Social Problems; Sociology of the Workplace
Full name SOC–220 Social Problems October 21, 2011 Instructor name Sociology of the Workplace We might have been equal around 200B.C. but
those days are over. Political control, unequal income and unequal status changed the way American families had to break away for economic
independency due to the massive industrialization. Jobs and careers are a core value in American society (Macionis 2008). Two revolutions, Industrial
and Information, changed the workplace for most Americans, creating a new status quo for them and their families. With the new modern economy, the
quality of life can only be improved. Structural–functional, social conflict, and symbolic interaction are the three major approaches in sociology that
guides thinking...show more content...
I have seen in the retail business that the managers don't have to leave the stores anymore to attend a meeting. They simply now have to make a
phone call, enter a code, and they are in a "conference call" allowing them to still manage their stores. There are telecommunicating jobs that now
allow workers to stay at home and earn income. The social ramifications to this new way of work have changed people for the good and some for the
bad. While moms can now stay at home with their children while working and earning income; this saves them the expenses from traveling. The
negative impact on this is that stay–home–jobs isolate the person from the outside world that they once had. It is harder to get a promotion and adds
to the gender inequality in the workplace (Macionis, 2008). I just purchased a home and never saw my loan officer; she worked out of California
from her office and home. I liked the convenience of the process because I was able to retrieve my emails from her and resend them on my free
time. The personal contact has diminished, resulting in some sort of isolation. Society is created by ongoing social conflict between the more
powerful groups who exploit groups with lesser power. There was a fine line between work and home which now has been blurred from the
stay–home–jobs (Macionis, 2008). The pressure of work that used to just fill the office now is taken home, so where do you find the balance again for
this new

Sociology: Identifying Social Problems Essay
Identifying Social Problems
The definition of a social problem varies greatly depending on whether an objectivist approach or a constructionist approach is taken. This is
because sociologists that adopt these unique perspectives will differ in how they view the nature of a social problem. The objectivist definition of a
social problem is perhaps more common sense because it "suggests that the essence of social problems lies in objective social conditions and that
some conditions are problems." [1] This definition focuses around the evaluation of conditions in society to decide whether they are harmful to either
individuals or society, and then defining them as social problems. If a condition fails to meet a given...show more content...
[4] This approach is quite unique as a social problem refers to the activities of individuals or groups, which make assertions towards some harmful
condition. The constructionists will focus on and examine what the claimsmakers say about conditions, rather than the conditions themselves. [5]
This examination will often take the form of case studies, in which sociologists will look at how a particular public issue is constructed.
Constructionism is also interested in problem identification, or its perception and definition. Of interest is how certain conditions come to be
defined as problems by certain groups, as this usually reflects an issue of power that this group stands to lose or benefit from. Typification, or the
characterization of a problem's nature [6] is also important to sociologists. Typification will take the common forms of assuming a particular
orientation for a problem, in order to provide a solution, as well as using typifying examples to capture public attention. Examples of this can be found
later in this paper, in the discussion of Best's logical structure of claimsmaking as applied to child sexual abuse. While constructionists agree that social
problems are a subjective phenomenon, there is a division among them over the nature of constructionism, which manifests into

Social Problems
According to Ferreira (2005:86), four elements may be discerned when attempting to define a social problem. The four elements are: a pressure
(influential) group; a social condition; a set of values and norms; and collective action.
Taking these four elements as building blocks the following definition of a social problem may be arrived at: A social condition, known to a pressure
group as posing a threat to current values and norms, that requires collective action to rectify (Pretorius, Le Roux, Lesufi, Liebenberg, Martin
Rautenbach & Zegeye in Ferreira 2005:87).
In the sections that follow I will attempt to clarify each one of the four elements that constitute the definition of a social problem.
The crux of the matter here regards...show more content...
Today,Africa's rate of urbanization is second to none (Tibaijuka in de Beer, du Plessis, Liebenberg & Moloi 2005:116). At the eve of independence,
during the 60's for a handful of African countries, urbanization, in most cases, was well sought after (social condition). Western powers had developed
following paths of industrialization and urbanization and the same was thought possible in Africa (pressure groups). The basic tenants of this
assumption went as follows: Capital distributed from the West to Africa was to be invested in industrial enterprises in centers that wielded political
power. This newly found industry would promote manufacturing and encourage domestic savings. Jobs would be created and the capital accumulated
reinvested in development projects (de Beer et al 2005: 115–125). And thus, by following this path Africa would become self–sufficient (values and
norms).
However, five decades later Africa has failed to develop as rapidly or to the extent to which the West has. Urbanpoverty escalates daily. A handful of
problems face the African city: insufficient provision of jobs, poorly delivered public services, a weakening revenue base, and escalating pollution
levels. According to de Beer et al. (2005:116–117), it is projected that by 2030 half of Africa's population will have become urbanized, most of whom
will live in poverty (social problem).
There are some solutions on offer. Urban agriculture, albeit somewhat controversial, has

Social Issues Of Education And Education
Social Issues in Education
The United States has made leaps and bounds in its education system since schooling became mandatory. Most people in the US have at least a high
school education and are able to function in society as fruitful and productive citizens. However, in the past years the family and education structure
have changed, creating new social issues for society to address and find solutions for. The following examines the shortage of teachers in schools,
increasing school violence, and the bilingual challenges our education system faces today. One of the challenges the United States faces in modern
education is the lack of teachers to fill the classrooms. This creates difficulty as many teachers are forced to teach large classes and the teacher to
student ratio is largely disproportionate. The interaction students have with teachers not only helps develop the student academically, but also teaches
them social skills that are useful for peer interaction. A study done by Howes 1999; Pianta, Nimetz Bennett ; 1997 "Suggests that when children have
warm and supportive teacher– child relationships they are able to use their teachers as resources for their other social relationships, including peer
relationships" ( As cited in Kiuru, Aunola, Lerkkanen, Pakarinen, Poskiparta, Ahonen, Nurmi,, 2015: p 435). It is important for classrooms to have
structure and teachers who can devote time to the students to ensure their academic success. One solution to help fulfill the

Social Issues In Social Work
Many problems remain in the American society such as the increasing number of people living in poverty, the juvenile crime rate, unaffordable housing
for the working middle–class and poor people, backlash against illegal immigration, and the shortfall in social welfare programs (black). Social
workers try to combat these problems, which are a result of society, economics, and development problems. Social work in the United States is a
profession about promoting and offering social services through practicing with people, communities, and organizations; advocating with and for
clients; and creating social work knowledge (Writing in social work). Social work in the United States utilized the direct practice with individuals,
families, and communities. Social workers need to continue to advocate for social problems (Writing in social work).
During poor law times, society aimed to exclude and discriminate against those who don't belong (red). This trend has continued through today, as
the exclusion of people still exists. The legacy of workhouses and of the Poor Law remains today in the ideology that the family should be the main
provider of care for those in need, poor people should be deterred from seeking help, and public assistance should be below the minimum wage (red).
In the 19th century, Rescue organizations emerged to prevent child cruelty (red). These organizations were a voluntary effort with the task of
investigating and bringing justice to child cruelty. Today, we

The Social Problems in Communities
Introduction Social problems are undesirable conditions that relate to the way in which a majority of people in society perceive certain issues.
Social problems may also be referred to social ills or issues. People from diverse communities may perceive social problems differently and have
varied solutions to these issues (Stark, 2007). Social problems differ from personal problems where issues are dealt with at an individual level. On
the other hand, social problems may destroy values held collectively in a society. Social problems that occur in different societies include; inequality,
unemployment, crime, poverty, drugs and substance abuse, illiteracy, religious extremism, immigration, political related violence and overpopulation.
The investigations of social problems in the society often lead to sociological findings. The investigation and research results provide a better
understanding of the society that one lives in and develop ways to deal with social problems. The social problems in communities may lead to
conflict, which results to hostility between different individuals within a community or groups with other groups in a similar society. The problems
destruct the values that held the community or society together. People who were previously united may create gaps between the due to social
problems. For instance, those with low income may be termed as poor while the well up in the community will be considered rich. This is why social
problems should be dealt with

Poverty As A Contemporary Social Problem Essay
Poverty as a Contemporary Social Problem
A social problem, is "a general factor that effects and damages society". It can be used to describe an issue or a problem within a certain group of
people or an area in the world. Examples of contemporary social problems today include anti–social behaviour, drug abuse, and sexual abuse. Poverty is
an example of a social problem that exists all over the world, and to different extents. In the UK, poverty has effected at least a third of the
population, as shown by the Office of National Statistics, providing evidence that it is a massive social problem in the country. Tameside has a big
poverty problem. 1 in 4 children in Tameside are born into poverty, and workers in Tameside earn significantly less than other workers in the rest of the
North–West area. In addition, Tameside has the largest proportion of people claiming unemployment benefits compared to the rest of the North West of
England.
There is evidence everywhere to suggest that poverty is a cause of crime, anti–social behaviour, and drug abuse. However, this can be counter–argued,
as these can be a symptom of poverty – for example, an individual spending all their money on drugs and alcohol can lead to having no money to pay
for sanitation, food, water, and shelter.
Poverty is a massive issue today, it surrounds all of life's experiences, and it impacts on the future for people everywhere, and on health everywhere in
society. Poverty is not just related to unemployment or

Essay On Social Problems
Ellie Caylor
Miss O.
Social Problems
11/1/17
Many people wonder, what is a social problem? Social problems are all over the world and affect many people. The definition of a social problem
is an aspect of society that a large number of people or community are concerned about. They depend on your values or if you believe something is
good or bad. There are two kinds of social problems, objective condition and subjective concern. An objective condition is a condition within society
that can be measured. Subjective concern is an aspect of society that many people are concerned about. Social problems are major events that affect a
lot of people. The social problem I will cover is poverty.
Poverty is an extreme social problem and it means to...show more content...
Everyone put their savings into the stock market in New York City on Wall Street. Then the stock market crashed and people were financially
wiped out. Factories and businesses began firing people and for those who still had jobs got paid barely anything. Over 12,000 Americans were
becoming unemployed every single day, this lead up to having 12 million people without jobs. Also, the drought in the middle of the country
decreased the amount of farm production. Farmers couldn't support themselves because they couldn't grow crops. Kids couldn't go to school because
schools had to shut down due to lack of money. People couldn't even make enough money to meet their basic needs. Then in 1932, Franklin D
Roosevelt won the next election over Herbert Hoover. This was the change the country needed in order to get back on their feet. The economy
continued to improve and the GDP (Gross Domestic Product) grew at an average rate of 9% per year. TheGreat Depression was another historical event
that put many people in poverty (Great Depression Poverty).
Throughout the years, the world have been living in poverty because of different events that occur. Natural disasters leave many people with nothing.
Hurricanes, Earthquakes, floods and other natural disasters affect a lot of people. Every year, 26 million people are put into poverty because of a
natural disaster. The tropical Storm Agatha increased the rate of poverty by

Essay on Understanding Social Issues
Sociology can be broken down into many different parts to help understand society. There are four main parts that define the structures of society,
which are institutions, social groups, statuses, and roles. If one was to examine the institution of the structure he or she will discover it broken down
into five conventional institutions known as family, religion, politics, economics, and education. Most of the worlds social problems stems from
brokenness throughout the institutions. Knowing that the make of these institutions are occupied by humanity, and humans are a product of the family
the author of this paper believes majority of the all failures within the institutions comes from the family institution. Throughout history...show more
content...
One remedy is values. "Values are social agreements about what is considered good and bad, right and wrong, desirable and undesirable"(2) If all
families possessed the same good strong values when it comes to the importance of families staying and working together many of the nations'
troubles with criminals coming from broken families will decrease drastically. Another remedy one can take notice of is "members of a society
must receive proper socialization and moral education, which may be accomplished in the family, schools, churches, workplaces, and through
media."(2) If all were taught and given the same changes in life despite of economic status it will increase the nations chances of a more peaceful
nation. If one was to examine the population of the United States, he or she will discover it to be a nation of assimilation, which is sometime referred
to as the melting pot. A melting pot is considered to be place where a group of different nationalities come together as one to contribute equally
creating a new mixed culture all can benefit from. Interracial dating has become all the more accepted producing a mixed race community. As a result
of the mixing of the cultures, no race is considered to be pure. In another

Social Problems Of A Social Problem
A social problem is a condition that at least some people in a community views as being undesirable. Everyone would agree about some social
problems, such as murders and DWI traffic deaths. Other social problems may be viewed as such by certain groups of people. Teenagers who play
loud music is a public park obviously do not view as a problem, but some other people may consider it an undesirable social condition. Some
nonsmoker views smoking as an undesirable social condition that should be banned in public buildings.
Social problems are the general factors that affect and damage society. A social problem is normally a term used to describe problems with a
particular area or group of people in the world. Social problems often involve problems that affect real life. It also affects how people react to certain
situations. Examples can include:
Sexual transmitted desease
Anti social behavior
poverty
Drug abuse
Prostitution
Alchohal abuse
Economic Deprivation
Unemployment
Sexual abuse
Rape
Early pregnancy
Female genital mutilation
A social problem is any condition or behavior that has negative consequences for large numbers of people and that is generally recognized as a
condition or behavior that needs to be addressed. Social issue is a problem that influences a considerable number of the individuals within a society. It
is often the consequence of factors extending beyond an individual's social issue is the source of a conflicting opinion on the

Essay about Social Issues
Poverty, violence, crime and racism are major social problems. If we look at the definition of what a social problem is, according to James M.
Henslin,"A social problem isan aspect of society that people are concerned about and would like changed. Social problems begin with an objective
condition, some aspect of society that can be measured or experienced...The second key element of a social problem is subjective concern, the
concern that a significant number of people (or a number of significant people) have about the condition"(Social Problems,2003,p.3). Steinberg
believes that disengagement has what it takes to not only be a general social problem but says it is as major as the issues I stated in the beginning.
Steinberg (1996)...show more content...
The data states,"At the elementary and middle school levels,American student achievement is as uniformly low and stagnant as it is at the high school
level(p.34). The NAEP also presents the trend of "achievement scores broken down by type of community"(p.34) and from what Steinberg says, based
on the data, there is no way we can fool ourselves into thinking that our "educational problems are limited to poor, minority youngsters attending
inner–city schools" (p.35).
According to Steinberg, todays students don't know as much, and can't do as much as could their counterparts 25 years ago (p.183). This fact alone
puts us in jeopardy, for as the success of America's economy will more and more come to depend upon highly skilled employees, our competitiveness
will be linked more to our ability to bring forth a highly educated work force (p.38). Because of this disengagement problem, America will fall behind
on the international level because our students are ill–equipped. "Analysts agree today that America will not be able to compete successfully in the
international marketplace without substantially increasing the skill level and knowledge of its labor force"(p.38).
It's no question that the economic costs to our economy will be greatly due to this trend of declining achievement. According to Steinberg there are
already "immediate costs to American

Social Problems
There have been social problems throughout history. There have been social problems in the past, there are social problems now, and there will
be social problems in the future. Each social problem have their main statements, activists, and counterclaims. In the past, we had social problems
like women's rights, civil rights, and the AIDS epidemic. Women did not have the same rights as men in the past, but they wanted wanted equal
rights to men. The main claim for the women's rights social movement was that women were just as capable as men and deserves the same rights.
The key players of the movement include the women leading the movement like Susan B. Anthony. The counterclaim to this movement would be
that women do not deserve the same rights as men because they are not a capable as men. Minorities did not have the same rights as white people,
but they wanted the same rights as white people. The claim for the civil rights social movement was that black people deserve the same rights as
white people because they are the same. The key players of this movement were the leaders of the movement like Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm
X, and Rosa Parks. The counterclaim to this movement would be the black people do not deserve the same rights as white people since they are not
as human as white people. In the 1980s, AIDS started to spread and seemly was linked to gay men. The main claim about the AIDS epidemic was that
gay people were spreading AIDS. The key players were health

Social Problems In America Essay

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Social Problems In America Essay