essay on social problems in our society

25 Major Social Problems (Examples)

Social Problems constitute a key topic in Sociology. They refer to different kinds of troubles negatively affecting a society, its social structure , and its values.

Social problems can consist of global issues such as poverty, displacement, and terrorism. They can also include issues in a specific society or region, such as the pressing homelessness issue in Seattle and Portland.

Unlike personal problems or natural disasters, social problems are created by society and they can be solved by it.

Definition of Social Problems

In simple terms, social problems are issues that harm a group of people in the society.

They also refer to:

“Social conditions, processes, societal arrangements or attitudes that are commonly perceived to be undesirable, negative, and threatening certain values or interests…” (Jamrozik & Nocella, 1998, p. 1)

Social problems can be seen in a single country or affect the international global society. They can affect the society through harming its harmony, stability, safety or freedom.

Unlike physical issues or natural problems, social problems are related to social processes and social interactions . For instance, while malnutrition might seem like a physical condition, it is actually a social problem resulting from war, conflict, poverty, or abuse.

Most of the social problems are results of social inequality and its implications (Jamrozik & Nocella, 1998). For example, socioeconomic inequality leads to lack of affordable housing and homelessness.

A social problem can be identified by three main characteristics:

Social Reasons: A condition must have social reason in order to be considered a social problem.
Negative Impacts: A social problem should have a negative impact on the society by threatening its safety, freedom, or other values.
Social Solutions: A social problem should be a condition that can be ended by social solutions (Jamrozik & Nocella, 1998).

Quick Examples of Social Problems

Unemployment and Underemployment : While unemployment refers to not having a job, underemployed people only have part-time, casual, or temporary work. Both unemployment and underemployment are social problems on a global level. They harm individuals and communities by limiting their productivity and harming their socioeconomic status.
Racial discrimination : Racial discrimination includes all kinds of hostile treatment against an individual or a group based on their race. It is a social problem resulting from racial inequalities. Racial discrimination leads to unfair social and economic conditions for individuals and communities who are discriminated against.
Housing Crisis : Lack of affordable housing is an increasing social problem which affects most of the Canadian cities as well as parts of the United States and Europe. It includes rising costs of housing and renting, and it can lead to homelessness.
Malnutrition : Lack of access to nutritious and affordable food is a social problem that affects various societies globally. While in countries like Yemen, malnutrition is a result of war and conflict, in some other countries such as the United States it is a result of growing income inequality.
Healthcare Shortage : Lack of access to timely and quality healthcare is a social problem that is increasingly affecting Canadian and American societies, leading to extremely long waiting times for seeing a doctor. It also affects the overall quality of mental and physical healthcare negatively.
Displacement : Forced migration and displacement of individuals from their home countries is a social problem on a global level. Every year, thousands of people have to become refugees because of wars, conflicts, poverty, and climate change.
Political Corruption : Political corruption refers to the abuse of power by government officials to gain personal benefits. It is a social problem which leads to mistrust and suspicion towards political authorities.
Substance Abuse: The problem with substance abuse is often that it make society less safe, and can bring instability and harm into households with vulnerable people.
Obesity: Poor quality food in stores, high cost of fresh food, and poor social education campaigns can lead to obesity which lowers life expectancy.
Social Isolation: Social isolation often happens to elderly people or vulnerable populations with low social capital. Their isolation can be detrimental to their mental health.
Glass Ceiling : As a result of the social injustices in hiring practices , women make up just 19% of executive positions and 6% of S&P 500 CEO positions.
Gender Pay Gap: Women earn 83 cents for every dollar men earn. This is due to a range of complex social and cultural factors .
Ageism : This involves the mistreatment or bias against people due to their age. Up to 64 percent of older workers say they have seen age discrimination in the workplace.
Gerrymandering : This involves the rigging of electoral districts to preference one part over another. The USA is ranked as a flawed democracy due to gerrymandering.
Gender in Education: In the developing world, millions of girls are denied an education due to gender discrimination.
Forced Marriage: There are over 15 million people forced to marry against their will around the world. 88% of the victims are women.
Religious Discrimination: Christians face government-sanctioned discrimination in 168 countries . Muslims face government-sanctioned discrimination in 121 countries.
Child Poverty: Children from poor families in the USA perform 10% lower , on average, in tests scores, and face more mental health issues in childhood.
Unequal Service Delivery: Rural and remote areas often suffer most. For example, there are still 71 remote Indigenous communities in Canada without clean drinking water.
Human Trafficking: Vulnerable people are often taken from their homes illegally or with coersion so they can work for low wages. There are over 20 million victims of human trafficking worldwide today.
Stereotyping: Gender, racial, class-based, and other stereotypes continue to work to suppress people of various social identities.
Child Labor: There are 160 million victims of forced labor in the world today. Often, this is because families are too poor to send their children to school.
Disability Discrimination: People with disabilities are more likely to face discrimination and physical threats, and less likely to be taken seriously by police.
Digital Divide: Poor access to technology is increasing the gap between rich and poor. Only 39% of people in Africa have access to the internet, compared to 94% of people in the United States.
Colonial Practices: Indigenous people account for 5% of the global population but make up 15% of the world’s people in extreme poverty.

5 Best Examples

1. social isolation.

Social isolation is a pressing social problem for elderly people. It occurs when elderly people lose contact with their families or their families die out, and no friends or community members are available to step in to help.

It can lead elderly people to fall into depression and, in worse case scenarios, mean they do not have the support to survive in their own homes. Some societies deal with this through free or subsidized assisted living, while others do not have sufficient infrastructure and policies in place to alleviate social isolation.

Note that social isolation may occur at younger ages, especially among the disabled, neurodivergent, and others who struggle to interact with the community.

2. Malnutrition

Malnutrition is a significant social problem both in developed and developing countries, threatening the safety and functioning of these societies.

Many communities in the United States suffer from malnutrition as a result of living in food deserts: Areas which do not have affordable grocery stores or other sources of healthy nutrition in close proximity (Christian et al., 2020).

Another reason for malnutrition is having an eating disorder, such as anorexia, bulimia, or binge eating disorder. Studies show that eating disorders are an ongoing problem among teenagers, particularly teenage girls (Chamay-Weber et al., 2005).

3. Substance Abuse

Substance abuse is a social problem that causes thousands of deaths in Canada and other parts of the world (Rehm et al., 2006).

It also harms the society by causing healthcare costs, law enforcement costs, and loss of safety and productivity (Rehm et al., 2006).

Studies show that substance abuse closely interact with other social problems includng lack of access to proper mental healthcare and homelessness (Folsom et al., 2005). Increasingly, society is addressing this addiction as a mental health problem rather than a criminal one in order to help people to recover.

4. Housing Crisis

Housing crisis refers to the shortage of affordable, safe, and available housing and shelter options in a region. It also includes more specific social problems such as homelessness and housing insecurity.

Housing crisis has been prevalent in several North American and European cities for a long time.

However, recent global health events have worsened the crisis by increasing housing prices and rents in multiple countries such as the United States and Turkey (Li & Zhang, 2021; Subaşı & Baycan, 2022).

As a social problem, the housing crisis negatively affects the society by adding to the existing socioeconomic inequalities and making disadvantaged communities more vulnerable.

5. Displacement

Forced migration and displacement are global social problems which currently affect more than 89 million people worldwide (UNHCR, 2022).

Each year, millions of people have to escape from their home countries because of wars, conflicts, persecution, or climate change (UNHCR, 2022).

As social problems, forced migration and displacement reflect the injustices faced by refugees and asylum seekers who experience unsafe living conditions.

Thousands of asylum seekers lose their lives by drowning in the Mediterranean Sea each year while trying to reach Europe (Statista, 2021).

In many cases, refugees continue to face challenges even after reaching a safe country. In this sense displacement also interacts with other social problems such as racial discrimination.

Social problems refer to various types of issues and troubles that negatively affect a society’s safety, freedom, harmony, and other values.

Social problems are different from individual, physical, and natural problems as they have societal roots. They are social conditions that harm or threaten the society in any way. They can be solved through social means and measures.

Social problems can exist in one specific society, or they can affect multiple societies globally. Examples of contemporary social problems include poverty, homelessness, and displacement.

It is important to study and understand social problems as they illustrate how different forms of social inequalities can harm the society in various ways.

Chamay-Weber, C., Narring, F., & Michaud, P. A. (2005). Partial eating disorders among adolescents: A review. Journal of adolescent health , 37 (5), 416-426.

Christian, V. J., Miller, K. R., & Martindale, R. G. (2020). Food insecurity, malnutrition, and the microbiome. Current nutrition reports , 9 (4), 356-360.

Folsom, D. P., Hawthorne, W., Lindamer, L., Gilmer, T., Bailey, A., Golshan, S., … & Jeste, D. V. (2005). Prevalence and risk factors for homelessness and utilization of mental health services among 10,340 patients with serious mental illness in a large public mental health system. American Journal of Psychiatry , 162 (2), 370-376.

Jamrozik, A., & Nocella, L. (1998). The sociology of social problems: Theoretical perspectives and methods of intervention . Cambridge University Press.

Rehm, J., Baliunas, D., Brochu, S., Fischer, B., Gnam, W., Patra, J., … & Taylor, B. (2006). The costs of substance abuse in Canada 2002.

Statista. (2021, September 17). Deaths of migrants in the Mediterranean Sea 2021 . Statista. Retrieved from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1082077/deaths-of-migrants-in-the-mediterranean-sea/

UNHCR. (2022). Global Trends . UNHCR. Retrieved from https://www.unhcr.org/globaltrends

Sanam Vaghefi (PhD Candidate)

Sanam Vaghefi (BSc, MA) is a Sociologist, educator and PhD Candidate. She has several years of experience at the University of Victoria as a teaching assistant and instructor. Her research on sociology of migration and mental health has won essay awards from the Canadian Sociological Association and the IRCC. Currently, she is am focused on supporting students online under her academic coaching and tutoring business Lingua Academic Coaching OU.

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Chris Drew (PhD)

This article was peer-reviewed and edited by Chris Drew (PhD). The review process on Helpful Professor involves having a PhD level expert fact check, edit, and contribute to articles. Reviewers ensure all content reflects expert academic consensus and is backed up with reference to academic studies. Dr. Drew has published over 20 academic articles in scholarly journals. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education and holds a PhD in Education from ACU.

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2 thoughts on “25 Major Social Problems (Examples)”

Dear Sanam Vaghefi, I am a retired Environmental Engineer, working on a book project now. I am trying to write a chapter on the relationships between social problems and environmental issues, to suggest how low income communities can work on both kinds of these issues on self-help basis. I congratulate you for writing such a beautiful and sensible article, which is the best piece of text I found on the internet, and which is EXACTLY what I needed. I wish you best luck in your PhD research. Please accept my sincere thanks for sharing your valuable effort online. You are a hero. My thanks also to Dr. Chris Drew, and your supervisors, and every one who is helping you! If I succeed in completing the book, I will proudly cite your name where I use points from your text! Regards, Wali

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Essay On Social Issues

500 words essay on social issues.

Social Issues is an undesirable state which opposes society or a certain part of society. It refers to an unwanted situation that frequently results in problems and continues to harm society . Social issues can cause a lot of problems that can be beyond the control of just one person. Through an essay on social issues, we will learn why they are harmful and what types of social issues we face.

Drawbacks of Social Issues

Social issues have a lot of drawbacks that harms our society. They are situations that have an adverse and damaging result on our society. They arise when the public leaves nature or society from an ideal situation.

If you look closely, you will realize that almost all types of social issues have common origins. In the sense that they all are interconnected somehow. Meaning to say, if one solves the other one is also most likely to resolve.

Social issues have a massive lousy effect on our society and ultimately, it affects all of us. In order to solve some social issues, we need a common approach. No society is free from social issues, almost every one of them has some social issue or the other.

For instance, in India, you will find a lot of social issues which the country is facing. It ranges from the caste system to child labour and gender inequality to religious conflicts. Thus, we are going through a critical time where we all must come together to free our society from undesirable social evils.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Major Social Issues

There are a lot of social issues we are facing right now, some more prominent than the others. First of all, poverty is a worldwide issue. It gives birth to a lot of other social issues which we must try to get away with at the earliest.

Further, countries like India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and more are facing the issue of the caste system since times unknown. It results in a lot of caste violence and inequality which takes the lives of many on a daily basis.

Moreover, child labour is another major social issue that damages the lives of young children. Similarly, illiteracy also ruins the lives of many by destroying their chances of a bright future.

In developing countries mostly, child marriage still exists and is responsible for ruining many lives. Similarly, dowry is a very serious and common social issue that almost all classes of people partake in.

Another prominent social issue is gender inequality which takes away many opportunities from deserving people. Domestic violence especially against women is a serious social issue we must all fight against.

Other social issues include starvation, child sex abuse, religious conflicts, child trafficking, terrorism , overpopulation, untouchability, communalism and many more. It is high time we end these social issues.

Conclusion of the Essay on Social Issues

A society can successfully end social issues if they become adamant. These social issues act as a barrier to the progress of society. Thus, we must all come together to fight against them and put them to an end for the greater good.

FAQ on Essay on Social Issues

Question 1: What is the meaning of social problem?

Answer 1: A social problem refers to any condition or behaviour which has a negative impact on a large number of people. It is normally recognized as a condition or behaviour that needs to be addressed.

Question 2: What are the effects of social issues?

Answer 2: Social issues affect our society adversely. Most importantly, it disturbs the harmony of society and gives rise to hostility and suspicion. Moreover, it creates large-scale social dissatisfaction, suffering and misery.

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Essay on Social Issues

List of essays on social issues, essay on social issues – for children (essay 1 – 200 words), essay on social issues (essay 2 – 250 words), essay on social issues – 10+ lines on social issues written in english (essay 3 – 300 words), essay on social issues – for school students (class 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 standard) (essay 4 – 400 words), essay on social issues – short essay (essay 5 – 500 words), essay on social issues – poverty, corruption, caste system, dowry system, child labour, uncleanliness and others (essay 6 – 600 words), essay on social issues in india – for college and university students (essay 7 – 750 words), essay on social issues in india – long essay for competitive exams (essay 8 – 1000 words).

Social issues have plagued the life of too many people. Many times you may have noticed that a lot of things in the society which doesn’t seem good. For instance, you must have noticed poor children begging on the streets. They don’t go to school. They have been forced to beg for a living. Such circumstances along with others which affect the population at large are social issues.

Begging is an issue which arises out of poverty. Poverty is itself is one of the major social issues in India. It is important to understand the general social issues of our society and how they impact the lives of the people of the country. Therefore we have come up with long essays for students which shall throw more light on social issues.

Audience: The below given essays are exclusively written for school students (Class 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 Standard) and college students. Furthermore, those students preparing for competitive exams like IAS, IPS and UPSC can also increase their knowledge by studying these essays.

Social issues include issues like poverty, violence, crime, religion, illiteracy and racism that affect society.

What is a Social Issue?

A social issue is a problem that influences a considerable number of individuals. It is an aspect of society that people are concerned about and would like to get it changed. The concern of a social issue may be objective or subjective. A social issue arises due to diverse opinions of individuals based on what is perceived as right. Social issue does not necessarily refer to an ill to be solved, but it may be a topic to be discussed. Social issues can be different for different groups, societies, countries and world.

Causes of the Social Issues:

There are many causes of the social issues. Social issues arise due to inequalities in society. Different individuals and different societies may have different perceptions about a problem giving rise to a social issue. There can be disagreements about which social issue is important and worth solving, or which should take precedence.

Solving Social Issues:

There are a variety of methods to resolve variety of social issues. These include political processes, non-profit organizations, community groups and volunteering to have public dialogue on a social issue and arrive at a most acceptable solution.

Introduction:

‘Social Issues’ are the main factors that hinder the growth of a nation. The social issues that roots up in each society affects the country as a whole. Social issues are caused by humans and it is the humans who face its worst consequences also.

A social issue is something of real concern that affects a certain group of people . Social issues are not caused by a single person; it is the result of various happenings that are beyond a person’s control. This essay will take us through some of the social issues that are of great concern in today’s world.

Poverty means lack of money or material possessions and it is one of the most important social issue. The poverty level is higher in the rural areas as compared to urban areas. Poverty leads to many other social problems such as lack of food, education and health.

Gender Bias:

Discrimination based on gender is another social issue which is commonly found in most of the developing countries. Importance is given only to male and the voice of female is less heard even in the households.

Caste Discrimination:

Discriminating people based on their castes is a social issue that needs to be plucked out. This is a serious social issue because this has taken many innocent lives. Poverty and lack of education are the main reasons for such social issue to rise.

Conclusion:

Most of the social problems still exists because people are ignorant of its consequences. The Government and NGO’s must work together to eliminate the social issues from society by educating the people through awareness programmes.

Social issues have plagued the life of too many people. Our society in particular is crippled with several social issues. There was a time when social issues like dowry, child marriage, and sati and so on were prevalent. It took a lot of efforts for some of the social issues to be banned completely. The tradition of sati wherein women ended up burning themselves after the death of their husband was something which called for a ban.

The Modern Day Society:

Even though we have become independent and are en route to the modern society, there are plenty of social issues which need to be addressed. The fact that women are not at par with men and the presence of gender disparity is surely one concern which should be addressed.

Not only this, it is also important to address social issues like poverty, mismanagement of wealth, caste system and so on. The people of lower caste are still looked down upon and the concept of untouchables is still present in our society.

The Remedial Measures:

Mere talking about the problem is not going to do anything. It is important to really seek the right solution. If you want to get rid of social issues, it is about time that we create the right awareness for it.

Education needs to be offered to the masses so that they understand why the presence of certain social issues needs to be eradicated. When women would be educated enough to know that they deserve the same as men, they would fight for their own cause.

So, try to create an awareness channel and educate the masses about how certain social issues are doing nothing but crippling our society. We need to be the change that we are looking to bring. Often, it is one movement which triggers a phenomenal change.

Social issues are found in abundance in our country. Some of the common social issues which seem to have plagued the Indian society are child abuse, illiteracy, drug abuse, child trafficking, poverty, unemployment, gender disparity, and so on. It is really important for the nation to come together and take a stand against these problems.

If we do not do our bit right now, these social issues might become too huge for our country to function properly.

The Dark Future:

The reason we are emphasizing so much when it comes to eradicating social issues is because it can put our future in grave trouble. Think of a country whose youth is largely uneducated and unemployed. Do you really believe that such a country can steer forth in the right direction? How will such a nation prosper if our leaders of tomorrow have barely any knowledge of how the world economy functions? Education and employment are two of the vital things that form the base for all kinds of progress.

Gender Disparity:

Further, when we are talking about the possible issues regarding gender disparity, it is important to understand that women too deserve the right position in the Indian society. If you are not willing to give women the equal rights and they cannot walk at par with men, the future of the nation doesn’t look too bright. In today’s times, it is really important to address such social issues because women are equally talented and if it is so, they deserve the same thing as men.

It is a shame that in a lot of Indian households, women aren’t granted the right to higher education nor are they allowed to work. What type of society is this and what is the example we are showing to the rest of the world!

Addressing the Social Issues:

When you are looking to remedy the situation and improve the condition of the society, we need to think of the best way to handle social issues. We believe that it is with the right educational awareness that changes can be brought. Try and have sessions wherein we educate the masses about the need to get rid of such social issues and come up with strategies and plans regarding how you can do so.

Every little step can end up creating a ripple effect and might help you strip the country of the woes of social issues. So, do your bit now!

Social issues are a general word that is used for a variety of situations and actions that affect the society. These issues can be changed only with a certain kind of social planning.

Social issues affect every member of the society directly as well as indirectly. Some people considered the social issues as the issues or disputes which are linked to the people’s moral values.

Social Issues in the Society:

The following are the 4 main groups in which the social issues can be categorized:

1. Political Social Issues:

Politics is a procedure in which some groups of people utilize their power and impact to function in an organized way for mutual decision making. It is also considered as one of the biggest social issues as the maximum number of verdicts declared by the governments might not essentially help the poor people in the society. In fact, the leaders gratify their self-centered interests with the misuse of public funds.

2. Pollution Social Issues:

Pollution results in instability, illness, harm or distress to the environment. The human activities such as industrial activities have made this problem one of the major social issues. The man-made activities result in the pollution of the soil and water to a great extent.

3. Climate change Social Issues:

It is the alteration in statistical dispersal of climate which might include the change in the weather or change in the amount of rainfall due to human activities like pollution. These social issues influence the patterns of weather in diverse areas.

One of the recent examples of this social issue is global warming which is instigated by human activities from the past several years. Altering patterns of climate influence the economic activities like farming that result in poverty among the people who survives on it.

4. Poverty Social Issues:

It is the absence of general human requirements, like clean water, nutrition, health care, clothing and shelter, and education. This social issue occurs due to the lack of funds that can help in meeting the expenses of the daily needs.

Mainly, there are 2 kinds of poverty i.e., relative poverty and absolute poverty. In relative poverty, there are comparatively fewer resources or fewer funds in the society in comparison to other societies of the world. On the other hand, Absolute poverty means when there are no resources.

Poverty is one of the biggest social issues as it decreases economic development owing to less production. At present, steady and constant economic growth of the nation has been inhibited by the absence of economic independence for numerous persons owing to related issues like political uncertainty, exploitation, as well as unemployment.

All the above four social issues influence every country and society in the world. It is very important to deal with these social issues seriously if we want to relish the quality life.

The problem of global warming is an inkling to reverse the entire human progress that is attained in so many years. In fact, it will make efforts towards the poverty reduction unattainable. Besides this, the political solutions are also needed for overcoming all types of social issues in the future.

Social issues are those problems in a society by which a significant population is affected and requires immediate solution. Right from the most basic problem of poverty that kills people physically to the problem of social media that affects children mentally, there are a variety of social issues in the society that have affected considerable amount of population and requires solution urgently.

It is shocking to note that Global Hunger Index places India on the 97th position in terms of starvation. Statistics also indicate that about 15% of the Indian population is undernourished. Therefore, it has become an undeniable fact that poverty exists in India although the politicians, the media and the general public have failed to recognise it. Food security is the basic right of every citizen and the Government must ensure effective laws to fulfill it.

Corruption:

Corruption is a social issues which includes the misuse of authority in public and private services for personal gains. It is the root cause for all other social evils and backwardness in the society. Though India is developing into a super power on the one hand, it is being pulled down on many grounds due to corruption. If the general public restrains from offering bribe, then truthfulness and transparency would prevail in the administration. It requires a change from both the corrupted and affected people.

Caste System:

Caste System discriminates the citizens and causes unnecessary tensions in the society. Though many leaders and stakeholders have been working since independence days, it still remains a social issue. The first step in this direction is the removal of reservations based on caste system. Though inter-caste marriages have been prevalent in the last few decades, the reservations have been adding fuel to the waning caste system.

Dowry System:

The dowry system has been affecting the women of the society in many ways. Though many pioneers have worked to eradicate this social issue for several decades, it has also been prevalent in the society. Some steps that help overcome this social issue includes economic freedom to women through inheriting family properties and employment. It requires the combined effort of both the offending and affected parties to root out this social evil.

Child Labour:

This social issue against children prevents the right of a child to enjoy its childhood and attend regular schooling. The inability of parents and selfishness of employers work together to promote child labour. Online help systems have been initiated to locate child labourers, rescue them and provide relief from their suffering. The general public requires more awareness to eradicate this social issue.

Uncleanliness:

The progress of a society is determined by the cleanliness maintained in public places, workplaces and residences. Cleanliness ensures good health, provides good feeling, promotes confidence and demands respect from others. Uncleanliness, on the other hand, acts as deterrent for the progress and prosperity of the nation as well as demean the society.

Other Social Issues:

Apart from the social issues listed above, there are a variety of social issues that affect various sections of the society. They include terrorism, human rights issues, issues related to women like female foeticide, discrimination on status, jobs and wages etc., drugs abuse, child abuse, unemployment, population explosion, unrestrained use of social media, etc.

Recognition of the social issues is the first step to find solution. Most of the issues are due to lack of awareness and could be addressed through sensitization programs from the Governments and stakeholders. Since many social issues like sati, untouchability etc., have been dealt successfully in the past, the future holds hope to deal with the current social issues.

Social issues are those that concern the society and the change in these issues are the only way to solve them. In our country, there are many social issues that create a disturbance in the smooth life of every citizen.

These social issues are those that deal with the mind-set of a group of people who belongs to a particular condition that alters their mind and their concern on the issue changes the way they react. There are many such issues that have created both social and political imbalance in our country over years.

India being a country with vast diversity has faced many social issues varying in different aspects, till date. For example, the different and versatile people have the same difference in their feeling and emotions about their religion, caste, colour, believes, lifestyle, etc. Social issues have a great impact on the development and betterment of a country and its people.

Some of the social issues that concern our country:

Social issues vary according to time, place people, etc. There are some common issues that affect society in a considerably negative way. Let us take a look at some of them.

Poverty is one of those major social issues yet to be resolved in our country. This simple issue has chained other massive issues to evolve like child labour, female infanticide, discrimination and more. If this basic problem gets resolved the major concern of our country will be wiped away.

Poverty is a state in the life where the basic needs of a person cannot be fulfilled with their income. The unemployment and lack of education can be the major reason behind this social issue. Social issues like poverty can be solved only through introducing other schemes like free education, better employment opportunities, etc.

This state of poverty pushes the family to find a more secure way to get their safe zone, which in turn gives rise to other social issues. One of them is child labour and this is occurred due to the money gaining mentality of society.

Child labour is another social issue. Poor parents send their children to small jobs where they are forced to work hard to get considerably less money as a reward. Social issues arise when the child is denied his childhood and basic education due to poverty. This not only affects them physically but also mentally due to the pressure and heavy workload they do.

Female Discrimination:

Poverty is one of the reasons that creates discrimination against females. Social issues like female infanticide, denial of education of girl child, domestic violence, etc., are included in this category. Due to poverty or narrow mind-set girl child is seen to be denied their rights even from their birth.

A poor family thinking girl child is a liability abort them in the womb itself to solve the problem of poverty and later hardships. This is one of those social issues that was a common practice in the earlier years and now the government has issued many laws to stop this inhumanity.

Social issues regarding women have a comparatively long list to be addressed. Poverty also leads to denial of education of girl child. This is different from child labour in a way that this focuses fully on the girl child rather than a child.

The parents get to the mentality that educating a girl is completely unwanted money wastage as they get married to another man and no good is there for the family. This thinking in unaware families creates one of the most right denial issues among the social issues category.

Social issues like domestic violence also arise due to such unawareness among the people about the importance of women and their rights, which should be solved completely to improve the state of women and children in the society.

The above mentioned social issues are only some of them that are a threat to the nation and decreases the opportunity in developing a better place. There are more to be added in the list like religion discrimination, harmony in the society, etc., other than that the naturally occurring social issues are pollution rate, global warming, etc.

S olution to Social Issues:

All these social issues can only be solved through mutual efforts of the people and the greater schemes introduced by the government. If these social issues are resolved correctly or even get reduced, it will directly show results on the development of the nation and thus the development of each citizen’s lifestyle. Solutions to Social issues can only be provided by educating and creating awareness among the people about the evil effects of the existing social issues.

Social issues are the issues which affect the larger sections of the society. They have been discussed since ancient times. In fact, these very social issues have been instrumental in bringing upon a change in our society from time to time.

Historical References:

India is a country of different cultures, religions, languages and beliefs. Therefore, within the same country there lie different social issues which differ from region to region, state to state. Social issues in India are not something new. They have been there since ancient times.

For instance, the caste system in India is a social issue which has been there since the earlier times and exists even today. Similarly, untouchability is another social issue which has been existent in India since older times. Such issues have affected the development of the people as well as society. They are often the cause of hatred among people and lead to conflicts and sometimes even riots.

Current Social Issues:

As in any other society, there are some social issues which are prevalent at a given period of time. India is a no different country. It has its own share of social issues. India is a developing country. Therefore, poverty is a major social issue here. At the time of independence, a large population of India was struggling with basic needs such as food shelter and clothing.

Even today, such facilities are lacking in the rural areas of the country. People have to travel long distances in search of potable water. Despite many initiatives by the Government as well as private organisations, still, a large section of the population lives below the poverty line. This hampers the overall development of the country.

Illiteracy is among the major social issues which have affected the growth of the country. However, there are many causes of this social issue. On one hand, it is the lack of education facilities especially in the rural belt which has led to the people being illiterate. On the other hand, it is the reluctance of people to send their children to school has also resulted in a high illiteracy rate in the country. Due to illiteracy and ignorance, the people are not able to avail the facilities provided by the government.

The caste system is another of such social issues which has deep roots in the society. In India, people are divided among four castes, Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and Shudras. Among all these, the Shudras are considered as the lowest and are looked upon as untouchables in the society.

The upper castes do not allow the lower ones to avail even the basic facilities such as drawing water from the same well. Often this has been a cause of hatred and fights among the people. However, with different schemes introduced by the government from time to time, things have started changing. Now, the Shudras are provided jobs, education and other facilities at par with other citizens of the country.

Social issues which have been abolished:

Not all social issues are permanent in society. There are many such social issues which existed earlier, but with changing mind-sets of the people and awareness among the citizens, many of them have been abolished. For instance, Sati system was one such social issue which was actually cruelty against women. In case the husband of a woman dies, she was required to burn herself alive in the pyre of her husband. Women had no right to live in a society without their husbands. But with the initiatives of leaders such a Raja Ram Mohan Roy such evil practices were abolished.

Similarly, polygamy was a social issue in India since ancient times. A man was allowed to marry many women. Kings of earlier times had many queens. Women were treated as objects and married off as presents to men. However, with changing times and introduction of different laws such practice has been abolished.

Similar to this is the social issue of child marriage. Earlier, girls and boys were married as soon as they attained puberty. In fact, it was a general mind-set to marry off a girl within two years of her attaining puberty. Due to such practices, the girls were not able to have equal opportunities in education as men.

In fact, they were not treated as equal to men in any matter. However, with laws in place, this practice was termed illegal. As per the laws enacted by the Indian Government, a minimum age of 18 for girls and 21 for boys has been fixed for marriage. However, in remote parts of the country, such practices still exist and there are initiatives by the government from time to time in educating people about the evil aspects of this practice.

In spite of the fact that Governmental and NGOs are moving in the direction of enhancing the current condition in the social issues, the results are not exceptionally reassuring. Maybe the issue lies in the plain profound established convictions in the psyches of individuals of the nation which isn’t letting the circumstance to change such social issues. For example, the issue of Female Feticides is one of the disgraceful practices. Despite the fact that there are different rules in place which term this practice an illegal, it is still rampant in many parts of the country.

The genuine purpose behind this is the Patriarchy arrangement of the society of our nation which thinks about male as the better specialist and ladies as subordinate than them. Along these lines, the exceptionally powerful urge of having a male youngster in contrast with female prompted the disgraceful routine with regards to female feticides. In this manner, it is conviction framework or the social moulding of the general population which isn’t letting the general public to change at a quick pace.

Despite the fact that there have been a few positive changes in the general public, for example, presently young girls are going to school in greater part and their business proportion is likewise expanding, education facilities are available in rural areas, the backwards are provided equal opportunities, and still we have a long way to go.

We witness many social issues every day such as inequality against women in our own homes, sexual savagery against ladies which is being heard on a consistent schedule, female feticide, religious-mutual brutality which is on the ascent, untouchability which is yet a reality and child labour which still exists. Unless and until we change our mind-sets, nothing can change in our society. It is up to us whether we see these as social issues or accept them as a part of our society.

Essay , Social Issues

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Social Problems: Continuity and Change

(43 reviews)

ISBN 13: 9781946135230

Publisher: Saylor Foundation

Language: English

Formats Available

Conditions of use.

Learn more about reviews.

Reviewed by Bodenhamer Aysha, Assistant Professor, Radford University on 1/13/23

This book offers a wide array of topics covered in great detail. The textbook has a table of contents that is easily navigable by clicking on each section; however, there is not a section for a glossary of terms. At the end of each chapter there... read more

Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less

Content Accuracy rating: 5

The book offers a variety of sources cited throughout the material to support the arguments made throughout the textbook. I have not noticed any errors and the book does not appear to be biased.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 4

Based on what I have read, the textbook is relevant and for the most part up-to-date, but I have not seen many citations beyond 2010, which means it likely hasn't been updated since then. The same can be said for most of the figures throughout the book with rely on data from 2010. There is room, especially now that we have completed the 2020 Census, to update many of the figures and add new and more relevant literature given that we have experienced a wide variety of social problems in the last decade. The text is written in a way that would make it easy to update the material and add newer examples.

Clarity rating: 4

I appreciate that the major concepts are in bold, followed by a clear pop-up definition. The book appears to be approachable and accessible without containing a lot of unnecessary jargon. One thing that I find distracting, however, is how the book cites references within the text. It distracts from the overall text and would be better noted as footnotes or endnotes so as not to distract the reader from the main purpose of the text.

Consistency rating: 5

Yes. Every chapter is well-written and researched. Some chapters, however, have more material than others, but that is to be expected, generally. The framework, definitions, summaries, and application are the same for each chapter.

Modularity rating: 5

Each chapter is divided into subsections that are easily demarcated and are hyperlinked for easy access. Within the text, there are clear subsections with with subheadings which help guide the reader and make it easier to focus on the major topics being discussed.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

Yes. One thing that I like about the book is that it often offers a historical look at the problem first, which I think helps the reader realize that many social problems are not new, but perhaps have a longer history than many may realize. The chapters also contain a section on how the three major theoretical viewpoints (functionalism, conflict theory, and symbolic interactionism) would approach each of the topics.

Interface rating: 5

The interface is simple and easy to navigate; however, the charts/images are a bit small and could be enlarged. I am also unsure if a screenreader will be able to read all of the materials. I actually have a blind student this semester, so to be determined how user-friendly this textbook really is. I worry about some of the charts and tables, but again, I am unsure at this time as I do not have the software to test it. I wish it had a glossary section at the end of each chapter in addition to the summaries.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

I have not noticed any grammatical mistakes.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

I think cultural sensitivity is one area where this textbook excels. It does a good job of not being ethnocentric and focusing only on issues in the United States, instead in brings in global examples in multiple chapters. I appreciate the attention to Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) issues throughout the text.

There are a number of aspects that I really appreciate about this textbook. For one, it does not shy away from difficult topics, but tackles them head-on. Two, I like how well organized and easily navigable the text is. Three, I appreciate that the text offers an applied focus, ways to get involved, and ways to help alleviate some of these problems. I feel this is super important so as not to leave students feeling dismayed and hopeless, but to empower them to take action. While I like this textbook and I plan to use it this semester, I think it could be improved by updating the figures and adding more visually appealing graphics. Most of the text is plain text, which is fine, but it may leave students feeling bored and restless with the readings. I would also like for the in-text citations to be more clearly demarcated or removed from the main body of the text, and revised as endnotes or footnotes. Doing so would help make the text easier to read and less distracting. Overall, I think the material is well-constructed, and I am excited to see how students respond to it this semester.

Reviewed by Rogerson Christine, Assistant Professor, Radford University on 1/5/23

Loved the comprehensiveness of this book including the variety of topic areas! read more

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

Loved the comprehensiveness of this book including the variety of topic areas!

Accurate up to date information

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

Relevant to today's changing world

Clarity rating: 5

Easy to read and can be used with any level within higher education

Loved the consistency within the chapters. The way they were formatted made them easy to follow and find information.

Especially the online version, it was easy to click on modules or specific sections. This makes it easy to look back for specific information.

Clear organizational structure.

None noticed

None Noticed

Cultural Relevance rating: 4

Had an entire chapter on race and ethnic differences that covered historical views to today.

Reviewed by Christine Wilkey, Associate Professor of Human Services, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College on 9/30/22

This text covers topics, and issues within these topics, that are typical of texts for college-level sociology courses in social problems. Its sixteen chapters can easily be fit into a typical 8- or 16-week semester format. A glossary or... read more

I found the information provided on social problems factually correct, with no significant errors. This text has good balance between historical information about social concerns and current data on attitudes, behaviors, and issues. It is consistent with the continuity-and-change model, focusing more on the enduring issues of controversy in society than the current details about those issues.

Aside from very recent events (e.g., the Dobbs decision, the COVID pandemic), this text is up-to-date with it publication date of 2016. It uses current sources to support factual information about social problems. Almost all sources used were published prior to 2010 except for standard or historical documents.

The writing is concise, clear, and objective throughout the text. Undergraduate students will find it easy to read and comprehend.

This text has a very consistent format among the chapters. It presents the three sociological theories/perspectives in the same manner in each chapter, and with equal attention across all the chapters (as well as equal attention to each theory in each chapter). Terminology is consistent throughout. The text is quite comfortable to use because of this predictable structure.

Within the chapters, content is clearly set off into very manageable sections in a way that could easily be re-ordered or selected. Special information that illustrates or expands on the issues is clearly differentiated from the main text.

Unlike some social problems textbooks, this one is not organized using larger, general sections that set off one general type of social issue (e.g., matters of inequality, problems in social institutions) from others. Dividing the topics into relevant sections is helpful to students in their grasp of he larger picture of social concerns. It can be useful in pacing and mentally organizing a course across the semester. However, instructors who are familiar with the subject could easily frame the topics in this way in the syllabus.

Chapters are presented in a typical order for texts on social problems, beginning with an introductory chapter that describes research methods, sociological perspectives, etc. This makes the text suitable for use with an introductory sociology course as a prerequisite, which I think is ideal for a course in social problems. This is followed by a chapter on poverty, then a series of chapters on other issues of social inequality and then several chapters on specific controversial areas of public life. I feel strongly that this is the optimal sequencing for a textbook on social problems, since issues of poverty and economic inequality run through all other issues, and the struggle of social equality is a central theme that must be explored in any course on social problems.

The online text is very easy to navigate. Images and charts are clear. Chapter or section summaries are set off in boxes with color backgrounds, so it is easy to visually find one's way in the content.

I found no grammatical errors.

I am comfortable with the way this textbook explores and describes social problems in regard to cultural distinctions and designations based on women's issues and race/ethnicity. Information about the association between social problems and various demographic categories is woven throughout the discussion, inviting the reader to gain a more complete understanding of the prevalence and nature of social problems. I appreciate the sensitivity and fairness with which the author handles topics about which students often hold prejudicial beliefs; the text consistently challenges oppressive assumptions and beliefs about minority groups by identifying myths, presenting facts that contradict these beliefs, and raising questions that allow students to reflect in a more informed, objective manner. Myth-busting is an essential component of any social problems course, in my view, and this text supports this aim very well. I would prefer to see appropriate terms and a more complete discussion in regard to the concerns of the LGBTQ+ population. Most students have a great deal of sensitivity to these issues, many because of personal experience. When a textbook does not use acceptable terms or fails to provide current information about these topics, it loses credibility with students.

Instructors who choose this text will find an objective, factual approach to learning about social problems through a sociological perspective. It offers a balanced approach to learning about a broad array of social concerns and would be suitable for many learning contexts. Throughout, the text identifies common misconceptions about who experiences social problems and raises thought-provoking questions about possible reasons for disparities among social groups. This gives multiple opportunities to challenge commonly held assumptions that are inconsistent with the facts about social problems, including beliefs that contribute to prejudicial views and oppressive responses. This is done with objectivity and an emphasis on having a clear and comprehensive understanding of the issue, and without taking any obvious political or ideological point of view. With a moderate tone and only a few illustrations (most of which illustrate the concerns in a neutral way), readers may find this text a bit "flat" compared to some textbooks on this subject that present social issues in a more evocative manner. However, this makes this text a neutral canvas in which students and instructors can discover their own views and voice. For instructors who wish to supplement with additional visual materials, or have students use factual material as a basis for further individual study, this text provides an ideal introduction to these topics. The text focuses on social problems in the United States with some comparative information from around the world. It discusses opposing views on the issues, although it could more fully emphasize the social and political processes through which solutions to social concerns are sought. However, it is an entirely adequate text that students will find easy to use as they gain understanding of social problems.

Reviewed by Chelsea Starr, Associate Professor, Eastern New Mexico University on 1/10/22

It covers all the areas a sociology of social problems text should cover. read more

It covers all the areas a sociology of social problems text should cover.

Content Accuracy rating: 4

It's not an accuracy problem, it's that most of the charts and graphs/data date from 2012, making it a bit dated.

Data like poverty rates etc need to be updated

It is clearly written, though full in-text citations are distracting.

It is internally consistent.

Each chapter is divided into sub-chapters.

Chapters are organized topically.

Navigation is easy.

Text is free of errors.

I didn't notice any insensitivities.

Reviewed by Mortenson Robert, Instructor, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville on 1/6/22

very thorough! read more

very thorough!

Content Accuracy rating: 2

Research citations are very dated

good job of bringing in contemporary perspectives

Wel written and organized

Consistency rating: 4

Covers a wide range of social issues with lots of inforation regarding each issue.

Modularity rating: 4

Lay out is very clear - big vs little points are easy to assess.

Chapter ordering is ideal for social problems, as many problems are framed in the context of class, race and gender

Interface rating: 3

The "using what you know" portions help students learn proactive strategies.

Grammatical Errors rating: 4

Have not found any instances where editing is necessary

Discusses issues from various perspectives

Reviewed by Lisnic Rodica, Lecturer, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville on 12/31/21

The textbook discusses in great detail the various aspects of social problems. The textbook doesn't have an index and glossary. read more

The textbook discusses in great detail the various aspects of social problems. The textbook doesn't have an index and glossary.

The content is presented in an objective/scientific manner and uses relevant citations for all the information.

The textbook contains relevant data that shows general trends over the past few decades, as well as some historical data. While some data is dated and needs to be updated, the overall meaning presented is relevant to the content. Some information about recent changes in social policies and government leadership that can be crucial to contemporary understanding of social problems also needs to be included.

All the sociological terms are clearly explained and highlighted in the textbook which helps the reader pay attention to the content that is most important. The sociological concepts are also explained using existing research.

The textbook uses the main sociological theoretical frameworks to help the reader understand social problems more in-depth. These frameworks are applied consistently throughout the textbook.

The textbook chapters are easy to read because they are divided into sections that have their own learning objectives. Each section is a stand alone sub-chapter that has its own references list. This makes it easy to rearrange the sections without changing the logical flow of the content.

The chapters are organized in easy to read sub-chapters/sections that have learning objectives. These objectives help the reader focus on the most important aspects of the reading. The end of section summary and reflection/discussion questions are helpful for the reader to remember the main points of the chapter.

Interface rating: 4

The textbook is relatively easy to navigate. The images and charts are clear and easy to understand. It would be helpful if the table of contents was in the same file as the textbook.

I noticed no grammatical errors in the textbook.

The textbook is culturally sensitive and inclusive of a variety of social identities.

I enjoyed reading this textbook because it contains interesting discussions about ongoing social debates regarding the many social problems that exist both within the U.S. and globally. I like the examples of research and theory that help frame these ongoing debates and can be used by students to understand the complexity and meanings of social problems.

Reviewed by Robertson Valerie, Lecturer, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville on 12/17/21

This textbook covers much the same material that my expensive textbook does. I especially appreciate how each chapter follows a consistent format, much the same as I use to write my online classes. I also like how the Learning Objectives highlight key topics at the beginning of major sections of the text. The summaries at the end of each chapter also are very helpful to students.

Would benefit from some updating, but I believe important key topics are well addressed.

The instructor should pay attention to outdated statistics. Updating should be easily implemented.

The organization of this textbook flows well. I really like the way each chapter can be free-standing. The writing is clear and I believe easy for students to understand.

As I stated before, the organization of this text is well done. It is easy to use. Topics are clearly stated and the summaries at the end of the chapter pull everything together.

Teaching online, I like the way the text can be broken up into smaller sub-sections. It looks to be very easy to teach in whatever order the instructor would like to cover and leave out chapters that they do not want to cover.

The textbook is organized in a logical way and is easy to follow. What I particularly like is how each chapter is framed with sociological theory. This keeps the class firmly grounded in sociology.

The text utilizes a simple layout. Charts and graphs are easy to understand.

I did not find any grammatical errors

I didn't come across anything that would be culturally insensitive. I believe this book can be read and understood by a diverse audience.

One of my favorite things about this textbook is that it can be broken up easily and put into modules. I will, of course, include updated research and statistics. One of my favorite features in this textbook is the “Using What You know” feature in each chapter. This feature helps the students think critically and connects them with the chapter’s theoretical discussion and real-life problems. I would like an up-loadable test bank. I do like the chapter powerpoints provided. They are rich in content and can be easily modified to what information the instructor would like to highlight. I believe in affordable education; this is a great alternative to expensive textbooks I have used in the past. The flexibility of this text allows for the instructor to update and teach what they think is relevant. I highly recommend this text.

Reviewed by Kelli Johnson, Professor/Librarian IV, Marshall University on 10/6/21

This textbook is very comprehensive and covers topics that I traditionally cover in my class and more. Each topic is addressed in detail and the boxes in each chapter (Applying Social Research, Lessons from Other Nations etc...) make the coverage even more detailed. The book also addresses intersectionality in a way I have not seen before but that is very helpful for students.

The book is unbiased and accurate with attention to detail, statistics and examples. I hope the authors update the stats with info from the 2020 census at some point for more relevant numbers.

I hope that the authors update the statistics from the Census with 2020 data when it is available and add information from what has been a tumultuous few years. That being said, this book is very relevant as it puts events in history in context.

I am very impressed with the organization of this book which makes it very accessible and clear. As a whole, the book works well however each chapter can also be free standing.

The chapters in the book all follow the same structure making it very consistent and therefore easy to use.

As stated above, the book is organized in such a way as to lend itself to reading as a whole or picking and choosing relevant chapters.

The topics in this book are organized clearly and logically. The chapters, which can be freestanding, can also be used as needed because they are broken down into smaller, easily navigated pieces.

I was very impressed with the ease of accessing the book as well as the option for viewing online or downloading a pdf. However, a hyperlinked table of contents would make the text even more accessible.

I did not find any spelling or grammatical errors.

The text is well modulated and addresses the topics, which could be viewed as triggering or otherwise difficult, well evenly and sensitively.

I was overjoyed to find this textbook. I had been searching for a book to support a course on social movements. With only a few days to cover a lot of background related to social issues, this text which is very comprehensive yet allows for instructors to easily pick and choose chapters, or even parts of chapters, that will serve the course best. The review questions are especially helpful.

Reviewed by cheryl sclar, Adjunct Professor, Roxbury Community College on 5/31/21

The topics are easy to follow in the sequence they are in. I feel the all the relevant topics to today's world are covered. The glossary definitions are in bold face and used in context making it easy for comprehension. Each unit and chapter is able to stand on its own and the flow of the books reads well whether or not you choose to use it in the order the chapters.

The book is indeed accurate with a non-biased approach to very sensitive subject matter. Historical facts are presented void of emotion. I wish there were more current events for relatability. I do take issue in that in Chapter 12 the Great Depression was discussed and reference was made to food pantries while there is no mention of The Free Breakfast Program for School Children was started by the Black Panther Party in 1969 which "underscored the inadequacies of the federal government's then-flagging and under-resourced lunch programs in public schools across the country". Failure to include that could be seen as bias.

The content is all relevant. Up to date issues should be included from 2020 21 e: COVID, George Floyd, BLM. I do feel the statistics call for revisions. In 3.3 many issues are addressed but I do not see the words anti-racist or Anti-Semitism. I would like to see content added from the past year and even updated statistics. I am happy to see Margaret Meade (3.7) and Matthew Shephard (5.3) as part of the discussion, however, we need current information such as Betsy DeVos and The Florida Nightclub Shooting of 2016 to be part of the conversation as well.

I feel the Learning Objectives are not only easy to comprehend but they are also malleable. They can easily be adjusted and because the content is so relevant to today I can see how easy it would be to adjust statistics and add content.

The book read as if someone is speaking. This makes it easier to follow and enjoy as if it were a novel rather than a collegiate text book. The author is engaging, does not over state and invites the reader to participate. The author even states (quotes) in the beginning that the subject matter may be doom and gloom in order to identify with the reader.

The text is certainly consistent and does not deviate from providing clear objectives, key takeaways and review items. The format is clean making it easy to navigate, The statistic charts vary but this works for each chapter.

The arrangement of the book makes sense.

The book makes sense. Each chapter can stand on its own and each unit in the chapters flow well.

The wording under the charts and images can be a little larger. There are a few photos that could be swapped for more engaging relevant ones, even memes that speak to todays learner. Example: 12.3 the image of the IRS with the lamp post out front.

Image in 12.3 and 3.3 states "Latinos" should actually be Latinx to be correct by 2021 standards. Other than that I see no issues.

The book is culturally sensitive. Image in 12.3 states "Latinos" should actually be Latinx to be fair.

I think the book reads well and serves well. The Review Questions are good and easy for the Instructor to apply and even edit for their individual classroom. If I were a student who is not easily engaged in reading texts (which I was), this book would work well for me. I would like to see an updated edition of the book,

Reviewed by Alexandra Olsen, Assistant Professor, Umpqua Community College on 5/27/21

This textbook does a great job of covering a wide range of topics that are appropriate for a social problems. It gives the instructor the ability to pick and choose the topics that they'd like to cover - especially in 10 week courses. Each of the chapters does a good job presenting the topic from a sociological perspective, different theoretical perspectives from which to understand the topic, and ways of addressing social problems that are ground in empirical research. While the content covered in each of the chapters provides plenty for the instructor to discuss, this textbook also still has room for the instructor to bring in more contemporary issues or aspects of social problems not covered in the textbook.

This textbook is accurate, draws from empirical research, and is great at encouraging critical thinking. It addresses a lot of controversial social issues in a way that encourages students to think deeper about how society should approach problems rather than having bias towards a certain perspective.

The content is relevant, but a lot of the statistics and examples are outdated. Similarly, there's been more recent legal developments (like the legalization of gay marriage or the legalization of marijuana) that need to be updated. Particularly, I've found that in the chapter on sexual orientation that I have to supplement with a lot of outside material to compensate for this. All of this being said, I believe that these updates would be very easy to make!

The textbook is very easily accessible. It provides clear definitions of terms that may be unfamiliar to students. It does a great job of introducing students to sociological thinking, while still challenging them to learn new vocabulary.

The chapters are all set up similarly. All chapters discuss the social problem, discuss theoretical perspectives on the problem, highlight debates on addressing social problems, and provide suggestions from empirical research for addressing that social problem.

This book is very modular. Each chapter is broken up into smaller sub sections with clear headings. Chapters, for the most part, can be assigned in whatever order the instructor prefers. It's also easy for the instructor to cover what they think is most relevant and leave out topics or sections of a chapter that they don't want to cover.

One of the best parts of this textbook is how well it's organized. Organization is consistent and every social problem is unpacked in a similar manner.

I have not noticed any issues with the interface. It is an easy textbook to navigate and I have gotten good feedback on it from my students.

I have not noticed any grammatical errors in the textbook.

This textbook does a great job of incorporating different examples from a variety of different cultures. They often provide comparisons not only between groups in the US, but also between the US and other countries. I also appreciate that even when they aren't discussing race/class/gender/etc. explicitly, they'll still discuss how groups view and are affected differently by social problems.

Reviewed by Deidre Tyler, Professor of Sociology, Salt Lake Community College on 2/22/21

This textbook covers every social problem that is covered in a standard intro-level social problems course. read more

This textbook covers every social problem that is covered in a standard intro-level social problems course.

The citations that are used in the textbook are accurate and they are balanced with various theoretical slants.

This textbook is arranged in a way in which updates are easily made. The knowledge is general and to the point.

Students will not have any problem reading the text because it is free of jargon.

The three major perspectives are covered adequately in this textbook.

The summaries at the end of each chapter provide the student with a quick glance of what they need to know.

The topics are organized in a manner in which they add knowledge to the students.

The text has easy navigational management that does not confuse the reader.

There are no grammatical errors in the textbook.

This book does not offend any person who reads it or makes anyone feel uncomfortable.

I would highly recommend this textbook because it is written in a way that does not confuse the student and it gives the basic information.

Reviewed by Laura Trull, Assistant Professor, James Madison University on 11/30/20

This is a very comprehensive text. It begins with defining social problems and even how we define social problems. Following this definition chapter are 15 chapters each focused on a major social problem. Major US issues are discussed, though there is not often an international perspective on these issues. Each chapter follows a consistent format of introducing the topic, providing theoretical grounding, detailing more specific aspects of the problem and closing with a summary. Each subsection of the chapter has learning objectives and key takeaways. The index is perfect and many key terms are highlighted throughout.

The content included is accurate and up to date with fairly recent examples and relevant, professional, recent images. It is free of bias and causes the reader to pause and consider rather than agree or disagree.

There are fairly recent examples and unfortunately, none of these social problems is going to be solved immediately so it will be relevant for some time.

While there are some advanced concepts discussed, the reader is brought along logically to the more advanced concepts and all concepts are explained thoroughly. Review questions are often included and very useful for reflection and/or incorporating into assignments. References are recent or seminal and provided in a list at the end of each subsection. A glossary of key terms would make a wonderful addition!

The format and writing style are completely consistent throughout making this a very easy text to navigate. It is a clear and concise flow without being too brief or lacking in depth. There are no interface issues and very few grammatical or typing boo boos.

. It is easy to opt out of some sections or subsections. For example, I have used this in a sophomore level social work class and skipped many of the theoretical sections that were too in depth for this level and too sociological for our course. I could easily arrange the reading to incorporate only the sections I wanted to include, and in the order I wanted to include them.

Very well organized and logical. One knows what to expect as they navigate each chapter.

No issues whatsoever on a variety of devices.

Clear and error free. Tables and graphics really add to the content.

The text is very inclusive of a variety of culture and subculture influences.

This is really a great text. Comprehensive and clear, even to be used in a non-sociology course. While the lack of an international perspective was one weakness, the other weakness was more discipline specific. The text is about social problems, so obviously there was a negative focus to the problems – after all, they are problems. However, in social work we at least consider the strengths perspective and empowerment model – which was lacking here. I did supplement this text with some change-focused, asset-based materials to shift the focus from strictly defining problems to taking on advocacy.

Reviewed by Marc Wagoner, Associate Professor, Worcester State University on 6/30/20

The book appears to to do a great job on covering material that can distress both individuals and the communities they are a part of. It appears to be comprehensive in it's definition and application of sociological theory and research. The content is well organized, with each chapter divided into sub-sections that make it easy for a reader to seek out specific information. As the year of publication is 2016, some of the example content is slightly out of date.

The content of the book appears to be solid and unbiased in terms of presentation of theory and its application. In addition, the explanations and examples are well-written and easy to understand.

The content from a theory and methodology standpoint is well-reviewed and organized. I think that much of that specific content will stand the test of time. However, given that it is a book that necessarily speaks so much to current events, it is challenging to have examples of application of such theory and methodology that do not have the potential to quickly shift. As such, some of the examples and references points in the book are a bit dated. This is not entirely bad from a teaching standpoint in that comparisons between present day and four years ago can be made in terms of examples of reasons for the research and applications of the theory. I do think that updates would not be too challenging to implement.

The text is well-written in a way that is easy to understand for a student. Jargon is sometimes necessary in an academic context, but the textbook does well in ensuring that any jargon written is also well-defined prior to being frequently used. I did not see any occasion in which terms were used improperly. I think the text is written in a way that invites more reading for the student.

The textbook is internally consistent. I observed no occasion where terms were defined one way and then used another in a different part of the text. Any visual aides or additional material, such as examples or reference points, seemed to be consistent with the point or argument the text was making.

The textbook is very well done in terms of modularity. There are a number of sub-sections throughout each chapter that can be read separately in order to learn something very specific. In addition, there are boxes of additional pertinent information spread throughout the book that add to what the reader can learn without actually filling up the space that is dedicated to necessary learning.

The chapters do have a topical logic to them in terms of organization, where it does make sense that the following chapter be there. While the book is dedicated to social problems and change, however, I do think it would be valuable to dedicate a chapter to strategies for researching/studying those topics before entering into the topics themselves.

In my perusal, I saw no issues with visual aides; everything looked clear and sharp. The display at large made it feel very much like a textbook on the screen. Additionally, it was a very good idea to include hotlinks to other parts of the textbook. As the content is compelling, this decision can teach the reader the important lesson of how linked and interwoven all of the content is. The final chapter also did a good job of making this clear.

I saw no grammatical errors in the text. Any use of quotes or phrases directly from or representing a source were presented properly.

I saw no culturally insensitive content in any way, and saw a clear attempt at maximal diversity. Given the purpose of the text, this becomes especially important.

Even though I am a social psychologist and not a sociologist, this is the kind of text that I have looked for to use in a psychology course on social change. Obviously, such a course on my part would feature different theoretical and methodological approach, but the content as well as the organization of the present text really does fit the bill, including the intention to speak to the interdisciplinary of quality research that does contribute to social change. This is an excellent alternative to expensive hardcopies that is now on my list for consideration.

Reviewed by Kimberly Fox, Associate Professor, Bridgewater State University on 6/29/20

The book covers all of the topics that I would like to have in a Social Problems text and is clearly and comprehensively organized. The subtopics within each chapter also cover most of what I would expect in a textbook for social problems. That being said, the material is quite out of date and more up-to-date information along with new directions in these areas would be helpful.

Content Accuracy rating: 3

While I did not see glaring errors in the textbook, many of the sections include overgeneralizations without a critical examination of the topic. For example, in the chapter on Families, the author cites research by Bradford Wilcox without including a critical lens on this political biases. Similarly, it does not include other research that challenges some of those claims. The general writing style will make it easy for students to digest but the overgeneralizations will leave students without an understanding of the debates within the field.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 3

While the general topics and coverage are clear and cover topics that have been - and will continue to be - relevant, the research within those chapters needs to be updated. The research is at least 8 years old and so can provide a good grounding in the overview of the topic but does not keep up with the newest research. Since social problems emphasize current events and concerns, it would be helpful to have up-to-date examples in addition to more recent research to show the "continuity and change" in societal problems.

Clarity rating: 3

The book is accessibly written and clear for undergraduate students but as mentioned earlier, it is often overly general. Also, the generalizations lead to lack of context for some of the jargon. For example, the first chapter starts with a discussion of the objective and subjective aspects of social problems without providing a clear understanding of the underlying differences between them. Since this class is usually geared toward early stage undergraduates, I think it needs more specificity in the writing.

The book is mostly consistent in its organization with the chapters using the same framework and terminology. The majority of the chapters discuss the functionalist, conflict, and symbolic interactionist theories but it is not included in the chapters that discuss race, gender, and sexual orientation without any indication of why. I generally like the chapter organization but find that odd.

The modularity of the text is good. Not only are the chapters small enough to consume but within each chapter there are subsections that can be used or skipped without loss of major points. That being said, I think it would be helpful to have the ability to reorganize it even more clearly.

The overall text is well organized with major overview topics first, followed by important identity concerns, and then necessary investigations into social institutions. The chapters flow well from one to another but could also be organized by individual faculty members without upsetting the flow.

The overall interface worked well but there were some issues with images or charts distorting or leaving too much white space before and/or after the pictures that made it somewhat awkward. Overall, it was not too disruptive.

There were no major grammatical errors.

The book includes examples from multiple racial, ethnic, and religious backgrounds. It covers topics sensitively and comprehensively.

I like the general sense of the book and would hope to have something similar in a Social Problems text. However, the overgeneralizations and out-dated material make it unlikely that I will adopt this book for classes at this time. I do think that a social problems book is an important one to have as an open text and hope that it will be updated in the future.

Reviewed by Ashley Palmer, Assistant Professor, University of Texas at Arlington on 1/2/20

The textbook covers foundational information on a multitude of social issues– particularly the characteristics, causes, and consequences of these issues – and could be used for both sociology and social work courses. Both historic and current examples were provided. Additionally, I appreciated that national and global perspectives were included within each chapter.

While much of the content appeared to be based in research and accurate, this was uneven across chapters. At times, statements or positions seemed a stretch from the research that had been discussed and other times, seemed like personal or professional opinion.

Some of the statistics should be updated, but the overall picture of what is being described remains relevant. The author has organized text in a manner that will require straightforward updates. As noted above, some chapters would benefit from a stronger (or more explicit) connection to social science research.

One of the major strengths of this text is the straightforward and clear way that content is presented and explained. I believe that students will appreciate the ease of read while also gaining important foundational information.

The text consistently uses the same frameworks and terminology throughout chapters.

The organization of this textbook will make it easy to utilize in blocks. That is a major strength because chapters and sections can be reorganized and complemented with other material within a course, as needed.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 4

This textbook is organized well. Chapter 3, 6, 9, and 13 have sections that are out-of-order. This is confusing when trying to read the book straight through rather than clicking on sections.

There were no major interface issues. Minor issues included that images, charts, and tables were disjointed and made it difficult to follow. When viewing the PDF on a laptop, all images, charts, and tables were displayed well. Some of the photo images were unnecessary and did not enhance understanding or learning. Rather, the captions below them repeated what had been shared within the text.

There were no major grammatical errors. Most errors consisted of leaving a word or two out of a sentence. Though not necessarily “grammatical errors” jargon was used throughout.

While overall I believe the textbook was inclusive of diverse cultural backgrounds, there were some issues that could be enhanced. For instance, in Chapter the use of a photo of someone who was lynched seemed insensitive and abrupt ,with no trigger warning and did not add anything to the discussion. In Chapter 4 on gender inequality, gender was discussed as a social construct. Yet, non-binary or gender fluidity was not addressed, or were inequality and issues related to non-dominant gender identity. Given that the author is stating that gender is a social construct, it seems necessary to go into other identities. (This was touched on briefly in Chapter 5 on Sexual Orientation, referenced as androgynous). In Chapter 5, the references to “gays” and “straights” is vague and does not seem to be culturally appropriate terminology.

I think this textbook provides a good foundation and plenty of content to mix and complement courses related to social problem and social welfare policy analysis.

Reviewed by Kelley (Katherine) Blanck, Instructor, Michigan State University on 11/15/19

The book appears to be comprehensive, as it is 796 pages, thoroughly indexed and outlined for ease in following the progression of the content. read more

The book appears to be comprehensive, as it is 796 pages, thoroughly indexed and outlined for ease in following the progression of the content.

There is some research-basis for the text - but there seems to be significant personal opinion as well. At times, there are many areas that appear to be personal reflection and inference rather than statement of fact.

It would seem to be relevant and easy to update as needed. There is a mix of historical theory as well as present-day examples.

Clarity rating: 2

The book seems to read more like a graduate-school paper than a text book. This could be helpful for early graduate students in understanding and ingesting the content; however, professionally, there is some jargon and amateur language used throughout.

Consistency rating: 3

The book is consistent in organization, terminology, and framework.

There are clear, smaller sections that are easy to navigate and read.

The topics are organized well and presented in a clear, logical progression of content. Each chapter has take-aways and key points for reflection and class discussion.

The interface has some formatting issues - there is a lot of empty, white space, especially after pictures or charts.

Grammatical Errors rating: 3

There are minor grammatical errors, mostly pertaining to use of jargon or non-professional terminology.

Cultural Relevance rating: 3

The book does appear to incorporate cultural significance within many of the topic areas.

There are sections of this book that could be useful on their own for classroom assignments and discussion. The overall book is very long and could not reasonably be used for a single term; however, the smaller sections with the key takeaways are interesting and useful.

Reviewed by Cathy Beighey, Sociology Profressor, Aims Community College on 7/26/19

Comprehensiveness rating: 3 see less

Yes, each chapter covered relevant concepts, related issues, and a sociological framework to 'digest' the content. Each chapter also included ways to address or improve the social problem highlighted within the chapter, which I found to be better format than a separate, overarching 'Solutions' chapter. To further develop students’ understanding of the importance and the inherent relationship between historic, economic, cultural, and social factors in the develop and persistence of social problems, it should be more intentional as far as developing a framework from which to analyze causal factors that breed structured inequality and hence social problems. Furthermore, such connections become the building block for higher-level learning and learning retention. These components were missing: - Although capitalism, corporate power, particularly via multinational corporations, and the great wealth disparity was included in the Work & Economy chapter, there isn’t a chapter, or subunit, that directly addresses different political systems and ensuing social issues, inequitable access to political power, voter apathy, etc. - I didn’t find Immigration Patterns and Issues addressed in any chapter. It may fit nicely as a subunit in the Racial/Ethnic Inequality. - No glossary; however, key terms and concepts are highlighted within the text. (A glossary is important for easy reference). - The end of the chapter summary is helpful, but I suggest it is expanded into more targeted end-of -the chapter review questions in order to highlight and reinforce learning as a student-driven formative assessment. - The subunits within each chapter begin with three-four Learning Objectives, which are helpful; however, in some instances, I found them to be too general to truly introduce pertinent points and guide learning. To that end, I suggest the subunits’ learning objectives are: 1) reviewed for any missing pertinent learning objectives, 2) designed to capture higher-level using Bloom’s taxonomy learning such as 'synthesize', 'analyze', etc. 3) revised and created for more targeted, measurable chapter-level learning outcomes (versus objectives), and 4) directly or indirectly address the CCNS Learning Outcomes at: https://erpdnssb.cccs.edu/PRODCCCS/ccns_pub_controller.p_command_processor?pi_search_type=SB_COURSE&pi_subj_code=SOC&pi_crse_numb=215&pi_archive_date=&pi_course_status=A&pi_term_code=202020.

Yes, the pertinent trends and general patterns were thematically correct sociologically speaking; however, it would benefit from some updating.

Yes, and appropriate updates will be easily implemented. To that end, some of the poverty and demographic data (i.e., from the 2010 Census) and statistics should be updated; however, with new research generating data quickly this can be time intensive so the author has to be intentional when selecting data.

Yes, the text is clearly written in an manner that is easily understood. There were points that students would benefit from elaboration regarding the socio-economic and/or historic context of some sociological concepts and social issues in order to foster deeper thematic connections and learning retention.

Yes, very much so from beginning each chapter with “Social Problems in the News’, with subunits (i.e., 1.2, 1.3, etc.) each with a concise list of Learning Objectives, and ending each chapter with “End of the Chapter Material”.

Yes, it is broken into small subunits that can be moved and incorporated at other points in the course if the instructor finds a different arraignment more intuitive and student friendly.

Yes, I broadly ‘see’ it organized as Understanding Social Problems, Social Problems of Inequality, and then Institutional Social Problems .

No visible issues, and the graphs and charts are well done.

No significant issues.

The textbook addresses a variety of racial/ethnic backgrounds, nationalities, and offers a cross-cultural lens in the 'Lessons from Other Societies'.

Instructor Supplemental Material: There are power point slides available to the instructor, but I didn’t find them easily utilized because how to access them by chapter wasn’t very intuitive (i.e., I found myself clicking on lots of random files). For example, the Chapter #2 Poverty slides are missing, or I couldn’t find them.

Learning Tools for Students: Expand learning tools to reinforce reading comprehension, basic understanding of the concepts, and to provide formative student-driven assessment.

Reviewed by Miriam Kero, Instructor, Hibbing Community College on 5/24/19

Social Problems: Continuity and Change provides complete coverage of the main categories of problems in society today: poverty, gender, race/ethnicity, etc. The table of contents lays these out for easy access. Within each chapter, key terms are in boldface and defined; sections of each chapter are summarized with key takeaways, and discussion questions are provided. The text lacks an index and glossary at the end, however. This makes it challenging to look up key concepts without knowing in which chapter that concept was discussed.

The book is factual and well rounded in representation. Most chapters review each social problem using the three major theoretical families (functionalism, conflict theory, and symbolic interactionism). This allows discussion of the social problem from multiple vantage points. Students have commented that the text seems "balanced" in its representation.

The chapter material is up to date, although statistics often reference 2010 (sometimes even earlier); now in 2019 I have found myself looking up new data to see how trends have evolved over the last decade. Have correlates continued to hold? Particularly in discussing wealth distribution, new graphics depicting the rise of the super rich are helpful to supplement the material. The text is written in a way that allows the instructor to easily supplement and update data like this while teaching; ultimately it appears that updates to text would also be easy to implement.

In review of Social Problem's writing, the text is straightforward. Any relevant terms are in bold faced and defined. Each chapter's sections begin with a learning objectives box. And as noted prior, each section has a summary. This provides the classic "tell them what you are going to tell them, tell them, tell them what you told them" format that helps clarify what is important. Finally, the end of each chapter contains a summary of the whole chapter's main points.

The framework of the text has some nice consistent elements. For example, sections termed, "Perspectives on ____ (e.g. aging)" typically list the three theoretical viewpoints on the problem. Sometimes, however, these same areas are called "Explaining ______." It would be helpful for directing students if these were consistent. Also, it would be preferred if each chapter followed a similar order. For example, section one would be an introduction, section two the theoretical perspectives, section three correlates, etc. The terminology, however, is consistent.

The text is nicely segmented; sections are labeled clearly, and within each section the main concepts are identified with headings. The order of the chapters can be easily reordered; each is self-contained, and when other chapters are referenced they are hyperlinked. Following those links is not necessary, though, because key terms are redefined and concepts restated as needed.

I like the order in which the chapters are presented in Social Problems, although I do contemplate covering race and ethnicity before poverty simply because the correlates of poverty to race and ethnicity are so powerful. Within each chapter, I would prefer greater consistency in the structure of sections (e.g. section two always containing the theoretical perspectives).

The interface works very well in Chrome; not so much in Explorer. In Explorer the page navigation is just text at the bottom of the screen (rather than a box with fill and text from which the course material appears behind). This makes it difficult to read. In both browsers, though, the table of content menu is very easy to use (drop down).

I have not found grammatical errors in the text.

The text (to my "white" eyes) is not culturally insensitive, however, one of my critical-thinking Hispanic students felt that it had a tone of "looking down" upon folks for color. This could be a product of the scientific tone of sociology, but his comment is worth noting. In perusing the photo depictions within the text, it appears many are of white folks. I look for photos that match my students; I do not see much representation of Asian, Muslim, or Hispanic people. The text does make the correlates of inequality to social problems clear, however. And it notes past biological views were racist.

For a free textbook, this is a wonderful resource. It provides a solid foundation from which to grow course curriculum. Supplementing with TED talks, additional data, and ideas on what individuals can do to improve social issues makes for a well rounded introduction to social problems.

Reviewed by Carlos Lopez, FT Sociology Faculty, Chemeketa Community College on 5/22/19

The textbook is organized in the typical fashion as other social problems textbooks (with a notable exception being Joel Best's Social Problems). The expected social problems are covered, but chapters on the media, technology, and/or science would have been welcomed. The topic of guns and gun control is absent. A substantive discussion on globalization is also missing. While there is a Table of Contents (with some unfortunate numbering errors), there is no index or glossary. While not the most purely sociological approach, the increasing prominence of rational choice theory may warrant its inclusion (and critique) in the textbook. The introductory chapter serves as a clear road map to future chapters.

The content is mainly accurate (although some of the statistics are outdated), and the text is generally error-free and unbiased. While most of the URLs (detected by the .pdf reader used) worked, some links were broken. More up-to-date and sociologically relevant links could be made to student-friendly sites like The Society Pages, Contexts, and even asanet.org.

While some of the statistics are out-of-date, with sufficient time, it would not be too difficult in updating much of this data. Since each chapter is divided into 5-7 sections, it would not be too onerous to update some of the discussions, particularly the ones on policy. A more in-depth discussion on the social construction of social problems and an expanded discussion on how social policies come to be would make the textbook more relevant. A discussion on political ideologies and their relationship to the understanding of social problems and policy would also be helpful.

Since the text stays away from a lot of the technical language of sociology, students should find the text approachable. I did not run across a passage in which I thought students would not be able to understand the arguments or explanations being made.

The typical three theoretical perspectives are introduced in Chapter 1 and are consistently present in later chapters. Useful end of chapter study aids are present in all chapters. There seems to be an attempt to reduce jargon which does improve the readability of the textbook. At the same time, I think making it slightly more technical would be acceptable. Students should be reminded that sociology is a science which is distinct from other ways of knowing and distinct from other social sciences. It has its own set of vocabulary that students should be exposed to.

A clear strength of the textbook is in its modularity. Each chapter is divided into several sections that can be easily be assigned at varying points throughout the term. A select number of modules could easily serve as supplemental or background information if other texts are being used. Excessive use of subheadings is avoided.

Each chapter had a similar structure with the same end of chapter materials. Students should be able to predict the flow and structure of each of the chapters. While not explicitly indicated, chapters are grouped more or less by theme: inequalities, deviance and behavior, institutions, and social change.

The textbook was reviewed on a laptop and on an iPad in .pdf format. I found the formatting acceptable, and there was no display, formatting, or text issues that served as barriers to enjoying the textbook. Images, graphics, figures, and charts were not awkwardly embedded in the text.

There were no glaring grammatical errors or problems with usage, sentence structure, or punctuation that got in the way of the readability of the textbook.

Since this is a text on social problems from a sociological perspective, race, ethnicity, sexual identity, and other ascriptions are covered from a scientific approach. Nothing struck the reviewer as culturally insensitive, and the textbook very much read as many introductory and social problems textbooks do.

Reviewed by Nicholas Recker, Professor, Metropolitan State University of Denver on 5/22/19

This text-book offers a comprehensive look at social problems. I believe all of the important topics are addressed. read more

This text-book offers a comprehensive look at social problems. I believe all of the important topics are addressed.

The book is accurate. However, some of the statistics are getting dated.

This textbook is relevant for a social problems/social issues course. Key topics are addressed, though some statistics are getting dated.

The book clearly lays out information. Key terms are bolded and chapter summaries are offered to help ensure information does not get missed.

Organization and writing is consistent throughout the book.

The book is broken down into chapters and each chapter has manageable sub-sections. I found this easy to follow. I think it will help students by making the readings more manageable.

The book is logically organized. Important course topics are covered in a clear and logical structure. The chapters are framed with sociological theory.

Each chapter has learning objectives and bolded course terminology. This book is also available in a variety of formats (e.g. PDF, online, etc.)

Good Grammar

Appropriate for students from diverse cultural backgrounds.

This is a great book!

Reviewed by Katie Cali, Instructor of Sociology and Criminal Justice , NTCC on 4/3/19

The information presented in this textbook is comparable to a traditional, publisher distributed textbook. The presentation structure of the text is written in a comprehensive manner. Beginning with an introduction to the concept of social problems, the book presents various social problems experienced by society throughout the chapters. The chapters dissect the content through the lens of the major sociological theories.

Throughout my analysis of the chapters, I found the content to be accurately presented with well-developed explanations through the lens of the theories.

Relevancy is not an issue for this text. The examples are up-to-date and current; nonetheless, updating the textbook should be simple. The textbook presents classic examples and ideas that are just as relevant as the examples of recent, current events. The combination of historical examples and current events can assist the student as they understand the social problems in society. This text will easily be relevant for several years.

The writing is clear and easy to understand. I do not feel the author used academic jargon to the point that students will struggle to comprehend the material. As with all disciplines, some academic jargon is necessary and the author provides the necessary amount of technical terminology to expose the students to the discipline without excessive use.

Terminology use is consistent throughout the text, making the book comprehensive for students. The structure of the book is highly consistent, making textbook navigation straightforward and simple to use. I found the logic and the additional learning material, such as figures and graphs, to be consistent throughout the text.

I really like the design of this text. The reader can easily spot the title page, content and learning objectives for each chapter. Within the chapters, the author successfully uses proper headings and subheadings to guide the reader through the material. Since the modules are so well-organized, this textbook could potentially be a great resource for other OER courses.

The text is well organized. The topics are clearly stated so you know what chapter to look at when looking for specific information. ; topics are not hidden behind fancy chapter titles. Each chapter is broken down and structured appropriately. Content is written in a logical and chronological manner.

I did not find any issues with the textbooks overall interface. The text is easy to navigate, and the images are clear and consistent. When I am reading a textbook, I like additional figures and little important snippets of information that I should remember or learn. Images can enhance the learning experience and this book does exactly that.

As far as I can tell, the book appears free of grammatical errors.

Cultural sensitivity is extremely important for a Sociology textbook. Considering how controversial many of these chapters are, the author did an exceptional job presenting the information in a non-biased manner, making the textbook inclusive for students of all backgrounds, races, genders, and ethnicities.

Reviewed by Ajay Panicker, Associate Professor, St Cloud State University on 5/21/18

The textbook follows the standard practice of providing an initial understanding of Social Problems in general, and the theoretical perspectives employed to explain them, and goes on to examine in some detail a variety of social processes within which problems are identified and discussed. The text follows a method of providing a general understanding, historical background, identifies the concepts relevant to each area, and provides a range of data, particularly through visual presentation (graphs, charts, maps etc.). Additionally, the chapters in the textbook provides a comparative international perspective. In all these ways, the textbook is quite comprehensive.

The content in this textbook is accurate. It provides mostly recent data, backed by historical information. The information presented is drawn from credible sources, and the analysis presented is based on social scientifically produced knowledge. In fact, aside from being unbiased, the textbook employs sociological perspectives to identify biases prevalent in society and demonstrates how sociologically produced knowledge can dispel them.

The content is up-to-date. The data presented is mostly uptodate, and because social data doesn’t vary vastly in short to medium time scale, new data can easily replace the old data. Therefore, in my opinion, the book will remain relevant for at least 10 years. Most importantly, the historical context, theoretical perspectives, typologies, and international comparative approach employed in the text contribute to its relevance and longevity.

The text is very well written. The clarity of writing makes it accessible to lower division undergraduate students for whom the book is written. It steers clear of jargons, and when terms are used as concepts, they are clearly elaborated for students to understand their utility.

As a sociology textbook, it is remarkably consistent internally in terms of terminology employed and the framework used. Theoretical frameworks are identified and elaborated at the start, and throughout the textbook, these frameworks are employed to present varied explanations of why the social problems exist, and what can be done about them.

The textbook is divided into chapters that deal with topical areas in Social Problem studies. Each chapter, then, is divided into sections and subsections that provide certain types of information/analysis. These sections and subsections are clearly identified and, while they connect with each other in contributing to the whole of the chapter, they are also useful as stand alone pieces that provide information. Learning objectives are identified at the start of each section, and that makes it easier for students to grasp the purpose of the section.

This is a very well structured textbook. At the start, the textbook provides a clear introduction to what social problems and the various approaches to addressing them. From thereon, the text goes on to follow a consistent structure in all the chapters that deal with various topical areas in Social Problems studies. Consistency in structure of chapters make it very student friendly.

Aside from some pages having a bit too much of blank space, the pagination and interface follow the standard format. Visual information, through images, graphs, charts, maps etc., are presented clearly and consistently. I did not experience any navigation problems or notice any distortion of the visual presentation of information.

I did not see any grammatical errors. Largely well written book.

The textbook is written in a culturally sensitive manner. In fact, it addresses many of the cultural insensitivities prevalent in society and attempts to address them.

A thoughtfully developed, well written textbook that is accessible to undergraduate students of social problems.

Reviewed by D. Chanele Moore, Assistant Professor, University of Delaware on 5/21/18

The book covers all the traditional content chapters of a traditional textbook. In each chapter, theories traditionally taught in an introductory level course are discussed. read more

The book covers all the traditional content chapters of a traditional textbook. In each chapter, theories traditionally taught in an introductory level course are discussed.

The textbook presents current, "state of the art" content. I read information is presented in a balanced way so that points and counterpoints are represented.

The book is up-to-date in terms of content and ideas. The data and references do seem dated so, in time, the statistical data would need to be updated. I do not think those updates would require an overhaul of the text.

The textbook is clear and accessible. Discipline specific jargon is explained clearly and examples provide useful support in understanding the theories and concepts.

The book follows the same format for each chapter. Each chapter includes a chapter containing the following: a short introduction, context for the topic, discussion about how concept is measured, discussion of theories, recommendations for problem solving and a conclusion. I appreciate the conclusions at they provide a nice summary of the whole chapter.

The text is divided into reasonable chunks so that assigning a whole chapter or sections of a chapter are easy. The sections each have a title and there are appropriate subtitles dividing the reading. It was easy to read through each section and maintain a sense of where I am in the book.

There is no real logic to presenting topics in a social problems book. That said, the order of topics in this book is very similar to the order of topics in several other social problems text books.

I read the book using the online platform and had no problems. There is a table of contents and a home button that provide an appropriate amount of navigation. I also downloaded the book into a pdf file and was able to use the bookmark feature to navigate in the book. The bookmark feature was helpful for navigating to a certain place in the book but did not indicate when you have scrolled to different area.

I saw no grammatical issues.

I do not think the text is insensitive. However it couldn't hurt to have more images of people of color, namely Asians, Native Peoples, and Latinos.

There is a strong discussion of the sociological imagination in chapter one (which I love). That is a good feature. The book does a good job of discussing the three classical theories throughout, but I especially like that there is background content, historical context and contemporary application when the classical theories are introduced in chapter 1. The presentation of global comparisons is especially helpful. I do wish there were a stronger or fuller discussion of the constructed nature of social problems, but the discussion that exists in this book parallels other books I have used. Overall this is a solid book that is a good foundational text for teaching Social Problems.

Reviewed by Kate Noveau, Adjunct Professor, Rhode Island College on 2/1/18

This book does a nice job at giving a broad overview of some of the core societal problems that have plagued our country, and continue to do so. The material is presented at a pretty basic level - I think it would be great for introductory, undergraduate courses in a variety of fields ranging from sociology to medicine, social work to law, and so on. Frankly, it would be good for much of the general public to just read given our current social/political climate. While there is no glossary in this book, the language is pretty digestible. The table of contents is well organized and user friendly.

The content in the book was accurate and did not appear to have any errors. It is relatively unbiased; however, without knowing anything about the author, I would venture to say that he is an upper-middle class white male.

This book is HIGHLY relevant today despite being in need of an update. Areas most in need of updating are Chapter 5: Sexual Orientation and Inequality, Chapter 7: Alcohol and Other Drugs, and Chapter 13: Health and Health Care. These three areas have had rapid changes particularly in the last 5-10 years. For example, LGBT now would more commonly be LGBTQ or even LGBTQIA. In regards to substance abuse, an update regarding decriminalization and the state vs federal debates on legalization of marijuana should be included. The advances of Medical Marijuana should also be addressed in a future edition. In terms of healthcare, an update regarding Affordable Care Act would be welcomed. The author mentioned adopting "Integrated Care" as a strategy to improve healthcare and there as been a tremendous shift in this direction since this book was written. Integrated Care, Accountable Care entities etc. have rapidly developed in the last 5-10 years and I feel the author could provide a nice synopsis of these changes. The book is written in such a way that these could easily be implemented.

This book could be read by many different audiences of varying educational levels. It offers surprisingly comprehensive context in a succinct and accessible manner, and is free from a lot of technical terms/jargon.

The book uses consistent terminology and framework throughout. The "Theory Snapshot" provides a nice uniformity throughout the chapters.

The book is written in such a way that you could easily select a single chapter, or a section of a chapter, individually as a reading assignment. It could be used for a variety of different courses, selecting just the chapters that are relevant.

The book is well organized and consistent throughout. Each chapter offers the Theoretical Perspective as well as a nice summary in the End of Chapter material.

I am a person that likes BOOKS. I like turning the pages, highlighting sections, and writing notes in the margin. That being said, I do not always have the time to go to a bookstore, nor the space on the shelves to house more books, nor the patience to flip through all of the pages to find the note scrawled down a page. I am pleased to say that this text has made be a 'believer' of the Open Textbook. The interface of this book was flawless. I did not notice any errors, navigation issues, or other problems. It was available in several formats and all worked without issue.

I did not come across any issues here.

I did not come across any insensitive or offensive references in this book.

This book provides a brief, but good, overview of some of the biggest "hot topic" issues of our time. Making books like this available on Open Textbooks allows access to valuable educational resources that people might not be able to access otherwise.

Reviewed by Lori Geiselman, Adjunct, Rhode Island College on 2/1/18

Each chapter is well described. Chosen social problems are relevant and can be applied to a variety of fields. read more

Each chapter is well described. Chosen social problems are relevant and can be applied to a variety of fields.

Well balanced coverage of views. Each chapter includes several references.

Social problems addressed in this book include a brief history, present situation, and suggestions for future resolution. As written, appears one can easily update and maintain relevance over time.

Easily understood and holds interest. Great for introductory level students.

Each chapter is consistent in layout and writing style.

These chapters are extremely modular/portable. Topics may stand alone without compromise. True building blocks that may be configured to build a specific form.

Consistently well-organized throughout. Encourages critical thinking through assignment opportunities and self-reflective review.

Very clear, easy to navigate. Appreciate the low number of charts/graphs, that when overused, unnecessarily bog down a basic overview.

No problems were identified. Well written.

Some concern that over simplification (albeit in an effort to provide basic overview) may perpetuate generalizations that limit application where more intense scrutiny is appropriate. Chapter 3: Racial and Ethnic Inequality does a nice job in regard to cultural relevance. Other chapters were less intentional in regard to culture connections embedded in the topic, and its handling of the same.

Especially enjoy the interactive component! Each chapter provides an opportunity for deeper reflection and engaging activities.

Reviewed by Naliyah Kaya, Lecturer, University of Maryland on 2/1/18

The book addresses a wide array of social issues, defines and discusses subjective and objective definitions of social problems and covers major sociological perspectives and theorists. Basically, it has what you'd generally expect to be covered in an introductory social problems book. It does not have a glossary, likely because it has a search option at the top of the screen that seems to work well.

Based on what I reviewed, I did not see any errors.

The book does a good job of discussing the persistence of many social issues over time giving past and present examples. I personally would supplement the book with specific examples that are current (they also ask for you to submit how you supplement the book) as the majority of "newer" sources seem to be from 2010-2011.

There was one link in chapter 2 for a poverty figure that no longer works, but it still takes you to the correct website.

The text does a good job of defining terms, explaining concepts and providing easy to understand examples. I don't think a student would find it difficult to understand even with no prior sociological knowledge. They break down some of the main theoretical perspectives and how they apply to sociology in a very digestible way.

I did not find any issues with the consistency of the book.

The book does an excellent job with regard to modularity. Each chapter has a box with learning objectives. The modules in each chapter are concise with good examples. There are boxes at the end that list key takeaways, provide review activities and references for the individual section/chapter. There is a good " at a glance" chart on theoretical perspectives in the beginning that explains the major assumptions of each and how each perspective views social problems. I also love the drop-down index that makes it incredibly easy to jump to chapters and sections of chapters as well as the term search box.

The information is presented in a clear logical manner. The first chapter does a good job of laying the foundational groundwork needed to discuss the social problems in the following chapters. Each chapter does a good job of explaining how issues have been framed in the past as well as present and how different frameworks have been used over time.

I did not find any issues with the interface.

I did come across any grammatical errors.

While the book is likely going by past racial categories on the census I would add in Middle Eastern and Multiracial experiences in the chapter on race & ethnicity, especially as the census explores the MENA category as well as how people perceived to be of Middle Eastern descent have faced increased discrimination and stereotyping post 9/11. The section on types of racism I would supplement with current material as we've seen a rise in old-fashioned racism (hate crimes) over the past year. While I like the idea of the "What You Can Do" sections at the end of the modules/chapters I think this can also be problematic if possible pitfalls of social change are not also discussed (paternalism/savior mentality, assimilation, ignoring cultural differences...). Often well-intended people get involved with issues that they are out-group members of and sometimes the impact is more harmful than helpful. This box of suggestions can unintentionally promote a helper vs. helped framework rather than teaching students how to be in community with others to solve social issues.

Reviewed by Lorena Fulton, Assistant Professor of Social Work, Ohio University-Zanesville on 2/1/18

This textbook is a thorough description of what social problems are, with detailed illustration of specific social problems. It provides a comprehensive summary for holistic education and the content is substantial enough for individuals chapters... read more

I find no discrepancy with respect to objective information.

The book is certainly relevant to the needs of higher education today. It is a good blend of history and social policy with both a micro and a macro viewpoint. The content will remain relevant for the near future.

Clarity is important in higher education because so much content is cluttered with jargon and field-specific verbose. This book does a very nice job of speaking to readers from diverse background and interests.

Each chapter follows a predictable outline that brings the content together.

My favorite feature of this book is the separation of ideas by chapter. This makes the book useful in a variety of courses, as a supplement to other material.

I found no problems with interface.

I found no problems with grammar.

The content is timely and needed for students' general education requirements.

I am more likely to use this book as individual chapters for course-relevant supplementary material than to create a course around it.

Reviewed by Aimee Krouskop, Instructor of Sociology, Portland Community College on 6/20/17

Barkan offers a solid overview of the sociological approach to social problems, and a review of established US problems leading with the context of the social constructionist view, and weaving other perspectives, historical matters, and policy approaches into the content in an accessible way. Key Takeaway sections that follow the sections provide very positive notes for relevancy. In later editions I would like to see certain social issues included, due to their potency and continued emerging urgency (specifically: human and civil rights, development and migration, cultural property, and sustainable consumption). More comparative treatments and discussion of the role of globalization plays within key social problems would add to this comprehensiveness.

I find the content of this text to be accurate, with few errors, and offers an objective approach to US society analysis.

The selection of social problems are relevant and widespread, and discussion of those carries demonstrates current treatment. However, as mentioned in "comprehensiveness" above its relevance could be improved by replacing some theoretical sections with pressing and fast-emerging social problems listed there.

This is an exceptionally clear and accessible text; very appropriate for an introduction to social problems course.

There is a reliable framework and very consistent terminology-set to this work. This adds dramatically to its accessibility.

I can see readily dividing this text into smaller reading sections and / or reorganizing or skipping sections to accommodate a specific course schedule.

The organization, structure, and flow of this text makes for a very readable and usable offering.

I find no significant interface issues.

I find no grammatical errors.

I do not find this text culturally insensitive nor offensive. Including cultural property, and comparative approaches throughout would add to its cultural relevance.

Reviewed by Carol Ann MacGregor, Assistant Professor of Sociology, Loyola University New Orleans on 6/20/17

I chose to review this book as a possible adoption for a summer online Social Problems course. I was pleased to see that all of the topics that I currently cover in the course. While there is no glossary it is easy to navigate the table of contents. read more

Although I am not a subject matter expert on each of the topics covered, the ones that focused on my areas of specialty, Schools and Education and Race and Ethnicity, were accurate and without problem.

This text has a nice balance of timeless social theory and relevant contemporary examples. The examples should not need yearly updating but may need a refresh from time to time.

The book is accessible and engaging. I think most undergraduate students would find it clear and easy to read.

In spite of the wide range of material covered, the book reads like one written by an expert in everything.

The chapter structure of the book makes sense. When I need to adapt it for an 8 week course it would be easy to just choose the 8 most relevant topics.

The book is clearly organized and the end of chapter material brings it all together.

I appreciated the streamlined/simple layout and the pops of color.

There are no issues here.

I did not find any offensive references and the book attempts to enhance our appreciate of race, gender, and sexual diversity

A really wonderful alternative to an expensive social problems text. Covers all the material in an accessible way and leaves room for instructors to supplement as needed.

Reviewed by Jolene Sundlie, Sociology Instructor, Saint Paul College on 4/11/17

This text covers all the chapters/topics you would expect in a Social Problems text. The chapters are concise at about twenty pages per chapters. The Table of Contents is comprehensive, but the is so glossary of terms or subject/name index at the... read more

I found the text to be mostly accurate. There are many statistics included in each chapter and I didn't check out each and every number provided. In the family chapter, in the section on divorce, I question the accuracy of the information provided that divorce rates rose sharply during the Great Depression and WWII. I don't believe that statement is true.

I give this section a 5 because it is very difficult to stay up-to-date in a Sociology text. Considering this book was published in 2010, there is some outdated material in it, specifically about same sex marriage. It was accurate in 2010, but is no longer relevant. If this book could be updated, it would be helpful.

I found this book to be clear and easy to follow. Most of the technical terms are explained or defined in the context of their usage.

I found each chapter to be consistent with the chapters before. The same prose is used throughout and the same major theories are consistently covered.

Each chapter is broken into sections and each section is appropriately numbered, e.g. in Chapter 10, section 1 is 10.1, section 2 is 10.2, etc...

I would reorder a couple of the chapters and combine a couple of chapters. Chapter 4 is gender inequality, Chapter 5 is sexual orientation and inequality, Chapter 6 is aging and ageism, Ch 7 is alcohol/drugs, Ch 8 crime and CJ and then Ch 9 is sexual behavior. I would either put Sexual behavior as Chapter 6 or I would simply combine Chapters 5 and 6 into one chapter. Sixteen chapters can be a bit too much to cover in a semester.

The navigation is smooth from the TOC to each chapter. One thing that I found to be a little confusing is that within the chapter, there a links to charts, photos, other chapters and they are highlighted in red. You click on it and it takes you somewhere. Key terms in each chapter are also highlighted in the exact same shade of red, so it seems like you should be able to click on the term and be taken to a glossary, but they're not links.

I found no obvious grammatical errors in the text.

I would like to see more inclusion of Native Americans and Asian Americans in the race/ ethnicity chapter and in all the charts/graphs/statistics that discuss race. Also in the race/ethnicity chapter (3.1), I think it is possible to discuss lynching without including a photograph of a lynched man. It is insensitive. Transgender is covered in Chapter 5, the chapter on sexual orientation. It should be included in the chapter on GENDER as it has nothing to do with one's sexual orientation. The term transvestite is outdated. The section on public attitudes about sexual orientation is all about the Bible - not a very diverse perspective.

Instructor resources would be a great and helpful addition to any open source book. There are none provided for this particular text. A few more end of section/chapter review or discussion questions would be great too

Reviewed by Cindy Hager, Instructor, Sociology, Alexandria Technical and Community College on 4/11/17

The text covers a comprehensive look at social problems and provides an examination of discipline specific material as well as statistical information on how each social problem is currently experienced throughout the world. The Key Takeways and... read more

The overall content is accurate although statistical information needs to be updated (see relevance/longetivity).

Relevance/Longevity rating: 2

In regards to discipline specific material the text is highly relevant. However, sociology is a discipline that benefits from having recent statistics. Having more recent statistical information is important to understanding the current state of various social problems and providing an accurate understanding of social problems. In order to effectively use the text, the statistical information needs to be updated.

The text is easy to understand and the language effectively reaches students.

The text is consistent in its layout and approach. It continuously examines issues in a discipline specific manner while being culturally relevant. This is important in effectively engaging students.

This text is especially effective in it's modularity and can easily be broken into different sections. This is highly effective for student learning.

The text's flow and structure is consistent throughout. I think this is important to students specifically in an online environment who seek a rhythm to what they are learning and that a text has similar presentation from one chapter to the next.

Did not find any issues with the text's interface.

The text appears to be free of grammatical errors.

I found that the lessons section offer students the opportunity to understand the cultural impact more effectively. Information presented does not appear offensive and offers opportunities for critical analysis.

Providing quality open educational resources is important to meeting the needs of a dynamic student body. This text would be a great benefit to a Social Problems course with the addition of more recent statistical data.

Reviewed by Michelle Crossley, Assistant Professor, Rhode Island College on 4/11/17

The text does a wonderful job of bringing in a vast array of social problems and related them to real world events. I am aware that it can be challenging to address every social problem, as the text indicates there may be a need for society to acknowledge these problems and then they are viewed as social problems, I found there to be many missing components that can be addressed in future editions. I would have hoped to find, at least, some information regarding the Transgender population in the Gender chapter-there was no mention of this population outside of the Sexual Orientation chapter and this was just to include the "T" in GLBT. This population is marginalized and oppressed daily and there are many real-world examples out there to consider. Also, there is little on those living with a Disability, including Mental Illness. In the future it would be great for these populations to be included as well as others that I've missed. Overall, the book was comprehensive in what it noted it would address in the index/glossary.

I appreciate how the text worked to incorporate the historical perspectives of the issues it did address. They were seemingly on-point and individuals reading could direct themselves to more recent information through the citations and website that were used. This is helpful. Content was biased by nature of the topic-the point of social justice is to make the point that there is a problem and inequality-there was little counter-point to this represented in the text.

As mentioned previously, the text does an excellent job of bringing into awareness the historical context of real-world problems. Through this information can become outdated rapidly, the issues being addressed are constant and continue to be weaved into current times. I would say that it will be relatively easy for chapters or addenda to be added as more problems emerge (i.e., Transgender rights, Disability and Mental Illness, Opiod Epidemic, etc.).

The text is clear in the purpose-to educate about Social Problems and capacity for change. Any jargon that is unfamiliar to those reading outside the field is nicely and clearly defined. Each chapter builds off another and I appreciate the consistency in language and how examples are analyzed.

The text consistently uses real-life examples and graphics throughout to help the reader better understand the severity of the Social Problems represented. I find that the reader can expect what's next in terms of analysis of the social problem using consistent theories throughout, directions for what's next, and reflection and direction of furthering the dialogue. It's a great component to add, especially when using this with Undergraduate students.

One thing that I really enjoyed about the text is how it is easily broken up into readings. Each chapter was not so long that it would overwhelm a student and topics could be broken up over multiple class periods. This can be helpful in teaching that material as it may be necessary to ensure comprehension of components before moving on to how to create change.

I found the text to flow nicely and appreciated the consistent nature of what was covered within the sub-chapters.

While navigating I did not notice any problems/distortions.

I did not notice any problems with grammar.

I would be mindful of noting certain terminology and changing as our standards of inclusive language changes (one is not Transgendered as this is not a choice). Overall, I found the text to be open about cultural differences and real-life examples of the problems of inequality that has plagued our society over many years. There may be a need for a foreward note that some of the pictures may be distressing and inclusion of a way to have a conversation about why the reader reacted in a certain manner to the graphics or content.

I appreciate this book for what it is--an introduction into learning about Social Problems throughout history. I would find this text to be helpful in teaching both Undergraduate and Graduate students focused on advocacy and social change work. These conversations are not easy ones to have, and I would suggest anyone using the book to take the time to develop skills to handle some of the interpersonal challenges of dialogue and strong values/beliefs that may emerge from these conversations. There are some components that are missing from the problems identified, though these can be supplemented through literature and examples in society. The structure that is provided in the text is easily replicated to create a "lesson" on those factors missed.

Reviewed by Cheryl Wright, Associate Professor, University of Utah on 2/15/17

The book is very comprehensive and covers the contemporary and important social problems in our society. It is up-to-date. It is high quality production from an established publisher. read more

The book is very comprehensive and covers the contemporary and important social problems in our society. It is up-to-date. It is high quality production from an established publisher.

The information is very up-to-date.

Up-to-date but there will be a need for periodic updates of national trends in these topical areas.

The text is easy to read and visually appealing. It has sections - key takeaways, review, what you can do that will be engaging for undergraduate students.

The book is very consistent in framework and organization.

This is the strength of the book - text is broken up in an organized way that will be appeal to visual learners.

Organization is very clear and consistent and easy to follow.

I did not see any interface problems.

No grammar issues.

This book is very culturally relevant and many of the topics focus on cultural and diversity issues.

Reviewed by Victoria Blanchard, Instructional Faculty, Virginia Tech on 2/8/17

The range of topics covered by the text is appropriate, and the concepts covered within the subjects are, overall, appropriate for an introduction to social problems. From what I can tell, sex trafficking gets one brief mention in chapter 4... read more

The range of topics covered by the text is appropriate, and the concepts covered within the subjects are, overall, appropriate for an introduction to social problems.

From what I can tell, sex trafficking gets one brief mention in chapter 4 (Gender) but no mention in chapter 9 on sexual behavior. The mention it does get, also represents it as the problem of a few countries globally. In reality, sex trafficking is a huge problem worldwide, including the United States. Even if the topic is not addressed in depth in this text, the failure to acknowledge and represent it accurately is a big problem. It is particularly an issue because the connection between sex trafficking and prostitution is not made. Many prostitutes have been or are victims of sex trafficking. This further complicates discussion of the topic of prostitution, but it is important to represent this complexity.

In chapter 10 when family violence is discussed, I was surprised to not see reference Johnson's typology of types of intimate partner violence (IPV). This typology helps address the conflict between various perspectives on what causes IPV and the form it takes. There is a huge difference between intimate terrorism and situational couple violence, and I think this should at least be alluded to. This was acknowledged a bit in the discussion of gendered violence, but not as clearly as it could, and I think should, be.

Page 598: author reports that TFR is misunderstood more often than other fertility measures but does not explain why/how. Without explanation, this seems to me to be an unnecessary detail.

The section on Mortality and Death rates on page 600 is woefully inadequate. At a minimum, there should be some brief discussion of how and whey mortality rates have changed over time in the United States, and why and how similar changes are or are not occurring in other countries. It would also be relevant to mention that our infant mortality rate is not comparable to that of many nations that we are peers with in other areas.

I see no index or glossary, which could make the text harder to use, particularly when students are trying to review concepts they have read earlier.

In chapter 5 on sexual orientation, I am concerned that the terms "transgendered" and "homosexuality" are used. Most major news sources have follow GLAAD's request to not use these terms (https://www.glaad.org/reference). This terminology should be updated to reflect more sensitivity to this population.

I love how in each chapter, the sections are separated and have their own reference lists. This is so practical, in terms of implementing changes in the future, and I think it will be helpful to students in organizing the information they take in from reading it. This text also does a nice job integrating historical perspectives on issues with related current events and concerns. I think overall the book hits the mark on overall relevance and longevity.

The text clearly defines key terms and jargon as they are used (although an index and/or glossary would be an important addition). The prose is very accessible---exactly what I would expect a college student to be able to read without struggling and comprehend without confusion.

I do not see any problems with internal consistency. The author did a nice job of representing functionalist, conflict, and symbolic interaction perspectives within the various topics.

YES. This is one of my favorite things about this text. I love how each chapter has such distinct sections. It's like all these complicated topics have been cut into bite-size pieces for the reader, which is so important in terms of accessibility and facilitating comprehension. Well done!

I like the overall organization of topics in the book. In the class I teach that correlates best with this text, I cover the various topics in a quite similar order. I also find the organization within chapters logical.

(PDF version of text) Pages 140, 180: Image at the bottom of page, caption is on the top of the following page Some of the images in the text are quite good, some are just ok, and some look staged or somewhat irrelevant to the topic at hand. However, I have a MAJOR problem with the divorce cake picture on page 408. I think it is not only in poor taste, but it also reinforces a host of (often gender-related) stereotypes and assumptions associated with divorce. I'll admit to being particularly sensitive to this issue as I am a divorced woman. But I'd like to hope that others would see the problems with this image that I see. There are some really great divorce cakes out there, and I'm all for you using an image of one in the text. But not this one.

Page 224: heading for title, blank below, table that follows goes for over a page, but is very narrow. I would suggest reformatting this. Pages 251, 434: Marijuana heading should just begin on the next page Pages 254, 261, 397: heading for table should be on same page as table Pages 261: source info for table should appear on the same page as the table Pages 320, 472, 559: caption for photo should be on same page as photo Pages 346, 358, 364, 499, 501, 560, 654: image is so large that a big gap is left on previous page. Pages 571: text here is smaller than everywhere else Pages 575, 663: keep bulleted lists on the same page

I'm sure there are some (there always are), but in my review, I did not find any.

Overall, it's pretty good. Like I mentioned before, I don't like listing only a few countries as having sex trafficking as a major problem. But this is the only specific example I can think of where I felt like certain countries were called out inappropriately. The issues with gender and sexuality terminology that I mentioned in item 2 are a big concern for me, however.

I definitely will refer to this text for general reviews of certain issues I'm not as familiar with and for using the discussion questions. I may use parts of it with my students, as well. If the issues I brought up were addressed, I would most definitely integrate at least parts of it in the readings I use in certain courses.

Reviewed by Komal Dhillon, Adjunct Professor, Virginia Tech on 2/8/17

Social Problems: Continuity and Change reads as an introductory text that exposes readers to a wide array of social issues. As such, the breadth of the text is impressive as many significant areas relating to social problems are discussed. However, due to the wide range of of topics, the depth in which each area is covered is relatively less, and is therefore more appropriate for an introductory class. That being said, the ideas that are considered in the text are done so in a critical and insightful manner and encourage further discussion (such as in a classroom setting) and thought. The table of contents that is provided is extremely useful and easy to navigate. A glossary of terms is not included, but would be helpful to readers for easy reference.

One of the most important features of Social Problems is the author's approach to providing information in the most objective way possible. Many of the issues discussed include various theoretical frameworks for understanding the why and how aspects. These often include the most prominent responses to social problems, including a brief genealogy of the problem presented in an informative way. Absent from this discussion is the author's viewpoints, thus allowing the reader to form their own conclusions.

The content is accurate and up-to-date with current sociological perspectives and includes contemporary examples, which help make it more relevant to undergraduates. Historical examples are also included in order to better conceptualize the origins and development of the issues. The text will have staying power for years to come, but occasionally adding recent examples will also be beneficial as it will help students relate to the material more easily and demonstrate the continuity of the problem.

This is one of the more accessible social problems text I have read. One does not need to have completed a prerequisite course in order to understand the concepts and ideas in Social Problems: Continuity and Change. Terms and ideas specific to the field of sociology are sufficiently elaborated upon in a clear and concise style. Yet, the information is also not too basic as to be deemed common-sense or intuitive. The language used is appropriate for the undergraduate level as it is easy to follow, yet at the same contributes to language development through the use of new terms (and terms used in new, non-conventional ways). The author has struck the important balance between accessibility and using the appropriate amount of jargon (while providing more than adequate context).

I found the book to be very consistent, particularly with terminology. For example, in the initial discussion of the connotative differences between the terms sex and gender, the author clarifies that the two are not interchangeable. When referencing either of these terms in other areas of the book, the author uses them in a manner consistent with the distinction provided. The same can also be said of the terms race and ethnicity as well.

There are numerous sections within each chapter that are organized similarly across all chapters. None of the individual sections are lengthy, yet they provide the reader with an appropriate amount of information, including historical perspectives, theoretical frameworks, examples, and solutions. Each chapter can be assigned out of order as the text is not overly self-referential, but the sections within the chapter are best read together and chronologically for maximum comprehension.

The reader is able to anticipate the organization of each chapter. This is particularly helpful with a book that discussed such a large variety of topics as it lends clarity and cohesiveness to the text. Moreover, the preface does a good job of outlining the structure of each chapter, while the table of contents also provides a useful quick reference.

I did not experience any interface issues. The links within the table of contents perfectly redirected the reader to the respective section. The images, photos, charts, graphs, and other displays were also clear and appropriate in size and relevance.

I noticed a few minor grammatical issues (missing period (one or two), absent commas, improper apostrophes, etc). I did not see any misspellings or major issues in sentence structure.

By and large, the author does an exceptional job of being inclusive (which is extremely important for a text that discusses cultural sensitive topics such as race, sex, feminism, age, ethnicity, class, etc.). The examples provided in the book draw from diverse groups, though the main focus is often on issues within the Unites States (and the Western world), with less attention given to global matters. Some of the images used to reference other cultures (for example, in section 4.3, under the heading, "The Global Inequality of Women) seem ahistorical and overly simplistic. In the example cited, the captions states that brides in Pakistan and India are killed every year due to inadequate dowries. This problem of violence against women in these states is much more complicated than the caption allows. Furthermore, the image used could also be viewed as essentializing of Indian women as traditional, rural, stuck in time, and even backwards and is not representative of most Indian women (who wear Western style clothing, do not do farm work, etc.).

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Social Problems: Continuity and Change and believe that it is an important text that is relevant to students of every discipline.

Reviewed by Megan Kuykendoll, Instructor, Miami University on 8/21/16

This text provides a VERY comprehensive look at overall social problems within the United States and provides a well-defined section on a variety of specific issues. This open text would be an excellent supplement to a large variety of course subjects when used in parts, but it would also be very useful in its entirety for a sociology or other related course. The comprehensiveness of topics lends itself to a wider use across disciplines than a more sociology- or psychology-specific focused text. For example, one could use the chapters on gender inequality and the changing family of this text in a women's studies course, while a criminal justice course might use the chapters covering crime and substance abuse instead. While the text does not appear to provide a specific index or glossary, it does provide appropriate links and citations where applicable. I might suggest including these features in the next revision of this text.

Content appears to be accurate and uses current sources where applicable. Images were also notably very current in several sections. No errors were noticed and the text is reasonably unbiased in its review of US/American society.

Given that this is a text written about societal problems and current issues, it generally lends itself to needing more updating than other subject matter. With that being said, this book would have relatively good longevity (several years) before significant additions would need to be made. Again, this would depend on any significant changes to cultural perceptions or legislative measures (for example, recent legalization of same-sex marriage).

This is a particular strength of this book. It starts each chapter with clear learning objectives and ends with a recap and key take-aways. I think this significantly adds to the student experience and helps to provide important scaffolding for the knowledge they are building. Excessively technical terms are avoided or explained where needed.

This text presents topics in a consistent manner and helps students to contextualize each topic within the broader society. Another helpful aspect is the continual redirection to ways students can get involved (volunteering, activism, etc). I find this particularly noteworthy because students may often feel dismayed at the breadth and depth of societal problems, but this part of each chapter helps them begin to move from discomfort and despair to action and positive contributions to their communities.

This book seems to have excellent modularity. I could see this text being used in parts very easily with little to no adjustment needed. Chapters can be presented in a different order than shown in the book without incident.

The consistency of structure in each chapter provides a great framework for students to become comfortable with what to expect for each topic. The flow created by the various sub-sections helps to understand the material in a larger context.

Overall the online interface has worked well. As mentioned previously, I would suggest adding an index and/or glossary with links to the appropriate sections. The table of contents is effective for navigation between chapters and sub-sections.

I have not noticed any grammatical errors in my review of this book.

Since this book addresses many cultural "hot topics", it's particularly important that those topics be discussed in a sensitive manner. This text takes a very matter-of-fact tone with the reader and uses research and historical context to help understand issues like race, gender, and sexuality. Where applicable, examples of cultures or communities outside of the United States are given to further examine the specific topic.

Reviewed by Rosalie Schofield, Associate Professor, Temple University on 8/21/16

The text offers a broad overview of key social problem areas that will be of interest to students. It offers a table of contents that details the approach to each problem. Each topic includes an historical perspective as well as an explanation of what key terms mean. The author follows a standardized approach in each chapter of defining the problem, presenting a range of data disaggregated by numerous characteristics including age, race, and sex. He provides statistics on the problem including easy to comprehend graphic presentations. offers competing theories that offer different explanations for why the problems exist, identifies individuals and approaches that have helped ameliorate the problems. The author also engages students in thinking about how they could contribute to alleviating or eliminating the problem.

I found the text to be accurate overall although the latest research and statistics are primarily from 2010 and 2011. One would want to supplement with updated research findings and data but other than that the content was correct. It appeared to be to be error-free and offered a balanced perspective. The ranking below is a 3 only because of the currency of the research and statistics.

The content of the book is still pertinent. The framing of the various problems, presentation of their key components and discussion of their different impact on specific demographic groups works well. The current event spotlighting the problem at the beginning of each chapter can easily be updated.

The text is clearly written and organized. It will be easy for students to understand. Any complex terms or theories are adequately explained. Each chapter lists takeaways at the end which will help students to retain the major points.

As discussed above, the text is organized so that the chapters follows the same schema throughout.

The text could easily be broken into blocks that corresponded to the syllabus topic for a given week. With some work, one could also easily update the content in those areas that needed more current information.

The topics are presented in an impressively clear and accessible manner. The challenge is the length of the book and the challenges of scrolling to easily locate or review previously read content. That is the nature of e-reading. For some students this is a challenge.

I didn't notice any interface problems that would distract the reader from understanding the text content other than the challenge of scrolling such lengthy material as discussed above.

I saw no grammatical errors.

Effectively presents and discusses race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation. Could be supplemented with content on transgender issues.

I could see segments of this text being used in a variety of courses that address social issues including, social policy, social work, and public health as well as intro sociology. The preface to this text on your website described it as an Introduction to Psychology but it is instead an Introduction to Sociology,

Reviewed by Hannah Liebreich, Lecturer, University of Hawaii at Manoa on 8/21/16

The overall layout of the textbook is logical and comprehensive. Additionally, the layout of each chapter is well organized and provides a wide range of topics and examples. The textbook covers an inclusive list of key terms, and the definitions are concise and to the point. However, I think that the presentation of major sociological theory could be more thorough. If I used this textbook for a course, I would likely accompany it with additional theoretical readings.

The author accurately and effectively covers material, and for the most part a variety of perspectives are presented for each topic.

Although the timeliness and relevance of material covered in a social problems class is constantly in flux, the textbook does a nice job of incorporating material from a wide range of contemporary issues. Plus, one of the perks of using a textbook from the Open Textbook Library is that you can more easily tweak the material being covered.

The language as well as the organizational structure of the writing is clear and concise. Additionally, the examples are easy to understand and complement and clarify key points.

Each chapter follows a similar and consistent layout, which makes the material easier for students to retain.

Modularity rating: 2

I can see how the overall structure as well as the organization of each chapter is well designed for class modules. For example, the “Social Problems in the News” section that starts each chapter is great for generating class dialogue and so are the “For Your Review” questions.

The organization of the chapters has a logical flow. Additionally, I like how the preface explains the layout of the chapters (i.e. the bullet points), I’m sure this is especially useful when students are studying for midterms.

Charts, graphs, visualizations, etc. are easy to understand and complement the text.

There does not appear to be grammatical or mechanical errors, and the textbook is accessible to readers.

The author presents a variety of examples and perspectives. However, I think the textbook could benefit from a more intersectional approach.

I’m a firm believer that higher education should be more affordable for students so I am pleased that this textbook, as well as others in the Open Textbook Library, offer quality sociological reading material.

Reviewed by Heidi Esbensen, Adjunct/Part-time Faculty, Portland Community College/Portland State University on 1/7/16

This text covers a broad spectrum of social problems coherently and thoroughly. One of the strengths of this text is the manner in which it provides examples that can connect the reader, students, to the issues in a way that matters to them. There are relevant examples throughout that are intermingled with theoretical lenses that connect the reality to academia, or vice versa. Each chapter focuses on one area of social problems and ties them to broader areas of oppression and intersections such as race, class, gender, etc. This is not easily accomplished across such a broad range of topics, but is nicely done here and is central in the first few chapters, setting a stage of perspective for the rest of the book.

Concepts and theories are accurate and clearly described, as well as current and relevant. The text is also up to date and in many cases seems to present more than one angle to social problems. This is taking into consideration a natural bias in social sciences when looking at social problems, but this text seems to, in most cases, lessen this to a great extent.

Prefacing the book with ‘classic theory’ and incorporating current events will maintain that the text is relevant for a long time. The ability to update the current events and areas of the chapters should be simple and will keep it current and lively!

Easy to read and comprehend, and the chapters were clear in their intent and purpose. The language used and writing style is very well managed in a way that presents the material clearly and concisely, while keeping readers attention.

Seemed consistent throughout, in both terminology and framework.

While reading this it was clear that there was a structure to create modules of learning to accompany. This would be easy to organize into discussions and lectures from the text layout. Also within chapters there was clear sub sections that were also laid out in modular organization. This text could easily be divided into subunits and sets of chapters for multiple subjects. This is a very strong point of this text.

The layout and structure seemed well thought out and the sections and sub sections were clear and followed each other well. There is no way to judge what social problem should come before another in presentation, and if it were desired to change the flow, one could easily assign different topic chapters in a different order.

Easily accessible, downloadable and all text, images and graphs were clear. As someone who is typically not drawn to online reading and would prefer in hand reading, this was easy and simple to navigate.

No grammatical errors were found.

Given the inclusion of current events and obvious attempt at intersectionality, this seems culturally relevant and easily graces the reader with the ability to see this. The text is appropriate and respectful of diverse backgrounds and lives.

I am not one to subscribe to online texts per se, but will definitely consider this after taking the time to read Social Problems: Continuity and Change, I was impressed by how comprehensive and well-presented it was. I think that given the vast amount of information, that this text could be very useful in full or in part for teaching, and given the format, a more socially conscious choice. There were chapters that would not only be good as part of the whole text, but used as an introductory to a more specific subject course. I think one of the strengths of the text is the language and the manner in which it really does provide opportunity for students to connect closely through pictures and examples presented.

Reviewed by Gordon Walker, Instructor, Portland Community College on 1/7/16

The book is extremely comprehensive, covering major challenges society is facing in the 21st Century, and would serve well as a reference book and as a place to go to begin research on today’s social problems. Extensive references are helpful... read more

The book is generally well researched, with many references in each chapter, although some of the references are ten years old or more. More recent research would add legitimacy to the accuracy of the book. For example, the section on marijuana (pp 322-324) is inaccurate and needs updating due to recent legalization, medicinal usage, rising potency of the drug, and also due to new research on cannabis and its effects. Both assertions in the statement “marijuana is generally not physiologically addictive, (and) it does not reduce ambition and motivation” (p. 323) have been shown through research to be untrue. The DSM 5 now recognizes that there are both physical and mental symptoms associated with marijuana withdrawal, and studies have shown that “amotivational” behavior occurs in those who chronically use marijuana. Actually, I found this section on marijuana and its effects to be somewhat irresponsible—the text takes a tone that is seemingly condoning marijuana use, which in my opinion is ill-advised considering the general demographic of those who will most likely be reading this text. Check out The National Institute on Drug Abuse’s Research Report Series on marijuana for an overview of newer research: https://d14rmgtrwzf5a.cloudfront.net/sites/default/files/mjrrs_9_15.pdf

The social problems discussed in the book, such as racism, poverty, drug and alcohol use, crime, and war and terrorism are both relevant to current societal concerns plaguing both the United States and the world and are also are challenges the world will be facing long into the future. The text should remain relevant with updates and inclusion of more current reseacrh and case examples.

The book is very clear in presenting its ideas in a linear and logical fashion. It presents a social problem, examines the causes and current impact of the problem, and offers suggestions for how the problems could begin to be ameliorated. The book is written in understandable language.

The chapters are very consistent in their presentations. The social problems herein are examined in the same manner in each chapter, which allows the book to flow well. The reader knows what to expect and what learning objectives are meant to occur.

The book is very well organized and the individual chapters can stand alone. If an instructor wanted to only teach portions of the book, this could be easily achieved. The chapters are also broken up into smaller sections, which make it easy to read small chunks at a time while also gaining increased knowledge of the subject matter.

The book flows well. I found the structure and the presentation helpful, as my interest in the topics grew the more I read.

I noted no problems with the book’s interface. Graphics were simply presented and understandable.

No grammar problems were noted. The writing was easy to follow and understand.

The text is very culturally conscience and relevant. Many (if not all) of the social problems in the world involve racism, discrimination, and conflicts between cultures, and the text does a good job of pointed out how culture affects and is affected by the social maladies covered. I did not perceive the text to be culturally insensitive in any way, although I am a privileged white male and have my own blind spots, so it’s possible I missed something an individual of another culture or demographic might see differently.

Overall, I found this text to be an excellent overview of problems with which modern society is confronted and which college students will continue to face as they grow older. Although I am familiar with many of the subjects discussed in the book, I enjoyed reading the text and found my interest growing in the subjects due to the manner in which topics were presented and the examples used to demonstrate them. I also appreciated that the book encouraged students to strive for social justice and not lose hope that they can contribute to the amelioration or resolution of these social problems.

Reviewed by Vanessa Jones, Lecturer, Cleveland State University on 6/10/15

Through the text, Barkan provides a comprehensive definition of social problems and policy processes, overview of critical current issues and theoretical perspectives, and history of problems affecting the social context of the United States and how such have been and can be addressed. There are also helpful sections that provide a global look at some social issues. While there is no index, glossary, or table of contents, the text is formatted effectively to highlight key terms, definitions, and concepts. Having nearly 900 pages of comprehensive coverage of social problems limits opportunities for instructors to assign additional readings and expose students to a variety of authors and research.

The content provided is not only comprehensive, but is also accurate and current. Barkan provides multiple perspectives on social problems, which effectively limits bias. Readers are exposed to opposing public and political views within a socio-historical context, allowing for readers to form their own educated assessments on the various social issues.

The content is current, and the text makes use of relevant news stories. It is arranged in such a way that and has a digital format whereby these news stories, supporting resources, and text can be easily replaced and/or updated.

Barkan’s writing style falls between informal and formal registers, utilizing clear, accessible language and avoiding the use of jargon (including academic, scholarly, and technical terminology) without providing an adequate explanation. The information is presented in a manner appropriate for some high school classes in addition to the post secondary level.

The terminology and framework of the text are internally consistent, incorporating the theoretical perspective of social constructivism throughout. It has a user-friendly and engaging chapter/section format that includes several types of pedagogical features and text blocks for application of social problems in the news, in relation to youth, with respect to change, various activities and scenarios, as well as succinctly summarized objectives, takeaways, and review.

The text is successfully divided into modules whereby each chapter contains smaller reading sections, complete with the aforementioned pedagogical features and text blocks. This arrangement is particularly useful when structuring reading assignments for courses in which the entire text may not be used or may be supplemented with additional journal articles. The included subheadings are also useful to guide readers and instructors through the content. Sections of text can be easily reorganized and assigned without disrupting the meaning and delivery of the content.

The chapters and topics within each chapter are presented in a clear and logical manner. The modularity of the text is structured in such a way that flows consistently with the subject matter while leaving flexibility for re-organization to fit the needs of individual instructors.

Interface rating: 2

While the text appears to be free of significant interface issues, navigation through the text is challenging. The comprehensive nature of the text makes it lengthy, and the addition of interactive table of contents, index, and glossary as well as a list of the charts and figures would be helpful to allow readers to navigate through the text. Currently, navigation through the text is a bit cumbersome, limited to scrolling through nearly 900 pages to locate information. The images are appropriate and engaging. While they contain helpful information, the charts used could be more visually sophisticated. None of the display features appear to be distracting or confusing.

Barkan does an excellent job of addressing social problems, which by nature can be controversial, in a manner that is neither culturally insensitive nor offensive. Barkan uses examples that are diverse, multicultural, and inclusive.

Social Problems: Continuity and Change is a well written, organized, and comprehensive textbook presentation of social issues and transformation. The author skillfully provides multiple perspectives on a wide range of issues, typically controversial in nature, thus promoting cultural sensitivity and relevance while avoiding bias. Though lengthy, the modular format of the text is ideal for modification for use in post-secondary as well as some secondary settings. Because the author so thoroughly covers the landscape of social problems, this text is an excellent resource even if not adopted in entirety.

Reviewed by David McLeod, Assistant Professor, University of Oklahoma on 1/12/15

Attempting to comprehensively cover all aspects of social problems, with the extensiveness of marginalization, diversity, and oppression that exists in modern American society, is a daunting task. While I think the aim of this book is not for complete comprehensiveness, it’s almost 900 pages provide an extensive overview and set the stage well for opening students eyes to the differences that exist between the version(s) of the world they have experienced first hand, and the versions of the world that others experience. One of the key strengths of the text is in how it not only provides an overview of social problems in American society, but it also how it grounds the interpretations of these social problems through theoretical and paradigmatic lenses. Discussions of Structural Functionalism or Critical theories are highly useful in setting the stage for the investigation of social problems, and this text handles that well. Additionally the text provides examples throughout the chapters for how these types of problems may be viewed or dealt with in different cultures around the world. These pieces, along with discussions of opportunity for change and action, add to the comprehensiveness of the text by fostering conversations that could bring the students full circle to where they are not only enlightened about problems they may not have known existed prior to engagement in the course, but are also equipped to take steps toward addressing those problems.

The content of the text appears to be relatively error free. However, all positions concerning social problems are by their nature inherently biased. By simply deciding what constitutes a problem we have identified a position in which we stand. This is not bench science where generalizable truth is easier to quantify. Thankfully the author acknowledges this early in the text by explaining the differential nature by which people ascribe meaning to the world around them, and the theme is carried throughout, thus giving the reader the ability to interpret the identified problems from multiple viewpoints.

The contents of this text appear to be very up to date. I would expect this (digital) format to be an incredible asset to helping to keep the discussion of these social problems a contemporary one. Due to the structure and compartmentalization of the text I would expect updates to be easily added to the text.

The author has done a wonderful job at making the text easy to read and accessible. There is a minimum use of highly scientific or jargon terms, and students should find it easily digestible.

The text is consistent. For example throughout the text various social problems are examined using the same theoretical perspectives. Also there are social research sections throughout the text and key takeaways and discussion topics are at the end of every section. The structure and organization of the book, as well as concepts, terminology, and theories used, are consistent.

The modularity of the text would lend it to be easily taken apart and reassembled to suit particular classes. Further, the text with almost 900 pages total, appears to have been constructed with this in mind. Each chapter is self contained and could be used standing alone, and the sections within chapters are relatively self sustaining as well. The text has a good use of headings and is well organized.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 3

The topics are presented in a fairly logical progression. Inside the chapters, content layout is highly logical and clear.

The text has an excellent interface. Charts, illustrations and figures are vibrant and helpful. One thing that may be helpful would be quick links (in a condensed table of contents) in the pdf file that could take you straight to a chapter rather than having to scroll through to find it.

The text contains no grammatical errors.

The author appears to have worked to make the text as culturally sensitive as possible considering the subject matter.

Reviewed by Katherine MacTavish, Associate Professor, Oregon State University on 9/29/14

The book takes a comprehensive approach to social problems addressing major social institutions (family, school, work and health care) and including an emphasis on race/ethnicity, age, rural/urban, and global concerns such as war and terrorism. I was also delighted to see a chapter on the environment. In particular I appreciate the first chapters that clearly lay out the definition and evolution of a social problem along with theoretical perspectives on social problems. This setup provides a very useful framework for understanding what is to come in individual issues focused chapters. The books is filled with examples and illustrations along with application- the why does it matter bit that students so appreciate.

The book's content appears accurate. Theories and concepts are well explained.

The book connects relevant and up-to-date sources with classics. Each chapter starts off with "social problems in the news" section highlighting a timely connection to the issue.. I should imagine the book will remain useful for some years to come!

I found the writing to be very clear and approachable. Appropriate terminology was used but always with a clear explanation illustrated with examples.

The books format and content appear consistent. Chapters are laid out to include similar elements (my favorite of which is the applying social research). Colorful graphs, illustrations and photos support the text. the theoretical perspectives introduced in the front matter are pulled throughout.

The book was clearly developed with an eye for modularity. Combined with the front matter chapters and even subsections of chapters easily stand alone. I could imagine using sections of this book in several courses in our undergraduate program (including families in poverty, family, school and community collaboration, critical thinking, and health disparities). I could also see using sections of the book as supplements to workshops and training.

The flow seemed logical. I appreciate the development of clear subsections within each chapter.

I found no issues interfacing with the pdf. Graphs, images and and text were clear.

Seemed fine.

The book seems to strive to be inclusive of perspectives outside of majority culture. The privilege of social class and geographic location that bring about opportunity gaps were well acknowledged in explanations of inequality.

I came in to this review a skeptic. I was sure that a free online textbook would somehow be an inferior product. My mind has been changed!

Chapter 1: Understanding Social Problems
Chapter 2: Poverty
Chapter 3: Racial and Ethnic Inequality
Chapter 4: Gender Inequality
Chapter 5: Sexual Orientation and Inequality
Chapter 6: Aging and Ageism
Chapter 7: Alcohol and Other Drugs
Chapter 8: Crime and Criminal Justice
Chapter 9: Sexual Behavior
Chapter 10: The Changing Family
Chapter 11: Schools and Education
Chapter 12: Work and the Economy
Chapter 13: Health and Health Care
Chapter 14: Urban and Rural Problems
Chapter 15: Population and the Environment
Chapter 16: War and Terrorism

Ancillary Material

Independent

About the Book

Social Problems: Continuity and Change is a realistic but motivating look at the many issues that are facing our society today. As this book's subtitle, Continuity and Change, implies, social problems are persistent, but they have also improved in the past and can be improved in the present and future, provided that our nation has the wisdom and will to address them.

It is easy for students to read a social problems textbook and come away feeling frustrated by the enormity of the many social problems facing us today. Social Problems: Continuity and Change certainly does not minimize the persistence of social problems, but neither does it overlook the possibilities for change offered by social research and by the activities of everyday citizens working to make a difference. Readers the book will find many examples of how social problems have been improved and of strategies that hold great potential for solving them today and in the future.

You will find several pedagogical features help to convey the “continuity and change” theme of this text and the service sociology vision in which it is grounded: Each chapter begins with a “Social Problems in the News” story related to the social problem discussed in that chapter. These stories provide an interesting starting point for the chapter's discussion and show its relevance for real-life issues. Three types of boxes in each chapter provide examples of how social problems have been changed and can be changed. In no particular order,

A first box, “Applying Social Research,” discusses how the findings from sociological and other social science research have either contributed to public policy related to the chapter's social problem or have the potential of doing so.

A second box, “Lessons from Other Nations,” discusses how another nation or nations have successfully addressed the social problem of that chapter.

A third box, “People Making a Difference,” discusses efforts by individuals, non-profit organizations or social change groups, or social movements relating to the chapter's social problem. Students will see many examples in this box of how ordinary people can indeed make a difference.

A fourth box in each chapter, “Children and Our Future,” examines how the social problem discussed in that chapter particularly affects children, and it outlines the problem's repercussions for their lives as adolescents and adults. This box reinforces for students the impact of social problems on children and the importance of addressing these problems for their well-being as well as for the nation's well-being. Each chapter ends with a “Using What You Know” feature that presents students with a scenario involving the social problem from the chapter and that puts them in a decision-making role. This feature helps connect the chapter's theoretical discussion with potential real-life situations.

Each chapter also ends with a “What You Can Do” feature that suggests several activities, strategies, or other efforts that students might undertake to learn more about and/or to address the social problem examined in the chapter. Like other aspects of the book, this feature helps counter “doom and gloom” feelings that little can be done about social problems.

Other pedagogical features in each chapter include Learning Objectives at the beginning of a major section that highlight key topics to be learned; Key Takeaways at the end of a major section that highlight important points that were discussed in the section; For Your Review questions, also at the end of a major section, that have students think critically about that section's discussion; and a Summary that reviews the major points made in the chapter.

The founders of American sociology a century or more ago in cities like Atlanta and Chicago wanted to reduce social inequality, to improve the lives of people of color, and more generally to find solutions to the most vexing social problems of their times. A former president of the Society for the Study of Social Problems, A. Javier Treviño, has used the term service sociology to characterize their vision of their new discipline. Social Problems: Continuity and Change is grounded in this vision by offering a sociological understanding of today's social problems and of possible solutions to these problems.

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Social Issues Essay

Social issues are the problems that affect the masses. These are due to current situations and protracted lived disagreements and complications that are difficult to resolve due to different beliefs, viewpoints and opinions. Here are a few sample essays on ‘social issues’.

100 Words Essay On Social Issues

Social issues are due to traditional and cultural stereotypes harming ordinary people, which need immediate attention. Social problems are subjective. They mean different things to different people. Social issues include poverty, child marriage, violence, crime, illiteracy, racial discrimination, gender bias, economic inequality, caste discrimination etc. Poverty is a severe social issue in rural areas, giving way to a lack of food and education, malnutrition, crime and violence. Gender bias and casteism are very evident in developing countries. Lack of education has resulted in issues like child marriages and racial discrimination. Modern society has resulted in new issues like pollution, climate change, corruption and terrorism.

These issues have plagued every country, society and, at some point, every household. These issues can be solved with strategic planning and educating people about them.

200 Words Essay On Social Issues

Numerous social issues have severely paralyzed our society. Ancient social issues like Sati, Polio etc., had taken tremendous effort to eradicate. Social problems aren’t just the ill that need solutions; they are topics of debate that affect a particular set of people differently. These are the result of various happenings in society by humans that affect them only.

Social Issues that require immediate attention

Poverty - Unequal distribution of the economy in the urban and rural areas has resulted in a higher level of poverty in the rural part of the country. As a result, many people need access to basic human needs like food, clothing and shelter.

Gender discrimination - Pay disparity between males and females is evident in many walks of our lives. Lack of female representatives in parliament or government duties are some issues the government is trying to tackle. Female infanticide is one of the main reasons for the unequal gender ratio in India.

Other social issues - Religion and Caste based discrimination are significant issues in India. They lead to communal riots.

Other issues like child labour, women empowerment, fundamental human rights, and national wars exist in many parts of the world.

We face these issues regularly, and these lead to violence and anarchy. Changing the mindset of people is the first step towards change. Governments and NGOs are actively moving towards enhancing these situations.

500 Words Essay On Social Issues

Social issues have existed since before civilization. Social problems occur when people’s views and beliefs don’t align. They affect the growth and peace of the country adversely and in the long run, affecting its development too. Pre-Independent India faced social issues like sati practise, untouchability, female infanticide, polygamy, female discrimination etc. The fact that some of these issues still prevail in a few parts of our country is undeniable. Issues like poverty, illiteracy, economic inequalities, unemployment, drug abuse, gender disparity, child abuse, climate change, corruption, casteism etc., have plagued modern India. Advances in science and technology have resulted in new socio-environmental issues like climate change, pollution, and deforestation.

Primary Cause For Social Issues

Described as a ‘Melting Pot, ’ India is home to 28 states, 8 Union territories, and 36 entities. These states and UT follow different cultural traditions, languages, music and art. India is an accurate representation of the term “Unity in diversity.” With diversity comes diverse opinions and beliefs. Sometimes these opinions can’t align, resulting in disputes that negatively affect society, leading to social issues.

Major Social issues

Poverty -Around 17% of the Indian population lives in poverty. Research shows people earn as little as 1059/- in rural India. High population, Illiteracy, unequal distribution of wealth, lack of financial resources, and unemployment are significant reasons for Poverty. Poverty leads to homelessness, less access to health care, lack of food and malnutrition.

Communalism - Casteism, Religion-based discrimination gives way to communal riots now and then. Dividing people based on their caste and religion is known as communalism. Political elements add fuel to this fire. India has witnessed a few of the worst riots, like the Mumbai riots of 1991, the Ayodhya riots, Godra riots. The caste system is a deep-rooted problem in India. Removal of Caste based reservations in education and employment can be the first step towards removing this discrimination.

Gender Discrimination - This issue impacts all developing countries. Females aren’t given equal opportunities as men. The Dowry system has affected females and their families adversely. There are many households where women are not allowed to work or obtain higher education. Female foeticide is banned now, but it has resulted in an unequal gender ratio. Pay disparity based on gender is also present.

Corruption - Abusing one’s power for personal gains is corruption. It is a deep-rooted problem of India slowing the economic development of our country, which is present both in the private and public sectors. Commonwealth scams, 2G scams, 3g scams, and Satyam scams are some of the significant frauds that recently came to light. Moral laws must be laid out and practiced by everyone to become a corruption-free country.

Solution To Social Problems

The first step is to educate the masses about these issues and create awareness about them. Governments and NGOs enforce strict laws and schemes. Recognising the origin of the problem and discussing all aspects with an open mind is the first step towards finding a solution. We have successfully dealt with issues like Sati and polygamy in the past. If proper steps, along with everyone's support, are taken, we have hope to overcome the current problems.

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Data Administrator

Database professionals use software to store and organise data such as financial information, and customer shipping records. Individuals who opt for a career as data administrators ensure that data is available for users and secured from unauthorised sales. DB administrators may work in various types of industries. It may involve computer systems design, service firms, insurance companies, banks and hospitals.

Bio Medical Engineer

The field of biomedical engineering opens up a universe of expert chances. An Individual in the biomedical engineering career path work in the field of engineering as well as medicine, in order to find out solutions to common problems of the two fields. The biomedical engineering job opportunities are to collaborate with doctors and researchers to develop medical systems, equipment, or devices that can solve clinical problems. Here we will be discussing jobs after biomedical engineering, how to get a job in biomedical engineering, biomedical engineering scope, and salary.

Ethical Hacker

A career as ethical hacker involves various challenges and provides lucrative opportunities in the digital era where every giant business and startup owns its cyberspace on the world wide web. Individuals in the ethical hacker career path try to find the vulnerabilities in the cyber system to get its authority. If he or she succeeds in it then he or she gets its illegal authority. Individuals in the ethical hacker career path then steal information or delete the file that could affect the business, functioning, or services of the organization.

GIS officer work on various GIS software to conduct a study and gather spatial and non-spatial information. GIS experts update the GIS data and maintain it. The databases include aerial or satellite imagery, latitudinal and longitudinal coordinates, and manually digitized images of maps. In a career as GIS expert, one is responsible for creating online and mobile maps.

Data Analyst

The invention of the database has given fresh breath to the people involved in the data analytics career path. Analysis refers to splitting up a whole into its individual components for individual analysis. Data analysis is a method through which raw data are processed and transformed into information that would be beneficial for user strategic thinking.

Data are collected and examined to respond to questions, evaluate hypotheses or contradict theories. It is a tool for analyzing, transforming, modeling, and arranging data with useful knowledge, to assist in decision-making and methods, encompassing various strategies, and is used in different fields of business, research, and social science.

Geothermal Engineer

Individuals who opt for a career as geothermal engineers are the professionals involved in the processing of geothermal energy. The responsibilities of geothermal engineers may vary depending on the workplace location. Those who work in fields design facilities to process and distribute geothermal energy. They oversee the functioning of machinery used in the field.

Database Architect

If you are intrigued by the programming world and are interested in developing communications networks then a career as database architect may be a good option for you. Data architect roles and responsibilities include building design models for data communication networks. Wide Area Networks (WANs), local area networks (LANs), and intranets are included in the database networks. It is expected that database architects will have in-depth knowledge of a company's business to develop a network to fulfil the requirements of the organisation. Stay tuned as we look at the larger picture and give you more information on what is db architecture, why you should pursue database architecture, what to expect from such a degree and what your job opportunities will be after graduation. Here, we will be discussing how to become a data architect. Students can visit NIT Trichy , IIT Kharagpur , JMI New Delhi .

Remote Sensing Technician

Individuals who opt for a career as a remote sensing technician possess unique personalities. Remote sensing analysts seem to be rational human beings, they are strong, independent, persistent, sincere, realistic and resourceful. Some of them are analytical as well, which means they are intelligent, introspective and inquisitive.

Remote sensing scientists use remote sensing technology to support scientists in fields such as community planning, flight planning or the management of natural resources. Analysing data collected from aircraft, satellites or ground-based platforms using statistical analysis software, image analysis software or Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is a significant part of their work. Do you want to learn how to become remote sensing technician? There's no need to be concerned; we've devised a simple remote sensing technician career path for you. Scroll through the pages and read.

Budget Analyst

Budget analysis, in a nutshell, entails thoroughly analyzing the details of a financial budget. The budget analysis aims to better understand and manage revenue. Budget analysts assist in the achievement of financial targets, the preservation of profitability, and the pursuit of long-term growth for a business. Budget analysts generally have a bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, economics, or a closely related field. Knowledge of Financial Management is of prime importance in this career.

Underwriter

An underwriter is a person who assesses and evaluates the risk of insurance in his or her field like mortgage, loan, health policy, investment, and so on and so forth. The underwriter career path does involve risks as analysing the risks means finding out if there is a way for the insurance underwriter jobs to recover the money from its clients. If the risk turns out to be too much for the company then in the future it is an underwriter who will be held accountable for it. Therefore, one must carry out his or her job with a lot of attention and diligence.

Finance Executive

Product manager.

A Product Manager is a professional responsible for product planning and marketing. He or she manages the product throughout the Product Life Cycle, gathering and prioritising the product. A product manager job description includes defining the product vision and working closely with team members of other departments to deliver winning products.

Operations Manager

Individuals in the operations manager jobs are responsible for ensuring the efficiency of each department to acquire its optimal goal. They plan the use of resources and distribution of materials. The operations manager's job description includes managing budgets, negotiating contracts, and performing administrative tasks.

Stock Analyst

Individuals who opt for a career as a stock analyst examine the company's investments makes decisions and keep track of financial securities. The nature of such investments will differ from one business to the next. Individuals in the stock analyst career use data mining to forecast a company's profits and revenues, advise clients on whether to buy or sell, participate in seminars, and discussing financial matters with executives and evaluate annual reports.

A Researcher is a professional who is responsible for collecting data and information by reviewing the literature and conducting experiments and surveys. He or she uses various methodological processes to provide accurate data and information that is utilised by academicians and other industry professionals. Here, we will discuss what is a researcher, the researcher's salary, types of researchers.

Welding Engineer

Welding Engineer Job Description: A Welding Engineer work involves managing welding projects and supervising welding teams. He or she is responsible for reviewing welding procedures, processes and documentation. A career as Welding Engineer involves conducting failure analyses and causes on welding issues.

Transportation Planner

A career as Transportation Planner requires technical application of science and technology in engineering, particularly the concepts, equipment and technologies involved in the production of products and services. In fields like land use, infrastructure review, ecological standards and street design, he or she considers issues of health, environment and performance. A Transportation Planner assigns resources for implementing and designing programmes. He or she is responsible for assessing needs, preparing plans and forecasts and compliance with regulations.

Environmental Engineer

Individuals who opt for a career as an environmental engineer are construction professionals who utilise the skills and knowledge of biology, soil science, chemistry and the concept of engineering to design and develop projects that serve as solutions to various environmental problems.

Safety Manager

A Safety Manager is a professional responsible for employee’s safety at work. He or she plans, implements and oversees the company’s employee safety. A Safety Manager ensures compliance and adherence to Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) guidelines.

Conservation Architect

A Conservation Architect is a professional responsible for conserving and restoring buildings or monuments having a historic value. He or she applies techniques to document and stabilise the object’s state without any further damage. A Conservation Architect restores the monuments and heritage buildings to bring them back to their original state.

Structural Engineer

A Structural Engineer designs buildings, bridges, and other related structures. He or she analyzes the structures and makes sure the structures are strong enough to be used by the people. A career as a Structural Engineer requires working in the construction process. It comes under the civil engineering discipline. A Structure Engineer creates structural models with the help of computer-aided design software.

Highway Engineer

Highway Engineer Job Description: A Highway Engineer is a civil engineer who specialises in planning and building thousands of miles of roads that support connectivity and allow transportation across the country. He or she ensures that traffic management schemes are effectively planned concerning economic sustainability and successful implementation.

Field Surveyor

Are you searching for a Field Surveyor Job Description? A Field Surveyor is a professional responsible for conducting field surveys for various places or geographical conditions. He or she collects the required data and information as per the instructions given by senior officials.

Orthotist and Prosthetist

Orthotists and Prosthetists are professionals who provide aid to patients with disabilities. They fix them to artificial limbs (prosthetics) and help them to regain stability. There are times when people lose their limbs in an accident. In some other occasions, they are born without a limb or orthopaedic impairment. Orthotists and prosthetists play a crucial role in their lives with fixing them to assistive devices and provide mobility.

Pathologist

A career in pathology in India is filled with several responsibilities as it is a medical branch and affects human lives. The demand for pathologists has been increasing over the past few years as people are getting more aware of different diseases. Not only that, but an increase in population and lifestyle changes have also contributed to the increase in a pathologist’s demand. The pathology careers provide an extremely huge number of opportunities and if you want to be a part of the medical field you can consider being a pathologist. If you want to know more about a career in pathology in India then continue reading this article.

Veterinary Doctor

Speech therapist, gynaecologist.

Gynaecology can be defined as the study of the female body. The job outlook for gynaecology is excellent since there is evergreen demand for one because of their responsibility of dealing with not only women’s health but also fertility and pregnancy issues. Although most women prefer to have a women obstetrician gynaecologist as their doctor, men also explore a career as a gynaecologist and there are ample amounts of male doctors in the field who are gynaecologists and aid women during delivery and childbirth.

Audiologist

The audiologist career involves audiology professionals who are responsible to treat hearing loss and proactively preventing the relevant damage. Individuals who opt for a career as an audiologist use various testing strategies with the aim to determine if someone has a normal sensitivity to sounds or not. After the identification of hearing loss, a hearing doctor is required to determine which sections of the hearing are affected, to what extent they are affected, and where the wound causing the hearing loss is found. As soon as the hearing loss is identified, the patients are provided with recommendations for interventions and rehabilitation such as hearing aids, cochlear implants, and appropriate medical referrals. While audiology is a branch of science that studies and researches hearing, balance, and related disorders.

An oncologist is a specialised doctor responsible for providing medical care to patients diagnosed with cancer. He or she uses several therapies to control the cancer and its effect on the human body such as chemotherapy, immunotherapy, radiation therapy and biopsy. An oncologist designs a treatment plan based on a pathology report after diagnosing the type of cancer and where it is spreading inside the body.

Are you searching for an ‘Anatomist job description’? An Anatomist is a research professional who applies the laws of biological science to determine the ability of bodies of various living organisms including animals and humans to regenerate the damaged or destroyed organs. If you want to know what does an anatomist do, then read the entire article, where we will answer all your questions.

For an individual who opts for a career as an actor, the primary responsibility is to completely speak to the character he or she is playing and to persuade the crowd that the character is genuine by connecting with them and bringing them into the story. This applies to significant roles and littler parts, as all roles join to make an effective creation. Here in this article, we will discuss how to become an actor in India, actor exams, actor salary in India, and actor jobs.

Individuals who opt for a career as acrobats create and direct original routines for themselves, in addition to developing interpretations of existing routines. The work of circus acrobats can be seen in a variety of performance settings, including circus, reality shows, sports events like the Olympics, movies and commercials. Individuals who opt for a career as acrobats must be prepared to face rejections and intermittent periods of work. The creativity of acrobats may extend to other aspects of the performance. For example, acrobats in the circus may work with gym trainers, celebrities or collaborate with other professionals to enhance such performance elements as costume and or maybe at the teaching end of the career.

Video Game Designer

Career as a video game designer is filled with excitement as well as responsibilities. A video game designer is someone who is involved in the process of creating a game from day one. He or she is responsible for fulfilling duties like designing the character of the game, the several levels involved, plot, art and similar other elements. Individuals who opt for a career as a video game designer may also write the codes for the game using different programming languages.

Depending on the video game designer job description and experience they may also have to lead a team and do the early testing of the game in order to suggest changes and find loopholes.

Radio Jockey

Radio Jockey is an exciting, promising career and a great challenge for music lovers. If you are really interested in a career as radio jockey, then it is very important for an RJ to have an automatic, fun, and friendly personality. If you want to get a job done in this field, a strong command of the language and a good voice are always good things. Apart from this, in order to be a good radio jockey, you will also listen to good radio jockeys so that you can understand their style and later make your own by practicing.

A career as radio jockey has a lot to offer to deserving candidates. If you want to know more about a career as radio jockey, and how to become a radio jockey then continue reading the article.

Choreographer

The word “choreography" actually comes from Greek words that mean “dance writing." Individuals who opt for a career as a choreographer create and direct original dances, in addition to developing interpretations of existing dances. A Choreographer dances and utilises his or her creativity in other aspects of dance performance. For example, he or she may work with the music director to select music or collaborate with other famous choreographers to enhance such performance elements as lighting, costume and set design.

Social Media Manager

A career as social media manager involves implementing the company’s or brand’s marketing plan across all social media channels. Social media managers help in building or improving a brand’s or a company’s website traffic, build brand awareness, create and implement marketing and brand strategy. Social media managers are key to important social communication as well.

Photographer

Photography is considered both a science and an art, an artistic means of expression in which the camera replaces the pen. In a career as a photographer, an individual is hired to capture the moments of public and private events, such as press conferences or weddings, or may also work inside a studio, where people go to get their picture clicked. Photography is divided into many streams each generating numerous career opportunities in photography. With the boom in advertising, media, and the fashion industry, photography has emerged as a lucrative and thrilling career option for many Indian youths.

An individual who is pursuing a career as a producer is responsible for managing the business aspects of production. They are involved in each aspect of production from its inception to deception. Famous movie producers review the script, recommend changes and visualise the story.

They are responsible for overseeing the finance involved in the project and distributing the film for broadcasting on various platforms. A career as a producer is quite fulfilling as well as exhaustive in terms of playing different roles in order for a production to be successful. Famous movie producers are responsible for hiring creative and technical personnel on contract basis.

Copy Writer

In a career as a copywriter, one has to consult with the client and understand the brief well. A career as a copywriter has a lot to offer to deserving candidates. Several new mediums of advertising are opening therefore making it a lucrative career choice. Students can pursue various copywriter courses such as Journalism , Advertising , Marketing Management . Here, we have discussed how to become a freelance copywriter, copywriter career path, how to become a copywriter in India, and copywriting career outlook.

In a career as a vlogger, one generally works for himself or herself. However, once an individual has gained viewership there are several brands and companies that approach them for paid collaboration. It is one of those fields where an individual can earn well while following his or her passion.

Ever since internet costs got reduced the viewership for these types of content has increased on a large scale. Therefore, a career as a vlogger has a lot to offer. If you want to know more about the Vlogger eligibility, roles and responsibilities then continue reading the article.

For publishing books, newspapers, magazines and digital material, editorial and commercial strategies are set by publishers. Individuals in publishing career paths make choices about the markets their businesses will reach and the type of content that their audience will be served. Individuals in book publisher careers collaborate with editorial staff, designers, authors, and freelance contributors who develop and manage the creation of content.

Careers in journalism are filled with excitement as well as responsibilities. One cannot afford to miss out on the details. As it is the small details that provide insights into a story. Depending on those insights a journalist goes about writing a news article. A journalism career can be stressful at times but if you are someone who is passionate about it then it is the right choice for you. If you want to know more about the media field and journalist career then continue reading this article.

Individuals in the editor career path is an unsung hero of the news industry who polishes the language of the news stories provided by stringers, reporters, copywriters and content writers and also news agencies. Individuals who opt for a career as an editor make it more persuasive, concise and clear for readers. In this article, we will discuss the details of the editor's career path such as how to become an editor in India, editor salary in India and editor skills and qualities.

Individuals who opt for a career as a reporter may often be at work on national holidays and festivities. He or she pitches various story ideas and covers news stories in risky situations. Students can pursue a BMC (Bachelor of Mass Communication) , B.M.M. (Bachelor of Mass Media) , or MAJMC (MA in Journalism and Mass Communication) to become a reporter. While we sit at home reporters travel to locations to collect information that carries a news value.

Corporate Executive

Are you searching for a Corporate Executive job description? A Corporate Executive role comes with administrative duties. He or she provides support to the leadership of the organisation. A Corporate Executive fulfils the business purpose and ensures its financial stability. In this article, we are going to discuss how to become corporate executive.

Multimedia Specialist

A multimedia specialist is a media professional who creates, audio, videos, graphic image files, computer animations for multimedia applications. He or she is responsible for planning, producing, and maintaining websites and applications.

Quality Controller

A quality controller plays a crucial role in an organisation. He or she is responsible for performing quality checks on manufactured products. He or she identifies the defects in a product and rejects the product.

A quality controller records detailed information about products with defects and sends it to the supervisor or plant manager to take necessary actions to improve the production process.

Production Manager

A QA Lead is in charge of the QA Team. The role of QA Lead comes with the responsibility of assessing services and products in order to determine that he or she meets the quality standards. He or she develops, implements and manages test plans.

Process Development Engineer

The Process Development Engineers design, implement, manufacture, mine, and other production systems using technical knowledge and expertise in the industry. They use computer modeling software to test technologies and machinery. An individual who is opting career as Process Development Engineer is responsible for developing cost-effective and efficient processes. They also monitor the production process and ensure it functions smoothly and efficiently.

AWS Solution Architect

An AWS Solution Architect is someone who specializes in developing and implementing cloud computing systems. He or she has a good understanding of the various aspects of cloud computing and can confidently deploy and manage their systems. He or she troubleshoots the issues and evaluates the risk from the third party.

Azure Administrator

An Azure Administrator is a professional responsible for implementing, monitoring, and maintaining Azure Solutions. He or she manages cloud infrastructure service instances and various cloud servers as well as sets up public and private cloud systems.

Computer Programmer

Careers in computer programming primarily refer to the systematic act of writing code and moreover include wider computer science areas. The word 'programmer' or 'coder' has entered into practice with the growing number of newly self-taught tech enthusiasts. Computer programming careers involve the use of designs created by software developers and engineers and transforming them into commands that can be implemented by computers. These commands result in regular usage of social media sites, word-processing applications and browsers.

Information Security Manager

Individuals in the information security manager career path involves in overseeing and controlling all aspects of computer security. The IT security manager job description includes planning and carrying out security measures to protect the business data and information from corruption, theft, unauthorised access, and deliberate attack

ITSM Manager

Automation test engineer.

An Automation Test Engineer job involves executing automated test scripts. He or she identifies the project’s problems and troubleshoots them. The role involves documenting the defect using management tools. He or she works with the application team in order to resolve any issues arising during the testing process.

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1.2 Defining a Social Problem

Figure 1.2 Sociologist Anna Leon-Guerrero. We use her definition of a social problem.

When you think about the current issues facing our society and our planet, you might name war, addiction, climate change, houselessness, or the global pandemic as social problems. You would be right, sort of. Sociologists need to be more specific than that. Because they are trying to explain what social problems are or how to fix them, they need a much more precise definition. Sociology professor and author Anna Leon-Guerrero (figure 1.2) defines a social problem as “a social condition or pattern of behavior that has negative consequences for individuals, our social world, or our physical world.”(2018:4).

More concretely, it is not just that one person gets sick from COVID-19. The social problem is that our healthcare systems are overwhelmed with sick patients. People are experiencing different rates of exposure to COVID-19. Their health outcomes differ because of their race, class, and gender. Because social problems affect people across the social and physical worlds, the solutions to social problems must be collectively created. It is not enough for one person to get well, although that may really matter to you. Instead, we must act collectively, as groups, governments, or systems to identify and implement solutions. Our health is personal, but getting well depends on all of us.

To talk effectively about social problems, we must understand their characteristics. In this text, we will explore five important dimensions of a social problem :

A social problem goes beyond the experience of an individual.
A social problem results from a conflict in values.
A social problem arises when groups of people experience inequality.
A social problem is socially constructed but real in its consequences.
A social problem must be addressed interdependently, using both individual agency and collective action.

In the following section, we examine each of these five characteristics. Where these characteristics exist, social problems follow. Each component provides an additional layer of explanation about why any human problem is a social problem.

1.2.1 Social Problems: Beyond Individual Experience

Individuals have problems. Social problems, though, go beyond the experience of one individual. They are experienced by groups, nations, or people around the world. An individual experiences job loss, but the wider social problem may be rising unemployment rates. An individual may experience a divorce, but the wider social problem may be changing expectations around marriage and long-term partnerships. Solving a social problem is a collective task, outside of the capability of one individual or group.

Figure 1.3 Sociologist C. Wright Mills, pictured on the left wrote about the Sociological Imagination

In his book The Sociological Imagination , American sociologist C. Wright Mills helps us understand the difference between individual problems and social problems, and connects the two concepts (figure 1.3). Mills (1959) uses the term personal troubles to describe troubles that happen both within and to an individual. He contrasts these personal troubles with social problems, which he calls public issues . Public issues transcend the experience of one individual, impacting groups of people over time.

To illustrate, a recent college graduate may be several hundred thousand dollars in debt because of student loans. They may have trouble paying for living expenses because of this debt. This would be a personal trouble. If we look for larger social patterns, however, we see that as of 2021 about 1 in 8 Americans have student loan debt, owing about 1.6 trillion dollars (Federal Reserve Bank of New York 2021). The volume of this debt, the related laws, policies, and practices, and the harm that is being caused stretch far beyond the experience of a few individuals, resulting in student loan debt becoming a public issue.

In addition to differentiating personal troubles and public issues, Mills also connects them using the sociological imagination , a quality of mind that connects individual experience and wider social forces. He writes, “The sociological imagination enables us to grasp history and biography and the relations between the two within society. This is its task and its promise” (Mills 1959:6).

In other words, when we use our own sociological imaginations, we connect our own lives with the experiences of other people. We consider how our own past actions and the historical actions of others may have contributed to our current reality. We use our sociological imaginations to consider what the outcomes of our actions or of social policies might be. When you use your sociological imagination, complicated social problems begin to make sense. When Mills linked personal troubles and public issues, he emphasized that individuals are acted upon by wider social forces.

View from inside a thick forest of trees.

Figure 1.4 A society consists of more than individual people, just like a forest consists of more than just individual trees: The forest around Cougar Hot Springs, Oregon—More than just individual trees. Tokyo, Japan—More than individual people.

Building on Mills’s concepts, current sociologists highlight the complex relationships of the social world. In the 2019 Society for the Study of Social Problems Presidential Address, Society president Nancy Mezey explores the topic of climate change as a social problem. Understanding and solving climate change requires a deep understanding of the relationship of people and systems. She emphasizes that “society is not just a collection of unrelated individuals, but rather a collection of people who live in relationship with each other” (Mezey 2020: 606). To make this point, she uses the work of sociologist Allan Johnson. In his book The Forest and the Trees, Johnson compares the physical world to our social world:

In one sense, a forest is simply a collection of individual trees, but it is more than that. It is also a collection of trees that exist in particular relation to one another, and you cannot tell what that relation is by looking at the individual trees. Take a thousand trees and scatter them across the Great Plains of North America and all you have is a thousand trees. But take those same trees and put them close together, and now you have a forest. The same individual trees in one case constitute a forest and in another are just a lot of trees. The “empty space” that separates individual trees from one another is not a characteristic of any one tree or the characteristics of all the individual trees somehow added together. It is something more than that, and it is crucial to understand the relationships among trees that make a forest what it is. Paying attention to that “something more” — whether it is a family or a society or the entire world – and how people are related to it lies at the heart of what it means to practice sociology . (Johnson 2014: 11-12, emphasis added)

Using this comparison, Mezey reminds us human society is made up of interdependent individuals, groups, institutions, and systems, similar to the living ecosystem of the forest. This similarity is illustrated in figure 1.4. The reach of a social problem can also be planet-wide. As the response to COVID-19 demonstrates, migrations between countries, vaccination policies and implementations for any nation, and the responses of health systems in local areas can all impact whether any individual is likely to get COVID-19 or to recover from it. A social problem, then, is one that involves a wider scope of groups, institutions, nations, or global populations.

1.2.2 Social Problems: A Conflict in Values

Social problems can also be defined as issues in which social values conflict. A value is an ideal or principle that determines what is correct, desirable, or morally proper. A society may share common values. For example, a society may value universal education, the ideal that all children should learn to read and write or, at minimum, be in school until they are 18. A different society may value practical experience, focusing on teaching children skills related to farming, hunting, or raising children. When core values are shared, there is no basis for conflict.

Social problems may begin to arise if people cannot agree on values. For example, some groups may value business growth and expansion. They oppose restrictions on pollution or emissions because following these regulations would cost money. In contrast, other groups might value sustaining the environment. They support regulations that limit industrial pollution, even when they cost more money. This conflict in values provides a rich soil from which a social problem may grow.

1.2.3 Social Problems: Inequality

A social problem can arise if there is a conflict between a widely shared value and a society’s success in meeting expectations around that value. For example, to sustain life, people need sufficient water, food, and shelter. To work well, a society values human life and creates infrastructure so that all members have water, food, and shelter. However, even at this most basic level, people experience significant inequality in their access to these resources.

Figure 1.5 In this chart, we see that women experience more food insecurity than men, in every region of the world. In Africa, more than half of all people experience hunger. This rate of food insecurity has also increased around the world between 2015 and 2020. How do you think COVID-19 might have impacted world hunger? Figure 1.5 Image Description

For example, the United Nations reports that one in three people worldwide do not have access to adequate food. That number is rising (United Nations 2020). As we can see in the chart in figure 1.5, women are more likely than men to experience hunger in all regions of the world. The related report also notes that 22 percent of all children worldwide are stunted because they do not have enough to eat (FAO 2021).

In another example at the local level, the Oregon Food Bank explicitly defines hunger as a social problem. They write, “Hunger isn’t just an individual experience; it’s a symptom of barriers to employment, housing, health care and more—and a result of unfair systems that continue to keep these barriers in place” (Oregon Food Bank 2021). In exploring who is hungry in Oregon, they note that communities of color experience greater housing instability and therefore greater food insecurity than White families (Oregon Food Bank 2019). Unequal access and unequal outcomes are both common in our world and fundamental to social problems.

1.2.4 Social Problems: A Social Construction with Real Consequences

Figure 1.6: This 10 minute video on social construction explores what it means to jointly create our social reality. What else do you see that is socially constructed? Note to Reviewers: This 10 minute video on social construction is under construction. The final version will be included with the final version of the book. At the same time, we welcome comments on this draft.

Sociologists delight in statistics, those numbers that measure rates, patterns, and trends. You might think that a social problem exists when things get measurably worse—unemployment rises, food prices increase, deaths from AIDS skyrocket, or gender-related hate crimes explode. Changes in the numbers, or objective measures, provide only part of the story. Sometimes these changes go unnoticed in the wider society and don’t result in conflict or action. Other times a local community takes action, but another local community with similar statistics does not.

To explain this difference, we turn to the fundamental sociological concept of social construction , the idea that we create meaning through interaction with others. This concept asserts that while material objects and biological processes exist, it is the meaning that we give to them that creates our shared social reality. The video in figure 1.6 provides more examples of this concept.

The term social construction was used in 1966 by sociologists Peter Berger and Thomas Luckmann. They wrote a book called The Social Construction of Reality . In it, they argued that society is created by humans and human interaction. These interactions are often habits. They use the term habitualization to describe how “any action that is repeated frequently becomes cast into a pattern, which can then be … performed again in the future in the same manner and with the same economical effort” (Berger and Luckmann 1966). Not only do we construct our own society but we also accept it as it is because others have created it before us. Society is, in fact, habit .

For example, a school building exists as a school and not as a generic building because you and others agree that it is a school. If your school is older than you are, it was created by the agreement of others before you. In a sense, it exists by consensus, both prior and current. This is an example of the process of institutionalization, the act of implanting a convention or social expectation into society. By employing the convention of naming a building as a school , the institution, while socially constructed, is made real and assigned specific expectations as to how it will be used.

Another way of looking at the social construction of reality is through an idea developed by American sociologist W. I. Thomas. The Thomas theorem states, “If [people] define situations as real, they are real in their consequences” (Thomas and Thomas 1928). In other words, people’s behavior can be determined by their subjective construction of reality rather than by objective reality. For example, a teenager who is repeatedly given a label—rebellious, emo, goth—often lives up to the term even though it initially wasn’t a part of their character.

Figure 1.7 What do you think the person in the photo, gesturing “Thumbs up” is trying to say? Depending on his country, he may be saying great , on e, or five . Even our gestures are socially constructed.

Sociologists who study how we interact also recognize that language and body language reflect our values. One has only to learn a foreign language to know that not every English word can be easily translated into another language. The same is true for gestures. What does the gesture in figure 1.7 mean? While Americans might recognize a thumbs-up as meaning great , in Germany it would mean one , and in Japan, it would mean five . Thus, our construction of reality is influenced by our symbolic interactions. When we apply this idea of the social construction of reality to social problems, then, we say that a social problem only exists when people say they have one.

A crowd is walking down a street. One woman holds a sign that reads, " Whatever we wear, wherever we go, yes means yes and no means no."

Figure 1.8 In this picture of social protest, the protester is holding a sign “Whatever we wear, wherever we go, Yes means Yes and No means No” Over time our ideas about bodily autonomy, consent, and gender based violence are changing.

Let’s look at the crime of rape to understand this concept more clearly. Initially, rape was defined as a property crime. This view of women’s bodies is profoundly disturbing to us today but was common in seventeenth-century English law. Legally, women were considered the property of their fathers or their husbands. Therefore, rape was legally understood as decreasing the value of their property. Taking this model further, married women could not be raped by their husbands because consent was implied as part of the marriage contract.

When feminists in the 1970s challenged this legal definition, laws related to rape began to change. Rape, which included marital rape, became defined as a crime of violence and social control against an individual person (Rose 1977). In a more recent study, researchers examined how rape was defined in a college community between 1955 and 1990. Early descriptions of rape in school and community newspapers painted the picture that White women students were safe on campus. If they ventured beyond campus to predominantly Black neighborhoods, they risked being raped. Rape was considered a crime committed by a racialized other, a Black or Brown stranger rather than a member of a White student community. This perspective saw police as responsible for keeping women safe (Abu-Odeh, Khan, and Nathanson 2020).

With the work of feminist activists, the concept of rape and the response to rape changed. In the 1970s and 1980s, women’s centers and health professionals defined rape as an act of sexual violence that supported the structural power of men and an issue that threatened women’s health. The person who experienced rape began to be called a survivor rather than a victim . Men who raped or committed other kinds of sexual harassment could be identified as part of the campus community rather than being defined as a stranger or an outsider. The changes in the social construction of rape allowed for more effective community responses in preventing rape, prosecuting rape, and supporting the healing of rape survivors (Abu-Odeh, Khan, and Nathanson 2020).

Feminist activists continue this work. Black activist Tarana Burke founded the #MeToo movement in 2006 so that survivors of sexual violence could tell their stories. These stories highlight how common sexual violence is for women, men, and nonbinary people. It expands our conversation about rape to a wider discussion around the causes and consequences of sexual violence. If you would like to learn more about #MeToo from Burke herself, please watch this TED Talk, “ Me Too Is a Movement, Not a Moment .” Actor Alyssa Milano drew attention to this movement when she tweeted #MeToo in 2017. This movement has resulted in some changes in the law (Beitsch 2018) and in stronger prosecution of perpetrators of sexual violence, in some cases (Carlsen et al. 2018).

In this constructionist view, the definition of rape, the actors in the crime, and the responsibility for fixing the problem changed over time, with significant consequences to the people involved. Even concepts like consent, active agreement to sexual activity (see figure 1.8), are taught and learned. A Cup of Tea and Consent [YouTube] teaches the concept (some explicit language). We will see the usefulness of the social construction of a social problem as we explore each social problem raised in this book.

1.2.5 Social Problems: Interdependent Solutions of Individual Agency and Collective Action

All life is interelated. We are all caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied into a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. We are made to live together because of the interrelated structure of reality. This is the way our universe is structured, this is its interrelated quality. We aren’t going to have peace on earth until we recognize this basic fact of the interrelated structure of all reality.

—Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., activist, sociologist, and minister

Figure 1.9 Video: Martin Luther King Jr. A Christmas Speech: . Martin Luther King Jr. asserts that we are all interrelated, another word for interdependence in his Christmas Speech from 1967. While watching the whole speech is optional, you may want to view from minutes 7:10-7:12 to listen to the quote that begins this section.

Our diversity can be a source of innovative solutions to social problems. At the same time, the ways in which we are different divide us. We see bullying, hate crimes, war, gender based violence, and other patterns of treating each other differently based on our social location. At the same time, many of us go to school, raise families, live in neighborhoods, and die of old age. How is it that we are able to maintain our sense of community?

We begin to answer this question by reminding ourselves that the sociological imagination helps us see that there are wider social forces at play in our individual lives. Interdependence is the concept that people rely on each other to survive and thrive (Schwalbe 2018). Martin Luther King Jr. asserts that we are all interrelated, another word for interdependence, in his Christmas Speech from 1967 in figure 1.9. While watching the whole speech is optional, you may want to view from minutes 7:10-7:12 to listen to the quote that begins this section.

Interdependence is everywhere, but specific examples of social, economic, and physical interdependence may help us see it more clearly. With social interdependence, we rely on other people to cooperate to support our life. We give the same cooperation to others in turn. For example, when you consider your own life, you might notice how many people helped you become the person you are. When you were very young, you relied on a parent or caregivers to feed you, to clothe you, to keep you warm, and maybe to read you bedtime stories. As we widen this picture, we see that your caregivers relied on store owners and doctors, farmers and truckers, business people, and friends to support the work of caring for you. You may not have had a happy life, yet you lived long enough to read these words. This book was brought to you by authors, editors, artists, videographers, designers, musicians, librarians, and other students like you. These relationships demonstrate our social interdependence.

In addition to social interdependence, we experience economic interdependence. As we shop for groceries this week, we see empty shelves and rising food prices. COVID-19 is disrupting the global supply chain. Farmers growing oranges in Mexico can’t find laborers to pick the fruit. U.S. car manufacturers can’t get electronic chips manufactured in China. Even when people in Vietnam sew T-shirts or factory workers in Korea build TVs, the ships that carry these products from one country to another wait for dock workers to unload them. Our experiences with COVID-19 underline the truth of our economic interdependence.

We express this economic interdependence in relationships that describe the power of workers and the power of business owners. In 2017, Francis Fox Piven, the president of the American Sociological Association, defined interdependent power, arguing that while wealth and privilege create power, workers, tenants, and voters also have the power of participation. We see interdependent power today in the Great Resignation, with people deciding to resign from their jobs rather than return to work. We see it in restaurants reducing hours or closing down because they can’t find workers to wait tables and bus dishes. We see this in frontline workers becoming even more critical in providing basic services to a quarantined public. We live in a globally interdependent economy.

Finally, and maybe foundationally, we are physically interdependent. I remember being on a boat in a glacial lake in Alaska. The tour guide, a biologist, was asking the people on the tour about how many oceans there were in the world. All of us were desperately trying to remember fifth-grade geography, and counting the various oceans we remembered. Atlantic, Pacific, Indian . . . wait did the Arctic and Antarctic count as oceans? Maybe five? Maybe six? Maybe seven? At each answer, the biologist shook her head, “No.” We were stumped.

A serene view of the ocean with seagulls walking in the sand.

Figure 1.10 The Pacific Ocean at Lincoln City, Oregon, or maybe just one view of our planet’s one ocean.

She revealed that scientists who study the ocean now say that we have just one ocean (even though the ocean in figure 1.10 happens to be the Pacific Ocean, a few blocks from my house). It contains all the ocean water across our entire planet. Debris from a tsunami in Japan washed up on beaches from the tip of Alaska to the Baja peninsula and Hawaii. Rivers contribute up to 80 percent of the plastics pollution found in the ocean. We see that the COVID-19 virus travels with people around the world as infections move from place to place. As we cross the globe on our feet, bikes, camels, trains, cars, and airplanes, our diseases travel with us. We are physically interdependent.

Two people wearing masks associated with avoiding spread of COVID 19 are bumping elbows in greeting.

Figure 1.11 When do we comply with the social norms of mask-wearing and elbow bumping?

Each of these ways of considering our interdependence matters when it comes to studying social problems and creating change. Because our actions affect one another, any social problem or solution ripples through our social world. For example, social scientists are examining mask-wearing during COVID-19.

In the video “ The Importance of Social Norms” (episode 8 on the website) , researcher Dr. Vera te Velde from the University of Queensland explores mask-wearing behavior around the world. She wanted to find out what would make mask wearing a social norm. Social norms are the rules or expectations that determine and regulate appropriate behavior within a culture, group, or society.

Dr. de Velde finds that when people trust each other and their government, they are much more likely to wear masks. Trust and shared agreement around social norms encourage consistent behavior. In other words, when we notice our interdependence and trust that others will follow social norms, we are more likely to follow them too. Sociologist Michael Schwalbe, in The Sociologically Examined Life, calls this mindfulness of interdependence. When we are aware, or mindful, of how our actions impact others, we are noticing our interdependence. We then often act for the good of all.

The interdependent nature of social problems also requires interdependent solutions. For this, we look at individual agency and collective action. The discipline of sociology always asks why? , but the sociologists who study social problems are particularly committed to taking action. They try to understand why a problem occurs to inform policy decisions, create community coalitions, or support healthy families. In the best cases, they seek to know their own biases and work to remediate them, so their research is used to create change. This challenge is explicitly stated by SSSP President Mezey:

The theme for the 2019 SSSP [Society for the Study of Social Problems] meeting is a call to sociologists and social scientists in general to draw deeply and widely on sociological roots to illuminate the social in all social problems with an eye to solving those problems. The theme calls us to speak broadly and widely, so that our discipline becomes a central voice in larger public discourses. I am calling on you, the reader, through this presidential address to focus on what is perhaps the largest social problem: climate change. Indeed, because we have been focusing on individual rather than social solutions regarding climate change—we are now facing grave and imminent danger. (Mezey 2020:606)

Society president Mezey tells us that studying problems is not enough. We must focus on the most critical social problem—climate change, to support all of us in taking action.

Addressing social problems requires individuals to act. Social agency is the capacity of an individual to actively and independently choose and to affect change. In other words, any individual can choose to vote, to protest, to parent well, or to be authentic about who they are in the world. Each act of positive social agency matters to that person and their community, even if the small waves of change are hard to see in the wider world.

Collective action refers to the actions taken by a collection or group of people, acting based on a collective decision. whose goal is to enhance their condition and achieve a common objective (Sekiwu and Okan 2022). These kinds of actions people take are creative responses to local issues. We typically think of collective action as a protest march or a social movement. Collective action can also be setting up the Salmon River Grange as the distribution center for food, clothes, and pizza for survivors of the Echo Mountain Fire. It could also be reinvigorating an Indigenous language or connecting businesses and nonprofits so you can provide digital literacy skills training. People, communities, and organizations imagine the future they want to see, and take organized action to make it happen.

To confront the social problems of our world, we need a both/and approach to their resolution. We act with individual agency to create a life that is healthy and nurturing and we act collectively to address interdependent issues.

1.2.6 Licenses and Attributions for Defining a Social Problem

1.2.6.1 open content, shared previously.

“Social Construction of Reality” is adapted from “ Social Construction of Reality ” by Tonja R. Conerly, Kathleen Holmes, Asha Lal Tamang, Introduction to Sociology 3e , Openstax , which is licensed under CC BY 4.0 . Modifications: Summarized some content and applied it specifically to social problems. License Terms: Access for free at https://openstax.org/books/introduction-sociology-3e/pages/1-introduction

Figure 1.3. “ Sociologist C Wright Mills ” by Institute for Policy Studies is licensed under CC BY 2.0 .

Figure 1.4a. Photo by Deric is licensed under the Unsplash License .

Figure 1.4b. Photo by Chris Chan is licensed under the Unsplash License .

Figure 1.7. Photo by Aziz Acharki is licensed under the Unsplash License .

Figure 1.8. Photo by Raquel García is licensed under the Unsplash License .

Figure 1.11. Photo by Maxime is licensed under the Unsplash License .

1.2.6.2 All Rights Reserved Content

Figure 1.2. “ Anna Leon-Guerrero ” © Pacific Lutheran University is included under fair use.

Figure 1.9 “ Martin Luther King, Jr., Christmas Sermon ” by Mapping Minds is licensed under the Standard YouTube License .

1.2.6.3 Open Content, Original

“Defining a Social Problem” by Kimberly Puttman is licensed under CC BY 4.0 .

Figure 1.5. “Chart of World Hunger” by Kim Puttman and Michaela Willi Hooper, Open Oregon Educational Resources is licensed under CC BY 4.0 .

Figure 1.6. “ Social Construction Video (Draft) ” by Liz Pearce, Kim Puttman and Colin Stapp, Open Oregon Educational Resources is licensed under CC BY 4.0 .

Figure 1.10. Photo by Kimberly Puttman is licensed under CC BY 4.0 .

Image Description for Figure 1.5:

Globally, and in every region, the prevalence of food insecurity is higher among women than men

A line chart shows moderate or severe food insecurity for both women and men in different regions of the world from 2015 to 2020. The lines are often close, but women are always more food insecure than men. Throughout the world, food insecurity has risen for both women and men (from around 20% in 2015 to over 30% for women in 2020). The two lines diverge the most for Latin America and the Caribbean, where food insecurity went from approximately 25% in 2015 to over 40% in 2020. Food insecurity rates for both men and women are highest in Africa (almost 60% for both men and women in 2020) and lowest in North America (between 10 and 15% in 2020).

Data source: State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2021, prepared by FAO, IFAD, UNICEF, WFP and WHO.

This simplified version created by Michaela Willi Hooper and Kimberly Puttman and licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.

[Return to Figure 1.5]

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Best Social Issues Essay Topic Examples

Table of contents

1 What Are Social Justice Topics for Essay?
2 How To Choose The Right Social Justice Persuasive Essay Topics
3 Good Social Justice Argumentative Essay Topics
4 Social Issues Topics About Health
5 Social Issues Essay Topics About Environment
6 Social Issues Topics About War and Peace
7 Social Issues Topics About Police and Criminal
8 Social Issues Topics About Pornography
9 Social Issues Topics About Feminism
10 Social Issues Topics About Abortion
11 Social Issues Topics About Racism
12 Social Issues Topics About Migration and Refugees
13 Social Issues Topics About Human Rights
14 Social Issues Topics About Education
15 Tips For Writing Social Issues Essays

Students often look for social issues essay topics to write about, but it can be challenging to come up with one that both sounds interesting and important.

For example, finding a problem in society that can be an essay topic for social science issues can be tricky. And many of them go like, “should I pay someone to do my essay .” So, before you decide, we have prepared a list of examples of social issue essay topics.

These topics are diverse and exciting because they provide food for thought and teach potential writers how to think critically. Furthermore, these are all original ideas with nothing plagiarized or copied from somewhere else, so they’re perfect for any student struggling with coming up with a subject. So, check out this list of social justice issues essay topics!

What Are Social Justice Topics for Essay?

Social justice is a complex matter covering various problems affecting a group of individuals. Thus, social issues essay topics affect our society as a whole. It can be anything from pollution to poverty, racism, etc., and it usually has a negative impact on the lives of others.

The said issues are not limited to what is happening in the world today and have broad coverage. Social problems can be about something that happened in the past or something that could happen in the future; therefore, they are not bound by time.

The main reason why you should care is that it affects you too. The environment in which we live is constantly changing, and if we don’t take action, then our future will be bleak. That’s why, when writing examples essays about social issues , you ought to gain insights into the matter and express your position. Below you will see social justice essay topics, essay examples, and more that will significantly aid you when you need ideas.

How To Choose The Right Social Justice Persuasive Essay Topics

Choosing a social issue essay topic is more challenging than it seems. However, there are a few things to consider which may help you before you decide on one.

The first thing is to make sure that the essay topic is interesting and relevant to the audience. You want your essay to be exciting and engaging so that the reader will stay interested in your writing. In addition, you must pick a topic that will resonate with your readers, something they can relate to.

Secondly, you should always try to pick a topic that has some connection with your life experience or personal passions. That will help you stay motivated while writing the essay because you will be eager to learn more and, accordingly, write more. This connection will also make it easier for you to come up with ideas for your paper.

Lastly, remember the length of the essay is crucial! Make sure that your choice won’t leave too little space for all of your thoughts and explanations because this can make writing difficult and tedious.

Now you know what a social justice essay is and how to pick the right subject for it, even without an essay title generator . Then it is time to check our well-written social issues topics list, with various examples that can help you.

Good Social Justice Argumentative Essay Topics

Define the meaning of modern gaming and its relation to students’ violence boom.
Racism and reverse racism, are they equally bad, and why?
Define the term justice and its place in our society.
Are the effects of social media catastrophic to young people’s relations?
Do countries need visas, and if not, then why?
Utopia and world peace, is it possible or just a wishful fantasy of the young rebels?

Social Issues Topics About Health

Why is obesity in America one of the significant health issues?
Elderly people, who should be responsible for taking care of them and why?
Should the legal drinking age be lowered, and what issues can it cause?
Porn, what it means to the modern world, and how it affects people’s health?
Against vaccines, why do people not believe in medicine?
Free healthcare for anyone defines the benefits of changes in the healthcare system.

Social issues essay topics are a great way to tackle important topics in society. With the help of essay writers online , students can gain insights into the issues and develop a well-informed opinion about them. Such essays can lead to a better understanding of the diverse issues that plague our society and can help us in finding solutions.

Social Issues Essay Topics About Environment

Climate changes, how traveling the world affects them, and what to avoid.
Drinking water and its pollution ensure everyone has access to it.
How do plastic products affect the environment, and how can social media change that?
Global warming and the rising levels of the oceans define the possible threats.
The issue with climate change and what modern society should do to avoid it.
Waste reduction, describe how it will protect our planet’s ecosystem.

Social Issues Topics About War and Peace

Peace and wars, their relation, and can one exist without the other?
European countries’ restoration after the first and second World Wars.
Technology and scientific revolutions, can they be war aftermaths?
What are the population’s thoughts about the war in our peaceful times?
Are war monuments necessary, and what are their effects in calm times?
How do war and peace influence children’s minds?

Social Issues Topics About Police and Criminal

Underage people and how to respond to their crimes?
What is the importance of racial profiling for criminal cases?
Deescalating riots, modern measures to avoid conflicts and harm.
Futuristic ways of decreasing criminal activities.
Should the police officers’ recruitment standards and education be stepped up?
How should drug usage be punished, or should it be legal?

Social Issues Topics About Pornography

What are the effects of pornography, and how does it affect the perception of sex?
In the porn industry, is the concept of permission a valid issue or not?
How should we perceive paid sex? Is it legal, and should it be?
Adult industry and how pornography should be controlled?
Porn stars and the unfair contract strategies they have to deal with.
Pornography, what is its acceptance in our society?

Social Issues Topics About Feminism

Has feminism always existed, or is it a plot of modern society?
Feminism, radical or not, which is the best current option?
Waves of feminism throughout the ages.
Who created the feminist movement and why?
Is feminism still a must in the 21st century?
How powerful women in history made the first feminist movements that shook the world.

Social Issues Topics About Abortion

What are the possible aftermaths of delegalizing abortion?
Modern society, thoughts on abortion, and outlook towards past tendencies.
Should men be allowed to speak up and make decisions in matters like abortion?
How does abortion affect psychological health in women and men?
Religion, health, and abortion, the connection between them, and how they affect each other.
Birth control and abortion, what is the impact and importance of non-hormonal birth control pills?

Social Issues Topics About Racism

Racism and how did it change over the years?
Can racism be tracked back in history, how, and where?
Did racism come out as an aftermath because of colonialism or not?
How does racism affect our society, and how should it change?
Everyday racism, and how can it be prevented?
Is racism an over-discussed matter, and how does it affect the population?

Social Issues Topics About Migration and Refugees

How has migration changed the world over the past 50 years?
Ancient migration and its effect on the continents and our civilization.
Importance of immigrants’ integration in our society.
Chinese settlers in Europe and America and the marks they left in the local culture.
Immigrants and the tension between the American and Mexican borders.
How did immigration enrich world cuisine?

Social Issues Topics About Human Rights

Male circumstantial right after birth, is it a legit violation of human rights and why?
Freedom of speech, how does it affect society?
How should the world act against the issues with human rights in some countries?
Should we consider access to the internet a human right in our modern society?
Human rights during history, and how did they affect the world back then?
Civil and human rights describe the difference between them and their effects.

Social Issues Topics About Education

Define the benefits of free education and how it benefits the world.
Should all schools have a dress code or not?
How does the education system prevent modern-day bullying?
Is the educational system accessible to everyone, and why?
What is the impact of cyberbullying on the education and life of young students?
Schools and the issue with discrimination and poor treatment of students.

Tips For Writing Social Issues Essays

We have explained how to pick your topic. That can serve you as a great social justice essay topic example. Now you are almost ready to start writing. The last thing left for you is to take these few tips we have prepared. They will aid you beyond our website and help you write your essay.

Carefully select the subject of your essay. Do not pick something boring but something exciting that has an impact on the life we live or our society. It should be something relevant to the latest issues happening.
Make sure your essay topic is not too narrow or broad-minded. It must be a social issue with a lot to be said, yet not too much, so everyone can speak whatever they want.
Make sure you conduct a proper background check on the social issue you plan to write about. Do not write only from experience but with proven facts.
When writing any type of essay, the best thing you can do is bring out facts. An essay paper may be about anything, but without being backed by examples, it is just empty words.
Please keep it simple, make the tone friendly or informative, and do not get too emotional over the topic you have selected to write about.

In addition, when writing a social issue essay, make sure you check your facts. You do not want to write about facing issues that can cause you problems. Lastly, check and proofread your work a few times before submitting it, making sure it’s full.

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1.2 Sociological Perspectives on Social Problems

Learning objectives.

Define the sociological imagination.
Explain what is meant by the blaming-the-victim belief.
Summarize the most important beliefs and assumptions of functionalism and conflict theory.
Summarize the most important beliefs and assumptions of symbolic interactionism and exchange theory.

The sociological understanding of social problems rests heavily on the concept of the sociological imagination . We discuss this concept in some detail before turning to various theoretical perspectives that provide a further context for understanding social problems.

The Sociological Imagination

Many individuals experience one or more social problems personally. For example, many people are poor and unemployed, many are in poor health, and many have family problems, drink too much alcohol, or commit crime. When we hear about these individuals, it is easy to think that their problems are theirs alone, and that they and other individuals with the same problems are entirely to blame for their difficulties.

Sociology takes a different approach, as it stresses that individual problems are often rooted in problems stemming from aspects of society itself. This key insight informed C. Wright Mills’s (1959) (Mills, 1959) classic distinction between personal troubles and public issues . Personal troubles refer to a problem affecting individuals that the affected individual, as well as other members of society, typically blame on the individual’s own personal and moral failings. Examples include such different problems as eating disorders, divorce, and unemployment. Public issues , whose source lies in the social structure and culture of a society, refer to social problems affecting many individuals. Problems in society thus help account for problems that individuals experience. Mills felt that many problems ordinarily considered private troubles are best understood as public issues, and he coined the term sociological imagination to refer to the ability to appreciate the structural basis for individual problems.

To illustrate Mills’s viewpoint, let’s use our sociological imaginations to understand some contemporary social problems. We will start with unemployment, which Mills himself discussed. If only a few people were unemployed, Mills wrote, we could reasonably explain their unemployment by saying they were lazy, lacked good work habits, and so forth. If so, their unemployment would be their own personal trouble. But when millions of people are out of work, unemployment is best understood as a public issue because, as Mills (Mills, 1959) put it, “the very structure of opportunities has collapsed. Both the correct statement of the problem and the range of possible solutions require us to consider the economic and political institutions of the society, and not merely the personal situation and character of a scatter of individuals.”

When only a few people are out of work, it is fair to say that their unemployment is their personal trouble. However, when millions of people are out of work, as has been true since the economic downturn began in 2008, this massive unemployment is more accurately viewed as a public issue. As such, its causes lie not in the unemployed individuals but rather in our society’s economic and social systems.

Rawle C. Jackman – The line of hope… – CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

The high US unemployment rate stemming from the severe economic downturn that began in 2008 provides a telling example of the point Mills was making. Millions of people lost their jobs through no fault of their own. While some individuals are undoubtedly unemployed because they are lazy or lack good work habits, a more structural explanation focusing on lack of opportunity is needed to explain why so many people were out of work. If so, unemployment is best understood as a public issue rather than a personal trouble.

Another social problem is eating disorders. We usually consider a person’s eating disorder to be a personal trouble that stems from a lack of control, low self-esteem, or another personal problem. This explanation may be OK as far as it goes, but it does not help us understand why so many people have the personal problems that lead to eating disorders. Perhaps more important, this belief also neglects the larger social and cultural forces that help explain such disorders. For example, most Americans with eating disorders are women, not men. This gender difference forces us to ask what it is about being a woman in American society that makes eating disorders so much more common. To begin to answer this question, we need to look to the standard of beauty for women that emphasizes a slender body (Boyd, et. al., 2011). If this cultural standard did not exist, far fewer American women would suffer from eating disorders than do now. Because it does exist, even if every girl and woman with an eating disorder were cured, others would take their places unless we could somehow change this standard. Viewed in this way, eating disorders are best understood as a public issue, not just as a personal trouble.

Picking up on Mills’s insights, William Ryan (1976) (Ryan, 1976) pointed out that Americans typically think that social problems such as poverty and unemployment stem from personal failings of the people experiencing these problems, not from structural problems in the larger society. Using Mills’s terms, Americans tend to think of social problems as personal troubles rather than public issues. As Ryan put it, they tend to believe in blaming the victim rather than blaming the system .

To help us understand a blaming-the-victim ideology, let’s consider why poor children in urban areas often learn very little in their schools. According to Ryan, a blaming-the-victim approach would say the children’s parents do not care about their learning, fail to teach them good study habits, and do not encourage them to take school seriously. This type of explanation, he wrote, may apply to some parents, but it ignores a much more important reason: the sad shape of America’s urban schools, which, he said, are overcrowded, decrepit structures housing old textbooks and out-of-date equipment. To improve the schooling of children in urban areas, he wrote, we must improve the schools themselves and not just try to “improve” the parents.

As this example suggests, a blaming-the-victim approach points to solutions to social problems such as poverty and illiteracy that are very different from those suggested by a more structural approach that blames the system. If we blame the victim, we would spend our limited dollars to address the personal failings of individuals who suffer from poverty, illiteracy, poor health, eating disorders, and other difficulties. If instead we blame the system, we would focus our attention on the various social conditions (decrepit schools, cultural standards of female beauty, and the like) that account for these difficulties. A sociological understanding suggests that the latter approach is ultimately needed to help us deal successfully with the social problems facing us today.

Theoretical Perspectives

Three theoretical perspectives guide sociological thinking on social problems: functionalist theory, conflict theory, and symbolic interactionist theory. These perspectives look at the same social problems, but they do so in different ways. Their views taken together offer a fuller understanding of social problems than any of the views can offer alone. Table 1.1 “Theory Snapshot” summarizes the three perspectives.

Table 1.1 Theory Snapshot

Functionalism

Functionalism , also known as the functionalist theory or perspective, arose out of two great revolutions of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The first was the French Revolution of 1789, whose intense violence and bloody terror shook Europe to its core. The aristocracy throughout Europe feared that revolution would spread to their own lands, and intellectuals feared that social order was crumbling.

The Industrial Revolution of the nineteenth century reinforced these concerns. Starting first in Europe and then in the United States, the Industrial Revolution led to many changes, including the rise and growth of cities as people left their farms to live near factories. As the cities grew, people lived in increasingly poor, crowded, and decrepit conditions, and crime was rampant. Here was additional evidence, if European intellectuals needed it, of the breakdown of social order.

In response, the intellectuals began to write that a strong society, as exemplified by strong social bonds and rules and effective socialization, was needed to prevent social order from disintegrating. Without a strong society and effective socialization, they warned, social order breaks down, and violence and other signs of social disorder result.

This general framework reached fruition in the writings of Émile Durkheim (1858–1917), a French scholar largely responsible for the sociological perspective, as we now know it. Adopting the conservative intellectuals’ view of the need for a strong society, Durkheim felt that human beings have desires that result in chaos unless society limits them (Durkheim, 1952). It does so, he wrote, through two related social mechanisms: socialization and social integration. Socialization helps us learn society’s rules and the need to cooperate, as people end up generally agreeing on important norms and values, while social integration, or our ties to other people and to social institutions such as religion and the family, helps socialize us and integrate us into society and reinforce our respect for its rules.

Today’s functionalist perspective arises out of Durkheim’s work and that of other conservative intellectuals of the nineteenth century. It uses the human body as a model for understanding society. In the human body, our various organs and other body parts serve important functions for the ongoing health and stability of our body. Our eyes help us see, our ears help us hear, our heart circulates our blood, and so forth. Just as we can understand the body by describing and understanding the functions that its parts serve for its health and stability, so can we understand society by describing and understanding the functions that its parts—or, more accurately, its social institutions—serve for the ongoing health and stability of society. Thus functionalism emphasizes the importance of social institutions such as the family, religion, and education for producing a stable society.

Émile Durkheim was a founder of sociology and is largely credited with developing the functionalist perspective.

Marxists.org – public domain.

Similar to the view of the conservative intellectuals from which it grew, functionalism is skeptical of rapid social change and other major social upheaval. The analogy to the human body helps us understand this skepticism. In our bodies, any sudden, rapid change is a sign of danger to our health. If we break a bone in one of our legs, we have trouble walking; if we lose sight in both our eyes, we can no longer see. Slow changes, such as the growth of our hair and our nails, are fine and even normal, but sudden changes like those just described are obviously troublesome. By analogy, sudden and rapid changes in society and its social institutions are troublesome according to the functionalist perspective. If the human body evolved to its present form and functions because these made sense from an evolutionary perspective, so did society evolve to its present form and functions because these made sense. Any sudden change in society thus threatens its stability and future.

As these comments might suggest, functionalism views social problems as arising from society’s natural evolution. When a social problem does occur, it might threaten a society’s stability, but it does not mean that fundamental flaws in the society exist. Accordingly, gradual social reform should be all that is needed to address the social problem.

Functionalism even suggests that social problems must be functional in some ways for society, because otherwise these problems would not continue. This is certainly a controversial suggestion, but it is true that many social problems do serve important functions for our society. For example, crime is a major social problem, but it is also good for the economy because it creates hundreds of thousands of jobs in law enforcement, courts and corrections, home security, and other sectors of the economy whose major role is to deal with crime. If crime disappeared, many people would be out of work! Similarly, poverty is also a major social problem, but one function that poverty serves is that poor people do jobs that otherwise might not get done because other people would not want to do them (Gans, 1972). Like crime, poverty also provides employment for people across the nation, such as those who work in social service agencies that help poor people.

Conflict Theory

In many ways, conflict theory is the opposite of functionalism but ironically also grew out of the Industrial Revolution, thanks largely to Karl Marx (1818–1883) and his collaborator, Friedrich Engels (1820–1895). Whereas conservative intellectuals feared the mass violence resulting from industrialization, Marx and Engels deplored the conditions they felt were responsible for the mass violence and the capitalist society they felt was responsible for these conditions. Instead of fearing the breakdown of social order that mass violence represented, they felt that revolutionary violence was needed to eliminate capitalism and the poverty and misery they saw as its inevitable results (Marx, 1906; Marx & Engels, 1962).

According to Marx and Engels, every society is divided into two classes based on the ownership of the means of production (tools, factories, and the like). In a capitalist society, the bourgeoisie , or ruling class, owns the means of production, while the proletariat , or working class, does not own the means of production and instead is oppressed and exploited by the bourgeoisie. This difference creates an automatic conflict of interests between the two groups. Simply put, the bourgeoisie is interested in maintaining its position at the top of society, while the proletariat’s interest lies in rising up from the bottom and overthrowing the bourgeoisie to create an egalitarian society.

In a capitalist society, Marx and Engels wrote, revolution is inevitable because of structural contradictions arising from the very nature of capitalism. Because profit is the main goal of capitalism, the bourgeoisie’s interest lies in maximizing profit. To do so, capitalists try to keep wages as low as possible and to spend as little money as possible on working conditions. This central fact of capitalism, said Marx and Engels, eventually prompts the rise of class consciousness , or an awareness of the reasons for their oppression, among workers. Their class consciousness in turn leads them to revolt against the bourgeoisie to eliminate the oppression and exploitation they suffer.

Marx and Engels’ view of conflict arising from unequal positions held by members of society lies at the heart of today’s conflict theory. This theory emphasizes that different groups in society have different interests stemming from their different social positions. These different interests in turn lead to different views on important social issues. Some versions of the theory root conflict in divisions based on race and ethnicity, gender, and other such differences, while other versions follow Marx and Engels in seeing conflict arising out of different positions in the economic structure. In general, however, conflict theory emphasizes that the various parts of society contribute to ongoing inequality, whereas functionalist theory, as we have seen, stresses that they contribute to the ongoing stability of society. Thus while functionalist theory emphasizes the benefits of the various parts of society for ongoing social stability, conflict theory favors social change to reduce inequality.

Karl Marx and his collaborator Friedrich Engels were intense critics of capitalism. Their work inspired the later development of conflict theory in sociology.

Wikimedia Commons – public domain.

Feminist theory has developed in sociology and other disciplines since the 1970s and for our purposes will be considered a specific application of conflict theory. In this case, the conflict concerns gender inequality rather than the class inequality emphasized by Marx and Engels. Although many variations of feminist theory exist, they all emphasize that society is filled with gender inequality such that women are the subordinate sex in many dimensions of social, political, and economic life (Lorber, 2010). Liberal feminists view gender inequality as arising out of gender differences in socialization, while Marxist feminists say that this inequality is a result of the rise of capitalism, which made women dependent on men for economic support. On the other hand, radical feminists view gender inequality as present in all societies, not just capitalist ones. Several chapters in this book emphasize the perspectives of feminist sociologists and other social scientists.

Conflict theory in its various forms views social problems as arising from society’s inherent inequality. Depending on which version of conflict theory is being considered, the inequality contributing to social problems is based on social class, race and ethnicity, gender, or some other dimension of society’s hierarchy. Because any of these inequalities represents a fundamental flaw in society, conflict theory assumes that fundamental social change is needed to address society’s many social problems.

Symbolic Interactionism

Symbolic interactionism focuses on the interaction of individuals and on how they interpret their interaction. Its roots lie in the work of early 1900s American sociologists, social psychologists, and philosophers who were interested in human consciousness and action. Herbert Blumer (1969) (Blumer, 1969), a sociologist at the University of Chicago, built on their writings to develop symbolic interactionism, a term he coined. Drawing on Blumer’s work, symbolic interactionists feel that people do not merely learn the roles that society has set out for them; instead they construct these roles as they interact. As they interact, they negotiate their definitions of the situations in which they find themselves and socially construct the reality of these situations. In doing so, they rely heavily on symbols such as words and gestures to reach a shared understanding of their interaction.

Symbolic interactionism focuses on individuals, such as the people conversing here. Sociologists favoring this approach examine how and why individuals interact and interpret the meanings of their interaction.

An example is the familiar symbol of shaking hands. In the United States and many other societies, shaking hands is a symbol of greeting and friendship. This simple act indicates that you are a nice, polite person with whom someone should feel comfortable. To reinforce this symbol’s importance for understanding a bit of interaction, consider a situation where someone refuses to shake hands. This action is usually intended as a sign of dislike or as an insult, and the other person interprets it as such. Their understanding of the situation and subsequent interaction will be very different from those arising from the more typical shaking of hands. As the term symbolic interactionism implies, their understanding of this encounter arises from what they do when they interact and from their use and interpretation of the various symbols included in their interaction. According to symbolic interactionists, social order is possible because people learn what various symbols (such as shaking hands) mean and apply these meanings to different kinds of situations. If you visited a society where sticking your right hand out to greet someone was interpreted as a threatening gesture, you would quickly learn the value of common understandings of symbols.

Symbolic interactionism views social problems as arising from the interaction of individuals. This interaction matters in two important respects. First, socially problematic behaviors such as crime and drug use are often learned from our interaction with people who engage in these behaviors; we adopt their attitudes that justify committing these behaviors, and we learn any special techniques that might be needed to commit these behaviors. Second, we also learn our perceptions of a social problem from our interaction with other people, whose perceptions and beliefs influence our own perceptions and beliefs.

Because symbolic interactionism emphasizes the perception of social problems, it is closely aligned with the social constructionist view discussed earlier. Both perspectives emphasize the subjective nature of social problems. By doing so, they remind us that perceptions often matter at least as much as objective reality in determining whether a given condition or behavior rises to the level of a social problem and in the types of possible solutions that various parties might favor for a particular social problem.

Applying the Three Perspectives

A robber holding a glock right up to the camera

To explain armed robbery, symbolic interactionists focus on how armed robbers decide when and where to rob a victim and on how their interactions with other criminals reinforce their own criminal tendencies.

Geoffrey Fairchild – The Robbery – CC BY 2.0.

To help you further understand the different views of these three theoretical perspectives, let’s see what they would probably say about armed robbery , a very serious form of crime, while recognizing that the three perspectives together provide a more comprehensive understanding of armed robbery than any one perspective provides by itself.

A functionalist approach might suggest that armed robbery actually serves positive functions for society, such as the job-creating function mentioned earlier for crime in general. It would still think that efforts should be made to reduce armed robbery, but it would also assume that far-reaching changes in our society would be neither wise nor necessary as part of the effort to reduce crime.

Conflict theory would take a very different approach to understanding armed robbery. It might note that most street criminals are poor and thus emphasize that armed robbery is the result of the despair and frustration of living in poverty and facing a lack of jobs and other opportunities for economic and social success. The roots of street crime, from the perspective of conflict theory, thus lie in society at least as much as they lie in the individuals committing such crime. To reduce armed robbery and other street crime, conflict theory would advocate far-reaching changes in the economic structure of society.

For its part, symbolic interactionism would focus on how armed robbers make such decisions as when and where to rob someone and on how their interactions with other criminals reinforce their own criminal tendencies. It would also investigate how victims of armed robbery behave when confronted by a robber. To reduce armed robbery, it would advocate programs that reduce the opportunities for interaction among potential criminal offenders, for example, after-school programs that keep at-risk youths busy in “conventional” activities so that they have less time to spend with youths who might help them get into trouble.

Key Takeaways

According to C. Wright Mills, the sociological imagination involves the ability to recognize that private troubles are rooted in public issues and structural problems.
Functionalism emphasizes the importance of social institutions for social stability and implies that far-reaching social change will be socially harmful.
Conflict theory emphasizes social inequality and suggests that far-reaching social change is needed to achieve a just society.
Symbolic interactionism emphasizes the social meanings and understandings that individuals derive from their social interaction.

For Your Review

Select an example of a “private trouble” and explain how and why it may reflect a structural problem in society.
At this point in your study of social problems, which one of the three sociological theoretical perspectives sounds most appealing to you? Why?

Blumer, H. (1969). Symbolic interactionism: Perspective and Method . Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Boyd, E. M., Reynolds, J. R., Tillman, K. H., & Martin, P. Y. (2011). Adolescent girls’ race/ethnic status, identities, and drive for thinness. Social Science Research, 40 (2), 667–684.

Durkheim, É. (1952). Suicide (J. Spaulding & G. Simpson, Trans.). New York, NY: Free Press. (Original work published 1897).

Gans, H. J. (1972). The positive functions of poverty. American Journal of Sociology, 78 , 275–289.

Lorber, J. (2010). Gender Inequality: Feminist Theories and Politics . New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

Marx, K. (1906). Capital . New York, NY: Random House. (Original work published 1867).

Marx, K., & Engels, F. (1962). The communist manifesto. In Marx and Engels: Selected works (Vol. 2, pp. 21–65). Moscow, Russia: Foreign Language Publishing House. (Original work published 1848).

Mills, C. W. (1959). The sociological imagination . London, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press.

Ryan, W. (1976). Blaming the victim (Rev. ed.). New York, NY: Vintage Books.

Social Issues Topics: Exploring the Challenges Shaping Our World

Did you know that social issues are not just distant problems affecting others? They are deeply intertwined with our lives and have a profound impact on our daily experiences, shaping the very fabric of our society. From systemic inequality to environmental degradation, these issues have the power to shape the course of history and determine the well-being of generations to come. Get ready to dive into the fascinating realm of social issues topics! In this article, we'll explore their complexities, understand why they matter, learn how to write compelling essays about them and discover a captivating list of the most important social issues examples of our time. This thought-provoking journey will challenge our beliefs and inspire us to take meaningful action for a better future. So, let's dive in and get started!

What Are Social Issues

Social issues are the threads that intricately weave through the fabric of our society, demanding our attention, empathy, and action. They are the challenges and complexities that affect individuals, communities, and even entire nations, often leaving a profound impact on people's lives. These issues stem from the interconnectedness of our world, where various factors like politics, economics, culture, and individual experiences intersect, creating a tapestry of social problems that need to be addressed.

Social issues encompass a wide range of concerns, encompassing everything from poverty and inequality to gender discrimination, environmental degradation, and access to healthcare and education. They represent the barriers that prevent individuals from thriving, the disparities that hinder progress, and the injustices that undermine equality and human rights.

Take poverty, for example. It is not merely a lack of financial resources; it is a pervasive condition that robs individuals of their dignity, opportunities, and hope for a better future. Poverty intertwines with education, as limited access to quality education perpetuates the cycle of disadvantage. It intersects with healthcare, as inadequate medical services disproportionately affect the most vulnerable members of society. And it connects with inequality as wealth disparities widen and prevents social mobility.

As per our essay writing service , to address social issues today, it is crucial to recognize that they are not isolated problems. They are intertwined and interdependent, requiring holistic solutions that encompass multiple dimensions. It takes collective efforts from individuals, communities, governments, and organizations to foster change. Raising awareness, advocating for policy reforms, and promoting equality are essential steps toward ensuring that marginalized groups benefit and creating a more just and equitable society.

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Understanding the Importance of Social Issues in Today's World

Social issues are not abstract concepts confined to textbooks or news headlines. They are pressing challenges that affect real people and demand our attention. By actively engaging with these issues, we have the opportunity to shape a more equitable and compassionate world for ourselves and future generations.

The importance of social issues in developing countries lies in their impact on human rights, well-being, and social progress. By addressing these issues, we strive to build inclusive societies where everyone has equal opportunities and can live a dignified life. It is not only a matter of justice and compassion but also essential for sustainable development and peaceful coexistence.

Moreover, social issues highlight the power of collective action and advocacy. They remind us that we have a shared responsibility to stand up for what is right and work towards positive change. Thanks to the advancements in technology and communication, it is now easier than ever to raise awareness, mobilize communities, and bring about transformative social movements. Social media platforms have become powerful tools for amplifying marginalized voices and shedding light on systemic injustices.

How to Write an Essay About Social Issues

So you've got an assignment on social issues essay topics, huh? Don't worry; we've got your back! Writing about social issues may seem like a tough nut to crack, but trust us; it's a crucial part of academic writing. Social issues are basically problems that affect a whole bunch of people in society. We're talking about everything from politics and economics to education and health and so much more. But hey, no need to stress! Our custom writing experts are here to give you some awesome tips to help you rock that essay and make it super interesting. Let's dive in, shall we?

Choose Your Topic Wisely

Let's begin by taking the first step, my friend! It's all about choosing a topic for research papers that resonates with your heart and feels like a natural fit for your mind. When you opt for a subject that genuinely sparks your personal interest, the research and essay writing process, complete with the proper format of academic paper , will become a delightful adventure.

Engage in brainstorming sessions to generate ideas and conduct thorough investigations to gather factual information. Now, here's a nifty trick: if the chosen issue seems a bit overwhelming with its multiple dimensions, no worries! Just narrow down your focus to a specific aspect. For example, if you're tackling poverty, you can zoom in on the causes, the consequences, or even strategies to alleviate it. The world is your oyster, so let's get cracking!

Support Your Opinion with Examples

When you're writing a research paper about examples of social issues, it's really important to include research and data that support your position. This helps the reader understand why your perspective is necessary and what evidence you have to back it up. For instance, if you're discussing the impact of poverty, you can provide statistics on the number of people in need, how poverty and health problems affect education, and the connection between poverty and crime. Including these kinds of details, just like in economics essay topics , will make your essay more persuasive and engaging.

Keep It Simple

Ensuring your essay is simple and easy to understand is crucial. Instead of using complex words, opt for simpler alternatives that convey the same meaning effectively. By keeping your essay readable, you make it more engaging and easier for the reader to follow. Avoid employing jargon or technical terms that might confuse your audience. Instead, use plain language and take the time to explain any intricate terms or concepts, making the essay accessible to all readers. Following these guidelines on how to write an essay on social issues will help you effectively communicate your ideas and engage your audience.

Revise and Edit

Before you submit your essay, it's important to take a few steps to ensure its quality. Start by checking its structure, making sure it flows smoothly and logically. Verify that your arguments are well-supported and presented in a cohesive manner. Give your essay a thorough review to catch any spelling or grammar mistakes. Additionally, pay attention to formatting, ensuring consistency throughout the entire piece. It can be beneficial to have someone else read your essay and provide feedback as well. Taking these precautions will help you present polished and well-crafted topics for essays .

Social Issues Essay Example

For students seeking a practical example of a well-structured and insightful social issues essay, the pursuit of global citizenship stands as a compelling topic to explore. Through this example, you can gain inspiration and guidance for your own social issues essays, understanding how to construct a compelling argument and convey the importance of promoting positive change in society.

5 Social Issues of Today

Today's society is facing a multitude of social issues that have a significant impact on people's lives. Here is a list of some of the most pressing social issues that affect people worldwide:

Climate change and global warming : The effects of climate change are already being felt around the world, with rising sea levels, more frequent natural disasters, and changes in weather patterns. The burning of fossil fuels, deforestation, and other human activities are contributing to this issue, and it is essential that we take action to reduce our carbon footprint.
Income inequality : The gap between the rich and the poor is widening, with the wealthiest 1% of the world's population owning more than half of the world's wealth. This inequality can lead to social unrest, and it is important that we address this issue by promoting fair wages, progressive taxation, and other policies that support economic equality.
War : Armed conflicts continue to plague different regions around the world, resulting in significant humanitarian crises. Wars not only cause immense suffering, displacement, and loss of life but also have far-reaching consequences on infrastructure, economies, and social stability.
Gender equality : Despite progress in recent years, gender inequality remains a significant issue in many parts of the world. Women still face discrimination in the workplace, unequal pay, and limited access to education and healthcare. It is crucial that we continue to work towards gender equality and empower women to achieve their full potential.
Mental health issues and addiction : Mental health issues and addiction are becoming increasingly prevalent in today's society, affecting people of all ages and backgrounds. The stigma surrounding mental health can prevent people from seeking help, and it is important that we raise awareness and provide access to affordable and effective treatment options.

Social Issues Essay Topics

Are you feeling stuck while searching for fascinating subjects or a comprehensive list of social issues that can also serve as perfect dissertation topics ? We understand the challenge you're facing, but don't worry! Selecting the right topic is crucial for crafting an exceptional essay and earning your degree from a reputable American college or university. To ignite your creativity, we've compiled a comprehensive list of captivating social issues for you to explore. Get ready to dive in and discover that perfect idea for your next academic project!

👀 Interesting Social Issues Essay Topics

Income inequality and its impact on modern society.
The role of social media in shaping public opinion and activism.
Mental health stigma and its effects on individuals and communities.
The challenges faced by refugees and their integration into new societies.
The impact of technology on interpersonal relationships.
Gender inequality and the fight for gender equity.
The effects of climate change on vulnerable communities.
The basic ethical principles of genetic engineering and human enhancement.
The impact of globalization on cultural identity.
The role of education in reducing poverty and social inequality.
The criminal justice system and its approach to rehabilitation versus punishment.
The implications of automation and artificial intelligence on employment.
The impact of media portrayal on body image and self-esteem.
The effects of racial discrimination and strategies for achieving racial equality.
The challenges and opportunities of multiculturalism in contemporary society.

🎲 Peace and War Topics

Causes and origins of the Russia-Ukraine war: Explore the underlying factors that led to the outbreak of the conflict, such as historical, political, and ethnic tensions.
International response to the Russia-Ukraine war: Analyze the reactions and actions taken by various countries, regional organizations, and global institutions in response to the conflict.
The conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the challenge of achieving lasting peace.
The Kashmir conflict between India and Pakistan: Historical context, current status, and potential solutions.
The ongoing tensions in the Korean Peninsula: Assessing the prospects for peace and denuclearization.
The Syrian Civil War and its Regional and global implications.
The Israel-Palestine conflict: Historical background, current dynamics, and prospects for peace.
The war in Afghanistan: Challenges, consequences, and prospects for stability.
The conflict in South Sudan and the impact on regional security.
The war on terror: Assessing the effectiveness of counterterrorism strategies and the implications for civil liberties.

🔬 Social Science Topics

The impact of microaggressions on marginalized communities and its implications for mental health.
Exploring the social and cultural factors that influence body image dissatisfaction among different ethnic groups.
The role of social capital in fostering community resilience and disaster preparedness.
Investigating the relationship between cultural heritage preservation and sustainable development.
Analyzing the influence of social networks on political participation and civic engagement.
Exploring the social implications of virtual reality technology on empathy and perspective-taking.
Investigating the role of humor and laughter in social interactions and psychological well-being.
Analyzing the effects of eco-anxiety on environmental attitudes and behavior.
The impact of social media accounts activism on social movements and policy change.
Exploring the cultural and societal implications of the sharing economy and collaborative consumption.

🏙 Migration and Immigration Topics

The experiences and challenges faced by LGBTQ+ migrants and refugees.
Analyzing the role of migrant remittances in economic development and poverty reduction in sending countries.
Exploring the impact of immigration policies on family dynamics and the well-being of immigrant families.
Investigating the role of social networks in facilitating successful integration of immigrants into host societies.
The effects of climate change-induced migration and its implications for global governance and social justice.
Analyzing the influence of cultural identity preservation among second-generation immigrants.
The impact of labor migration on gender roles and dynamics within migrant communities.
Exploring the role of language acquisition and proficiency in the social integration of immigrants.
Investigating the intersections of migration, health, and access to healthcare services.
Analyzing the economic, social, and cultural contributions of immigrant entrepreneurs to host countries.

🌳 Environmental Social Issues Essay Topics

The intersection of environmental justice and social equity: Analyzing the disproportionate impacts of environmental degradation on marginalized communities.
The role of indigenous knowledge and practices in sustainable resource management.
The impact of consumerism and overconsumption on the environment and social well-being.
Exploring the social and economic implications of climate-induced migration and displacement.
The influence of environmental education and awareness on individual and collective environmental behaviors.
Analyzing the relationship between environmental degradation and public health, focusing on air and water pollution.
The role of corporate social responsibility in promoting environmental sustainability and addressing social concerns.
Investigating the social implications of plastic waste and exploring strategies for reducing single-use plastics.
The impact of urbanization on ecosystems and the social well-being of urban communities.
Analyzing the social dimensions of renewable energy transitions and the equitable distribution of benefits.

💖 LGBT Topic Ideas

The historical evolution of LGBT rights movements: From Stonewall to present-day advocacy.
Exploring the experiences and challenges faced by transgender individuals in healthcare systems.
Analyzing the representation of LGBT characters in media and its impact on social perceptions.
The intersectionality of race, gender, and sexuality in the LGBT community.
Investigating the effects of conversion therapy on the mental health and well-being of LGBT individuals.
Exploring the experiences of LGBT youth in educational settings and the impact of supportive environments.
The role of LGBT support organizations and community centers in fostering social inclusion and well-being.
Analyzing the impact of religious beliefs and attitudes on the acceptance of same-sex marriage.
Exploring the experiences and challenges of older LGBT adults and the importance of inclusive care and support systems.
The impact of policies and legislation on LGBT rights and equality, both nationally and internationally.

🏛 Social Justice Essay Topics

Exploring the concept of reparations for historical injustices and its role in achieving social justice.
The impact of language and communication barriers on access to justice for marginalized communities.
Analyzing the social justice implications of algorithmic bias in artificial intelligence systems.
Examining the role of art and creative expression in advancing social justice movements.
The intersection of disability rights and social justice: Challenges and advancements.
Exploring the impact of gentrification on communities and strategies for promoting equitable development.
Analyzing the role of restorative justice in addressing harm within educational institutions.
The impact of colonialism on indigenous communities and the pursuit of social justice.
The role of community organizing in promoting grassroots social justice initiatives.
Examining the social justice implications of mass incarceration and advocating for criminal justice reform.

🔗 Discrimination and Prejudice Topics

The effects of racial profiling on marginalized communities and its implications for social justice.
Analyzing the psychological mechanisms underlying implicit bias and its impact on decision-making processes.
The intersectionality of discrimination: Exploring how multiple forms of discrimination (race, gender, sexuality, etc.) intersect and compound.
Discrimination and prejudice in the workplace: Examining challenges and strategies for promoting diversity and inclusion.
Exploring the effects of religious discrimination on individuals and communities.
The impact of ageism on older adults and strategies for combating age-related discrimination.
Analyzing the social and psychological consequences of fat shaming and weight-based discrimination.
Discrimination against individuals with disabilities and the importance of accessibility and inclusive practices.
The role of the media in perpetuating stereotypes and its influence on discrimination.
Examining the effects of prejudice and discrimination on mental health and well-being.

🔪 Violence Topics

The role of violence in sports: Examining the impact of aggression and its consequences in athletic competitions.
Violence against healthcare workers: Analyzing the prevalence, causes, and strategies for ensuring safety in healthcare settings.
The impact of violence on refugee and displaced populations: Exploring the challenges and interventions for addressing violence in these contexts.
Violence in the digital realm: Investigating online harassment, cyberbullying, and the psychological effects on victims.
The relationship between animal cruelty and violence towards humans: Exploring the link and implications for social well-being.
The effects of violence in video games: Analyzing the debate and research surrounding its potential influence on real-life aggression.
The role of violence in hazing rituals and initiation ceremonies: Understanding the dynamics and potential harm caused.
Exploring violence in marginalized communities: Addressing the underlying factors and strategies for promoting community safety.
Silent Suffering: Unmasking the Reality of Domestic Violence
Violence in the workplace: Examining the impact of bullying, harassment, and assault on employees and organizational well-being.

👩‍🦯 Humanity Topics

The power of empathy and compassion in fostering understanding and social harmony.
Exploring the ethics of artificial intelligence and its impact on human dignity and autonomy.
The role of forgiveness in healing personal and societal wounds.
Analyzing the concept of human rights and its universality across different cultures and contexts.
The pursuit of global citizenship and its potential for promoting peace and cooperation.
Exploring the intersection of technology and humanity: Examining the benefits and challenges of the digital age.
The impact of cultural diversity on societal progress and innovation.
Analyzing the concept of altruism and its role in creating a more compassionate world.
The importance of intergenerational connections and the wisdom of older generations in shaping our future.
Examining the concept of identity and the balance between individuality and collective belonging.

Wrapping Up

Social issues are like a cosmic web, connecting countless lives worldwide. This article has been your guide, exploring their intricacies and significance while equipping you to create a powerful social issues essay. Remember, every essay has the power to inspire change.

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149 Social Issues Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

🏆 best social issues topic ideas & essay examples, 👍 good essay topics on social issues, ⭐ simple & easy social issues essay titles, 💡 interesting topics to write about social issues, ❓ social issues questions examples.

Youth Unemployment as a Social Issue Different factors have led to the high levels of youth unemployment, with the most widely studied of them being the skills that are available to the unemployed youths.
Social Issues: Choosing a Life Partner This process involves the identification of a friend to determine if potential partners share some aspects in life before the friendship can grow to a relationship and if the relationship works for the partners, it […] We will write a custom essay specifically for you by our professional experts 808 writers online Learn More
Social Issues in “Gattaca” by Andrew Niccoland In the movie, another family rivalry is witnessed in the case where Vincent was the main suspect in the killing of an administrator; and when Anton offered to help, Vincent asked him to stay away […]
Social Issues in the “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” by Tennessee William The struggle is betwixt his great affection for his boy and his finding the facts, and the mindset of his miserable upbringing by which the dad was normally a removed and an unreachable figure.
Social Issues in “Frankenstein” Film Frankenstein’s monster represents the mangled and depressed soldiers returning from the war only to find an economy in crisis, given that the Great Depression was in the offing after the war.
Social Issues Affecting Women Women and family Stability/Disintegration The role of women in family stability and disintegration is another social issue affecting women in society. Women are considered as the core managers of stability and security in the family.
Social Issues in the Film “Grease” In the first instance, when Danny and Sandy meet for the first time in the school, Danny is compelled to play the bad boy character the group is identified with.
What Defines Us as Human? – Social Issues Although the particular features of the people’s skeletal structure and other physical qualities cannot be discussed as determining to speak about persons as human, it is important to focus on differences in the mental and […]
Social Issues in Shakespeare’s “The Tragedy of Othello” The social environment of England at the end of the sixteenth and the beginning of the seventeenth century was characterized by great attention to social class, citizens’ jobs, and their reputation.
Homelessness as a Social Issue Research further indicates that the group is at a high risk of suffering from addiction in an effort to contain stress and ignominy associated with homelessness.
Social Issues of Families in Poverty With the tightened budget, parents of the families living in poverty struggle to make ends meet, and in the course of their struggles, they experience many stresses and depressions.
Social Issues in “Be Right Back” Episode of “Black Mirror” Series In one of the scenes of the episodes, in her conversation with the copy of Ash, she says that the android does not have a history of its life; it is just an image without […]
Social Issues in the “Thelma and Louise” Movie The film focuses on the scenes and events that show the experience of females. In other words, “Thelma and Louise” ruined the stereotypical representation of women, which was revolutionary for that time.
Anthropology in Solving Global Social Issues Artists were moving in the same direction, which excluded the possibility to understand and assess other examples of the art of other nations.
Social Issues: Leisure Lifestyle Erickson confirmed through research that leisure activities originate from the mind, and an individual is motivated to engage in it whenever he or she feels that it would be beneficial.
Social Issues; Crime and Poverty in Camden This has threatened the social security and peaceful coexistence of the people in the community. The larger the differences between the poor and the rich, the high are the chances of crime.
Tragic Love and Social Issues in Giovanni Boccaccio’s Decameron In that regard, such distinction led to that love relationships were held in secret, and considering the origins of the lovers in both tales, it can be stated that the finale of these love stories […]
Social Issues: Charitable Donations These factors include awareness of the need to contribute, solicitation, selflessness, cost of the benefit, status in the society, and personal values.
Social Issues in Business I see housing as business and as quoted “business involves the exchange of services for money, making money, and dealing with other people’s needs and demands” in the book ‘A better way to think about […]
Communist Manifesto, Time and Social Issues The primary issue of the manifesto is the vagaries in which the bourgeoisie subject and subjugate the proletariat, all in the struggle for private property.
Social Issues in First-World Nations The third social issue that affects a large number of first-world countries is the quality and accessibility of healthcare. However, it is possible to make a gradual positive change through the cooperation of governments and […]
Philosophy and Perspective of Social Issues In addition, the critical thinking method can also be used to analyze the belief that the government is the cause of social issues. Philosophy is a discipline that can help us to think more critically […]
Social Issues: Smartphones’ Positive Impacts In the past, it is expensive to make calls. In the past, it is not convenient to make calls using payphones.
Social Issues in “Born into Brothels” Film It is possible to apply the feminist theory to consider a family featured in the film. In Shanti’s family, this is also the case, and her mother is afraid of her daughter’s future as the […]
Moral, Ethical, and Social Issues However, the spectrum of their research is fundamentally different, and in the case of the Press, it concerns dirty work and society’s response to it.
Marriage and Family Problems as Social Issues Sociology as a discipline has an extremely wide range of interests and it is next to impossible even to enumerate them, however the issue that has always been of the utmost importance for the sociological […]
Identity and Social Class Issue A social class provides the child with a sense of identity, a set of values, and the motivational base for his later actions, while the school provides him with the knowledge and skills necessary to […]
Social Issues: Freak Shows The shows gave audiences something they craved, and the audiences gladly paid the organizers for putting up the shows. The second reason for the popularity of freak shows is the financial returns associated with the […]
Education Establishments’ Role Regarding Social Issues However, the universal nature of these issues and their broad influence create an environment in which members of education establishments begin to question the extent of their involvement in them.
Social Issues Related to Detroit’s Demographics: The Urban Crisis This refutes the widespread knowledge that suggests racial divides and social initiatives in the 1960s were the cause of the urban decline.
Journal Editors’ Role Regarding Social Justice Issues Journal editors can involve professionals from social justice forums such as civil rights lawyers in their journals as well as reduce the complexity of the presentation of social justice article contents.
Social Issue Analysis: The Trauma Lens of Police Violence It is the most visible manifestation of the struggle for justice, and the police are usually expected to support the victims of injustice.
The Impact of Social Issues on the Development of Adolescence For example, boys have high esteem when they experience changes in their voices, while girls may feel shy due to the growth of their chest region.
Tobacco as a Social Injustice Issue African Americans are a minority population in the U.S.singled out to endure the health challenges related to tobacco use hence a social injustice.
Ageism and Financial Insecurity as Social Issues The two main social issues impacting the rights of older individuals are ageism and financial insecurity. Many older people are capable and eager to work beyond the standard set, but the chances are limited.
The Review of Social Issues Film One of the most important concerns for my future life is the ability to raise and care for children properly. The issue of elderly domestic abuse is considered to be one of the most serious […]
Race as a Social Construct: Issues of Barriers Since it occurs in the conditions of scarcity of resources essential for the survival of citizens, the varying degree of access to them can be determined on the basis of racial background.
Social Issues in the “In Plain Sight” Art Project The artists from the In Plain Sight project are united by the goal of raising public awareness about causes such as immigrant detention and the US culture of incarceration.
Immigration: Social Issue Feeling Analysis From the global perspective, the most influencing countries in the world use visa and other conditions of entering the country as a migration regulating tool.
International Social Welfare Issue Analysis That is why it is very important for social workers and all socially conscious people to promote the ideas of social welfare and make people understand why it matters. To conclude, the issue of social […]
Modern Healthcare Aspects in the United States: Managing Historical and Social Issues Today, the system is trying to manage various issues such as malnutrition among older adults that is increasing, the role of nurses and the importance of their diversity, and the growing costs of the services.
Whistleblowing as a Social Issue in the Workplace The only hindrance to whistleblowing in society or the public is the authenticity of the information and how it will be received generally.
Management of Obesity and Social Issues That Emerge With Its Development The article by Omole focuses on recent shift in the management of obesity and the social issues that emerge with its development, namely, the culture of fat-shaming, by considering some of the alternatives toward evaluating […]
Key Social Issues Affecting Criminal Justice Professionals The absence of a decline in this percentage suggests that the criminal justice system has not been effective in addressing this issue. The criminal justice system has failed to decrease crime rates due to the […]
Police Brutality: Social Issue This paper explores the issue of police brutality and seeks to shed light on the perceptions of the public, especially the black minority.
Domestic Terrorism: Burning Social Issue In my opinion, people could be driven by some factors or they could be conditioned throughout their lives to engage in domestic terrorism. They may also say that they feel unrecognized in the management of […]
Global Digital Divide as a Social Issue That is, if societies around the globe are able to bridge the gap between those who have and those who do not in relation to information technology, then the development problems would be minimized at […]
J.A. McPherson and G.G. Marquez Novel’s: Urgent Social Issues The black waiter Doc and the Colonel are forced to live in a cruel world and adapt to the dominant system.
Should Drugs Be a Health, Social Issue or a Legal, Criminal Issue? They are classified depending on the mode of action and the response induced in the body. In order to get information from the participants the following questions will be asked: What drug do you use?
Professors and Their Views on Political or Social Issues in the Classroom He analyzes the statement issued by the American Association of University Professors’ Committee A on Academic Freedom and Tenure, “Freedom in the Classroom,” which he says seems to defend professors against attacks by the right […]
Social Issues in Kuwait: Immigration Workforce Among the frequently highlighted issues in the country, one is the low productivity among the local workforce due to the high influence of favoritism and nepotism in promotions and merits.
S. Hay’s and Feagin’s Works on Social Issues The work of the Sharon Hay’s “Flat Broke with Children” was assembled in a milieu characterised by the decline of the widely hailed welfare reform policies which had seen the diminishing of welfare rolls from […]
Should Professors Be Allowed to Advocate Their Views on Political or Social Issues in the Classroom? In the recent past, professors have been accused of several faults, and it was because of these faults that it was deemed necessary to put a cap on the extent to which professors can excise […]
Social Stratification Issues Solving If that is not the case, we meet different forms of institutional discrimination which can take different forms such as discrimination of children, gender discrimination, race and class discrimination.
Social Inequality Issue Analysis Thesis Social inequality is a system and systematic worked as the framework of society and its functionality. What is acknowledged to be a hierarchical social structure are essentially confined to the primary units of economic […]
Gender Pay Gap as a Multifaceted Social Issue The gender pay gap is defined as the average gross hourly earnings of men and women who are working. Secondly, political and economic causes and outcomes of the issue have to be considered.
Domestic Violence as a Social Issue It is one of the main factors which stimulate the study’s conduction, and among the rest, one can also mention the number of unexplored violence questions yet to be answered.
Masculinity as a Social Norms Issue However, the advancements that occurred with the rise of the LGBT movement and the empowerment of women now challenge established ideas.
Pollution as a Social Issue and Mass Media’s Role The reason why plastic pollution gained traction only during the 21st century is directly connected to the invention of the Internet and the technological advances in electronics.
Community Psychology in Addressing Social Issues Based on the lecture, we learned about the disparity between the rich and the poor, a domain that is associated with marginalization and stigmatization.
Social Issues in Education: Applying Theory In the year 2000, the Ministry of Education banned any form of corporal punishment in all schools in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Social Issues of the Immigration Journal The authors studied the impacts of multiculturalism of the period 1980s to 1990s on institutional forms of immigrants in the Netherlands.
Social Issues in Karl Marx’s Letter to John Mayer In your letter, it seems that those in power do not listen to you and your generation. This is one sure way of attaining power that is vital for you and your generation to change […]
Social Issues in McMinden, Fictional Town The concepts of social stratification, division of labor, and social distance discussed in the essay appear to be connected by cause-and-effect relation.
Socialist vs. Capitalist Approach to Social Issues Capitalism also refers to a system where the economy is independent of the state. In a Socialist economy, the intellectual property belongs to the government.
Policy Changes and Social Issues The second step within the model is associated with the political stream, in which the previously identified problem is reviewed between communities of policy experts who possess knowledge of the problem.
Rhetoric: Social Issues’ Influences on US Children Such an approach does not allow the readers to be 100% sure that this information is true to life and makes the statement rather weak.
Economic and Social Issues in Japan The events of March 11 contributed to widespread changes in the Japanese society and government. In the midst of the March 11 disaster, a political reformation occurred.
Alcoholism as a Social Issue and Its Effect on Families Such children tend to think that they are the causes of the problem, which would end up affecting them psychologically. Since children are not helped to get out of the horrifying scenarios, they end up […]
Workplace Gender Bias: Social Injustice Issues Such situations make companies to classify its workforce based on the class systems17 that involve a consideration of the individual’s achievement and performance at the workplace.
Social Issues in “Too Young to Wed” by Cynthia Gorney In the case of 10-year-old Ayesha who was married off to a 50-year old, the women in the family tried to stop the marriage.
The Social Cost Issue The concept of “social cost” is applied in the economic analysis and estimation of most impacts. The writer observes the economic implications of such impacts on the social realm.
Public Policies Addressing Social Issues in the USA The best form of policy that the US government uses to control lead poisoning in children is the increased awareness to prevent the use of lead in household paints.
Social Issues in Self Help in Hard Times by Zinn The following are the main points from the chapter 15 of the Self Help in Hard Times book that were determined as Zinn’s main points of interest: The first main point of Zinn in this […]
Social Issues in the “Leaving the Streets: Stories of Canadian Youth” The authors of the book are inclined to support the idea that to exit the street life successfully, the street youth should become oriented to the principles of the street disengagement and to breaking all […]
Natural Disasters and Global Social Issues The hurricane led to a major shift in the social arrangement of the populations in the worst affected areas. This led to a significant loss of jobs in the affected areas.
US Public Policies Social Issues In view of this, the article is useful since it provides readers with brief and structured information regarding the differences that The Affordable Care Act makes.
Social Issues of Genital Cosmetic Surgery for Women The labia minora is the main target, and it aims at reducing the size of these lips to avoid protruding beyond the labia majora.
Single Mothers’ Social Issues The little consideration given to single women living in poverty distorts the women and their families. The single mothers who have a heavy burden of caring for their children need help from the government.
Intercollegiate Sports: Social and Cultural Issues A primary goal of this essay is to evaluate the impact of social and cultural issues on the ability to handle stress in the future while being a contestant of one of the intercollegiate sports.
Social Issue of Sexual Assault: Definition and Forms Sometimes it’s not only the ordinary people that are in the dark, even the most important figures that are seen as the role models to the society happen to be in the dark about some […]
Social Issues: Monogamy in Our Life This sort of relations is considered to be the only legal type of bond in the majority of states all over the world.
Social Issues: Abortions Prohibition With this in mind, it is possible to say that the question of abortion is a very keen issue which sets the table for a great number of different debates. However, it is said that […]
Social Issues: Levels of Conversation Impact The results of a conversation depending on the levels of communication between the parties that are involved. In this level of conversation, a self-fulfilling relationship may be developed particularly if the people involved in the […]
Social Issues: Equity Among the African Demographics Combined with the problem of poverty and lack of educational resources, it takes a truly monstrous scale, affecting not only the lives of women in a number of regions of Africa, but also the entire […]
Social Issues: Science Versus Indigenous Ways of Living The opinion of science seems to have become the only credible source of knowledge in a contemporary world, and for a good reason with the recent technological breakthrough and the advent of the era of […]
Social Issues: “A critical Mess” by Scott Rowan In his argument, Rowan, the president of Sherpa Multimedia, explains the pains and frustrations that the Chicago community undergoes when the cyclists take to the streets demonstrating their riding skills and claiming that it is […]
Social Issues: Child Observation in Khalifa Park It was noticed that there was a marked difference in the games boys and girls play and their reactions to winning and losing the games.
Social Issues: Urban Livability and Sustainability In achieving this choice in the United States, for instance, the Federal and State governments should allocate resources according to the development index of the cities in the continent.
Social Issues: Non-Mainstream Body Modification The rise of many art styles and body modifiers, the increase in tattoo parlors dealing in non-mainstream art, and the emergence of websites, books, and magazines containing body art practices led to the rise of […]
Social Issues: Ethnicity-based Jury Nullification This was because most of the jurists were whites, and they believed that whites had the freedom to treat other races the way they pleased.
Social Issues: Hollywood Effects on Suburban Families The actions of the people who lived in the suburbs were largely influenced by the media. On the other hand, the suburban male was the provider and the protector of the house.
The Discussion of WikiLeaks as a Social Issue The circulation of information on the Internet with the help of the media is the characteristic feature of the developing globalization.
Social Issues: Demographic Transition Definition Phase two is considered to be the foundation of demographic transition, where there is a quick decrease in the mortality rate.
Social Issues: Corporal Punishment To begin with, people that support corporal punishment say they do so because they believe that a child needs spanking to learn a discipline.
Social Issues: Teen Pregnancy Lastly, there are no good role models to teach children the importance of abstinence, and this has led them to believe that they should engage in premarital sex to become famous.
Social Issues: Police Protection of the Ku Klux Klan The situation when the police protected the Ku Klux Klan while gassing and arresting the demonstrators can seem to be unexpected and controversial because people are often inclined to associate the Ku Klux Klan with […]
Social Issues: Rites and Ceremonies in People Life The life of a person as the member of the group or community is associated with definite rites and ceremonies which are followed to respond to the traditions, and cultural values developed during the centuries […]
Social Issues: The Art of Living in Solitude The status of a single person is part and parcel of the modern reality for an increasingly large number of people and at the same time the major cause for psychological and social problems for […]
Social Issues of Human Behavior: Nature and Nurture On the other hand, the nurture view asserts that behaviors are developed and persist according to the upbringing and the environment the individual grows up in.
Social Issues: Appropriateness of Affirmative Action Affirmative action in the sphere of education can be discussed as the appropriate approach to evaluate the admissions of college students because it can guarantee the equal access to the limited educational resources for students […]
Social Issues: Gentrification in Harlem Thus, gentrification in Harlem during the period of 2000-2012 is characterized by changes in the community’s demographics, household income, and economy connected with the arrival of wealthier residents, increased investment, promoted economic and business activities, […]
Social Issues: How Identities are Constructed? In modern times, many people identify themselves with their countries of birth, and this makes them eligible for citizenship rights and other social and economic privileges that are offered by their countries.
Social Issues: Game Theory in Daily Life In effect, game theory can be said to be a basis for making rational decisions whereby the given decisions create impacts on the decision making the ability of other entities in the group, while also […]
Social Issues: Arranged Marriages Even though research has shown that some arranged marriages result in loving and stable relationships, I think it is important to give individuals the freedom to choose their partners and decide whether they are prepared […]
Social Issues: Common Sense and Intuition One of the most noteworthy ideas in the book was the suggestion that, in as much as people try to act or say otherwise, from a subconscious point of view, the majority is actually practicing […]
Social Issues: Gender Segregation The Code recognizes the “inherent dignity and worth of every person and to provide for equal rights and opportunities without discrimination”.
Social Issues in the Book “The Academic Illusion” by Ken Robinson In the introductory part of the article, the author focuses on how intelligence is measured. In the last part of the article, the author persuades human beings to change how they perceive education.
Social Issues: Property Ownership White views nature from a different standpoint to Forster’s; while he appreciates nature and the serenity of the place, Forster view of his wood is in terms of monetary value.
Social Issues: Alcoholism as a Mode of Addiction Every single case of alcoholic dependence described in the lecture is perfectly consistent with the existing model, each piece of evidence falling into its place and, therefore, allowing the audience to have an entire picture […]
Social Issues: Challenges Facing Young Immigrants It is against this backdrop that this essay seeks to explore the challenges facing young immigrants in the United States and the proactive measures that can be taken to rescue this vulnerable group in transiting […]
Social Issues: the Freak Shows Popularity This appetite is what drives freak show organizers to find persons with severe deformities to satisfy the curiosity of the public.
Social Issues: Muslim Immigrants in the UK Since the study aims at exploring Muslim immigrants in the UK, it will focus on the struggles of Muslim immigrants in the UK, the policies the UK government uses towards Muslim immigrants, and terrorism challenges […]
Immigration as Social Issue in Australia The research will explore the element of trans-nationalism that is likely to be the case with most of these immigrants and its impacts on their continued stay in Australia.
Native Americans: Social Issue In addition, the references of the natives by the mainstream society have led to the under development and have prevented the evolution of the Indian Americans.
Sufficient Justifications of the Legitimacy of Religious Positions on Social Issues Beale points towards the spiritual, historical and divine origins of the bible and utilizes this as the reinforcing factors behind his belief in the bible’s inerrancy and infallibility.
Social Issue: The Death of the Whitney Houston In addition to giving a precise of the aforementioned story, the next discussion also elaborates the story by relating it to sociological imagination and the concept of social perspectives.
Social Issue: Concepts of Sociological Imagination and Sociological Perspectives Sociology is a subject that offers insight into behavior of individuals and groups of people in a society and its scope covers established relationships between people in a society, the effects of such relationships on […]
White Privilege Social Issue Due to subtle nature of the racism in the modern society, the whites perceive it as just a social factor that differentiate people into privileged and unprivileged classes in the society.
Social and Political Issues The military has been used by the corporations and the wealthy individuals to protect the interests of the nation, which are actually the interests of the corporations and the wealthy.
Social Issues in the “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee The phrase ‘to kill a mocking bird’ stands out as a metaphor in the book To kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.
Homelessness as a Global Social Issue In the US, homelessness is on the increase because of economic melt- down and foreclosures. Moreover, differences in perception of homelessness by liberal and conservative on homeless have increased homelessness in the US.
Gandhi’s contribution towards contemporary social issues Gandhi appreciates the existence of difference in the name of God amongst the Muslims, Hindus and Christians. In order for the concept of non-violence to be applicable, Gandhi is of the opinion that it is […]
Why Is It Important to Address Social Issues in the Classroom?
What Is a Social Issue Example?
What Are the Basic Social Issues?
What Is the Biggest Issue in the World Today?
Is Poverty a Social Issue?
Is Depression a Social Issue?
How Many Social Issues Are There?
Is Stress a Social Problem?
Is Mental Illness a Social Issue?
Is Social Anxiety a Social Issue?
What Are the Four Types of Social Problems?
What Is an Interesting Social Issue?
How Do You Talk About Social Issues?
Why Do We Need to Learn Social Issues?
What Is the Most Common Social Issue?
How Does Social Issues Affect Society?
What Social Issues Are Not Talked About?
What Are the Main Causes of Social Issues?
Is Mental Health a Social Issue?
What Is the Conclusion of Social Issues?
What Are the Current Social Issue?
How Do Social Issues Affect Students?
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What Will Happen if the Social Issues Are Not Controlled on Time?
Why Are Social Issues Difficult?
Why Should Social Issues Be Solved Socially?
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The Biggest 15 Social Issues We Are Facing Today

No matter where we live, what communities we belong to or what we care about, we are affected by social issues. It’s the price of living in a society, and while challenges like poverty, climate change and discrimination can feel overwhelming, we have the power to take action. The first step is understanding what issues we’re up against. In this article, we’ll explore 15 of the biggest social issues facing the world today.

#1. The global housing crisis

Shelter is a human right, but hundreds of millions of people lack adequate, affordable housing. According to the World Bank, the housing crisis is global, and it could impact as many as 1.6 billion people by 2025. That number will only grow with time. By 2030, the world needs to build 96,000 new affordable homes per day to meet the needs of 3 billion people. What’s driving the global housing crisis? According to Albert Saiz in a paper for the MIT Center for Real Estate, economic factors like rising costs and income inequality are prevalent. Addressing these issues now is critical to protecting people in the future.

#2. Gender inequality

Societies have been working to improve gender inequality for centuries, but we still have a long way to go. Globally, women still make less money than men, have poorer health outcomes, have fewer opportunities and endure more gender–based violence. According to 2023 data, the global gender gap won’t close until 2154 . Even the most gender-equal country, which is Iceland , still has social issues to address. Some of the issues are recognized – women are still being subjected to physical and sexual violence – while there are gaps in data related to things like unpaid care, domestic work, gender and the environment, and so on.

#3. Climate crisis

The climate crisis is one of today’s most urgent social issues. Earth.org outlines a list of major climate events in 2023 , including severe droughts, wildfires, higher ocean surface temperatures and storms. That same year, the IPCC released a summary of its previous five reports, showing how human activity is causing severe damage to the planet, and, if trends continue, parts of the earth will become unlivable in just a few decades. The world can fight the climate crisis, but we have to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and turn to renewable energy sources.

#4. Overconsumption

Greenhouse gas emissions are a primary driver of climate change, but overconsumption is hurting the planet, too. Unfathomable amounts of food, clothing, plastic and other things are thrown into landfills and the ocean every day. However, it’s not a problem for everyone. According to research, just 20% of the world’s population is responsible for consuming 80% of the globe’s natural resources. The richest 500 million people release half of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. To break it down even further, if every person in the world consumed resources at the rate as people in Canada and the United States did, we would need at least five earths .

#5. Global hunger

Global food insecurity is a serious problem. According to data, about 735 million people endured chronic hunger in 2022, and with issues like climate change, the lingering effects of the pandemic and conflict, it will be very challenging to end hunger by 2030. Children typically suffer the most. When kids don’t get enough to eat, they become more vulnerable to diseases like measles, malaria and diarrhea. According to the World Food Programme, “hotspots” for hunger include Burkina Faso, Mali, South Sudan and Palestine.

#6. Threats to LGBTQ+ rights

At the same time as LGBTQ+ rights have expanded, certain countries have pushed back. In the summer of 2023, the first Ugandan was charged with “aggravated homosexuality,” a crime punishable by death. In its 2023 review, the Electronic Frontier Foundation also found an increase in anti-LGBTQ sentiment , including more laws that restrict privacy and freedom of expression, and censorship of LGBTQ+ websites. Even in places like the United States, which is seen by many as a haven for the LGBTQ+ community, legislative threats are on the rise .

#7. Reproductive justice

Reproductive justice, which includes things like abortion access and maternal health, is a social issue affecting every corner of the world. According to the Center for Reproductive Rights, most countries are expanding abortion rights, while just four – the United States, Poland, Nicaragua, and El Salvador – rolled back abortion rights . Globally, about 40% of women live in places with “restrictive” abortion laws. Related social issues include menstrual health, prenatal and maternal health, access to contraception and so on.

#8. Educational disparities

When people get a good education, they’re more likely to have higher incomes, better health, healthier children and other benefits. On a larger scale, education also helps countries achieve overall wealth and health. There’s been significant progress on closing the gender gap in education. According to a blog on the World Bank, boys and girls complete primary school at almost an equal rate . However, around 130 million girls are still being denied an education. Wealth also plays a role in educational disparities. In the United States, one study found that wealth affects a student’s chances of finishing college. On a global scale, wealth also impacts where a family lives and what school options are available, as well as tutoring opportunities, whether a student needs a job and much more.

#9. Health and healthcare

Health and the ability (or inability) to access good healthcare are major social issues. Unfortunately, healthcare systems around the world are struggling. COVID-19 continues to be a problem, but hospitals are also facing staff shortages and competition . Not everyone is affected equally. According to the World Health Organization, refugees and migrants experience worse health outcomes due to language barriers, cultural differences, discrimination and legal restrictions on what services they can access.

#10. Income inequality

Global income inequality fluctuates, but according to a 2023 Oxfam study , the world’s richest 1% took almost ⅔ of all the new wealth created since 2020. That gave them almost twice the amount of money held by the bottom 99%. Income inequality can cause serious problems , such as lower economic growth, worse social cohesion and political polarization. There are also ethical consequences to income inequality, which human rights and social justice advocates often discuss. Can society ever be truly good or free when only a handful of people hold all the wealth?

#11. Global unemployment (and underemployment)

High unemployment rates – and low-paying jobs – drive income inequality and poverty. In a 2023 report, the International Labour Organization found that the world is still experiencing slow employment growth . There was a slight recovery in 2021, but as the economy slows again, people are forced to take jobs that pay less, provide fewer hours and/or offer poor working conditions. South Africa, which is the most industrialized economy in Africa, also has one of the highest unemployment rates. According to Reuters, reasons include structural issues related to the shadows of colonialism and apartheid. To fight issues like poverty and gender inequality, countries need to address unemployment and low-paying jobs.

#12. Increased migration

People move all the time, but issues like war and climate change force people to leave their homes. Sometimes, they move within the borders of one country, but other times, they’re forced to take long, dangerous journeys to countries they’ve never visited. According to the Migration Policy Institute, “humanitarian migration” increased in 2023, while policies could impact elections in 2024. The social issues related to migration, such as the rights of migrants, affordable housing, health services and more, will all be relevant for the foreseeable future.

#13. Artificial intelligence

The presence of artificial intelligence has exploded in recent years, but the technology has several issues. Ethics is just one of them. According to a guide on UMA Libraries, AI has problems with gender and racial bias, plagiarism, generating fake news and supporting scams. It also takes a lot of energy to train and run AI programs, so as the use of AI increases, so will its carbon footprint . As the technology continues to develop, new regulations, legislation and guidelines will need to be created, as well.

#14. Debt bondage

Rates of labor trafficking have been increasing over the years. According to research, about ⅕ of those in forced labor trafficking are in debt bondage . Debt bondage is a very common type of trafficking where a person is forced to work off a loan. However, because the debt is often so high and they are paid so little, it’s impossible to escape the situation. Perpetrators also often have no intention of freeing the people they’re exploiting; debt bondage can even pass on to children. While bonded labor is technically illegal in some places, like India, it persists , especially in rural areas. Because trafficking is an illicit practice, it’s very difficult to get accurate numbers, but it’s most likely worse than what’s reported.

#15. Threats to journalism

By providing vital information to the public, journalists are essential to freedom of speech, freedom of expression, democracy and the protection of other human rights. In recent years, journalism has been under threat. According to the 2023 World Press Freedom Index , the environment for journalism was “bad” in seven out of 10 countries, while it was “satisfactory” in just three out of 10 countries. The reasons include a surge in fake news and propaganda. Journalists also face threats to their lives. UNESCO found that in 2023, there was a near doubling of deaths of journalists working in conflict zones. As conflicts in Ukraine, Palestine and other countries continue, the safety of journalism will remain a social issue.

A List of 470 Powerful Social Issues Essay Topics

In modern societies, people do everything to live peacefully. Still, tensions often arise. We call them social issues when they start negatively impacting a specific group of people. Poverty, discrimination, and addiction are examples of such problems. We need to confront them to ensure equal treatment for everyone.

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Our professional custom writing team created this article to help you write a social issues essay. This comprehensive social issues topics list covers various current problems in America and in the world. Choose among 450 social topics, and get down to writing!

🔝 Top 10 Topics

✅ How to Write About Social Issues

🌐 Social Media Issues Topics
🏥 Health-Related Issues
🌳 Environmental Issues
🔫 War & Violence
🚓 Police & Criminal Justice
👨👩 Gender-Related Issues
🧔🏿 Racism Topics
✈️ Migration & Refugees
⚖️ Human Rights Topics
🗽 Social Issues in America

🔝 Top 10 Social Issues Topics

Types of prisoner rights violations.
Can vaccinations be mandatory?
What makes overpopulation a threat?
Online education as a cause of obesity.
The economic effect of rising sea levels.
The effects of Gender Pay Gap on economy.
Ways to stop racial discrimination in schools.
Can increase of employment help reduce poverty?
Women empowerment and social development.
Can mobile clinics make healthcare more accessible?

Writing on topics related to social issues involves thorough research. It also requires sympathy and tact. Following this guide will help you not to step on anybody’s toes.

Research papers call for an in-depth analysis. Make sure to reference several sources to back up your claims.
Essays revolve around your opinion. Here, good arguments are crucial.
Pick the topic . It can be either contemporary or historical. It’s better to choose something you’re interested in. If nothing comes to mind right away, use a writing topic generator .
Do research . Consult encyclopedias, find books on the topic. It will help you formulate ideas and outline the first draft.
Consider your audience . How much do they know about your subject? How invested are they? Understanding your readers will help you be more considerate.
Even if you have strong feelings about your subject, keep your tone neutral. Make sure not to condemn those who hold opposite views.
Highlight what you personally think is right. Remember that you can’t control how other people will react.
Be frank. Ask yourself: who am I? How do my experiences fit into my topic? Your honest answers will add unique insights to your paper.
Double-check your paper. Does everything you wrote logically flow? Does your argumentative structure make sense? Does it support your thesis? If possible, let your assignment sit for a day. You can edit it later with a fresh perspective.

These are the basics you need if you want to write about social issues. Now you can start your research! The first step is to pick one of the excellent topics about social problems from the list below.

🌐 Social Issues Essay Topics Related to Social Media

Security issues of social media .
Should Instagram be age-restricted?
Social networks’ impact on friendships.
Disadvantages of being an influencer .
Is there freedom of speech in social media?
Should social media ban fake information?
How harmful is social media dependency?
Should employers check employees’ accounts?
Online ethics and business Facebook accounts.
The effect of the cancel culture on mental health.
Cyberbullying: victim and abuser in the online environment.
Should children be allowed to have social media accounts?
Your opinion on memorial pages on social networks for the deceased.
Ways to stay safe on the internet.

How should social media websites deal with hate speech ?
Is removing abusive content censorship?
Explore the correlation between social media and mental disorders.
Does Instagram change the way we perceive our lives?
Is modern society forcing us to participate in social networking ?
What is identity theft ?
Personal isolation and technology in communication.
The risks of microtransactions in online gaming .
How does your digital presence influence your real life?
Why do some people become dependent on social media ?
Are online networks promoting stalking ?
Discuss the digital divide in Washington.
Is Twitter’s cancel culture doing more harm than good?
How do marginalized groups benefit from social media?
How important is data safety?
Are people on social media more aggressive than in real life?
Does the internet shorten our attention span ?
Ways in which social media impacts your interactions with other people.
Marketing, social media, and you: how do influencers impact your buying behavior?
Explore the effect of the internet on students’ lives.
Is Reddit right to allow outrageous content under the principle of free speech ?
Politics and Twitter: the consequences of Donald Trump’s tweets .
Does banning online networks from the workplace increase productivity?
What basic ethical principles go overboard on the Internet ?
In how far do social media trends reflect on the general public?
Social media and youth: does it make puberty harder?
The influence of social media platforms on democracy.
What would happen if we could rate everyone online? (Think Community ’s episode “App Development and Condiments”)
Does Instagram inspire a healthy lifestyle ?
Why are likes so important?
Debate the effects of speaking out in online communities.
Are Facebook’s profile picture frames a good way of showing support?
Debate social media policies and code of conduct.
Is YouTube spreading propaganda?
Did you ever do something because you’ve read about it on the internet?
Are Twitter hashtags skewing the political discourse?
Examine the gendered experiences of people on the internet.
How do you make yourself heard on social media?
Evaluate the usefulness of Facebook’s Safety Check feature.
Discuss the pros and cons of TikTok challenges.
How does participating in Instagram challenges for social justice help?

🏥 Health-Related Social Issues Topics to Write About

Our health largely depends on the social security system. With access to good healthcare services, we are less likely to develop preventable diseases. Unfortunately, issues are common in the health sector. These interesting essay writing prompts will help you explore social problems related to health:

Are employers not paying enough attention to their employees’ mental health ?
What should a person do if they can’t afford medical treatment?
Why do some countries have higher obesity rates than others?
Should abortion be legal or illegal?
Debate whether a ban on tobacco advertising would help decrease smoking.
What makes Americans start doing drugs ?
Compare projects that help people overcome their addictions .
What is the worst substance to be addicted to?
Who should care for the elders ?
Should hospices be free?
Examine why HIV in seniors remains widely unrecognized.
Should we change the drinking age limit?
Whose health is mostly affected by pollution ?
Should parents avoid vaccinating their children?
What does it mean to die with dignity ?
Should women get extra vacation days at work because of their periods?
Explore the origins of the pro-life movement .
Should non-smokers receive additional break time?
Ways to make navigating easier for visually impaired people .
Discuss stigma against mentally challenged individuals.
The benefits of over-the-counter contraception.
Must women who breastfeed in public cover themselves up?
Psychoactive drugs in the treatment of psychological diseases.
Disabilities and stigmatization: how does being disabled affect one’s social status?
Does gender play an important role in one’s health?
What health issues are affecting African Americans and Hispanics?
Expectations and motherhood: being a childfree woman in a kid-centered society.
How does being malnourished affect a child’s psyche in the long run?
Investigate suicide rates in Pakistan.
Discuss the social acceptance of autism spectrum disorders .
Sociology and psychological diseases: the relationship between circumstance and mental health.
Write about fad diets and their impact.
How does the society you live in discriminate against older adults?
Why is access to quality healthcare unevenly distributed?
Who should decide when to stop life-prolonging treatments?
Is homeopathic treatment for children acceptable?
Describe why going to psychotherapy is widely stigmatized.
What are the social determinants of health?
Why is access to healthcare in rural areas so scarce?
Is the propagation of mindfulness and self-care on social media improving our health?

Examine the connection between poverty and health problems.
Where does our society’s general obsession with weight come from?
Do cultural norms promote drinking alcohol to an unhealthy extent?
Is coffee a drug?
How does the depiction of drug use in the media influence the youth?

🌳 Environmental Social Issues Essay Topics

Environmentalism is not just about saving nature. A damaged environment has adverse effects on humanity and its future. Changing weather and frequent natural disasters affect millions of people. Many are forced to flee their homes. Essays on this subject can cover activism or sustainability.

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Is Extinction Rebellion’s form of protest too radical?
What to avoid when traveling in the age of climate change .
How can we ensure global access to drinking water ?
The impact of bottled water on the environment.
Water conservation methods in sub-Saharan Africa.
The influence of tourism on cultural heritage sites.
How does society need to change in the future to slow down climate change ?
What caused the rise in climate activism in recent years?
Innovation vs. tradition: getting traditional farmers to implement new sustainable technology.
Describe the importance of waste reduction for our ecosystems.
How can we use our natural resources responsibly?
Discuss what a sustainable diet is like.
The role of packaging in marketing, food safety, and environment.
Why do people deny human-made climate change ?
Why should sociologists study the environment?
What made us reliant on single-use plastic products?
Discuss green infrastructure in water management.
Debate how Greenpeace influences political decision making.
In your opinion, what’s the best environmental organization to donate to?
How successful is PETA in helping animals?
Should mandatory volunteer work substitute compulsory military service?
Urban gardening as a means to ensure food security .
The effect of self-driving electric vehicles on urban environments.
Compare types of sustainable futuristic cities in literature.
How does global warming impact indigenous peoples in South America?
What effects does a deteriorating environment have on labor conditions?
Explain what Oxfam does.
How does globalization impact sustainable agriculture?
What are the most significant achievements of environmental activists in recent years?
What makes politicians hesitant to take action against climate change ?
Investigate what happened to the population of Isle de Jean Charles.
Climate refugees: examine the disasters that cause people to flee their homes.
What are the unintentional consequences of climate-related relocation projects?
Explore the connection between nature and religion.
Ecology and economics: ways to find a balance.
Communities and health: how the way we handle the environment impacts the spread of disease.
Investigate methods for responsible consumption.
Why is sustainable development important for societies?

Contrast the methods of various environmentalist movements.
The world’s overpopulation: causes and effects.
Why can it be difficult to convince older generations to take action against climate change ?
What are the best things everyone can do to protect the environment ?
The role of zoos in wildlife endangerment.
How do changing weather patterns impact our homes?
What caused the increase in natural disasters over the last decade?

🔫 Social Issues Topics: War & Violence

Scientists still debate if violence is a part of human nature. Wars and terrorist attacks are disastrous events that traumatize millions of people. Still, it’s crucial not to forget about more subtle forms of violence. These include emotional neglect, bullying, and brutality in medical care.

What are the main reasons for nations to wage war?
Mental disorders and vulnerability to homicidal death.
The restoration of Germany after the Second World War.
Domestic violence in 20th century Canada.
Describe the most common types of violence against teenagers.
How does a country’s political situation impact domestic violence ?
Do splatter movies promote violent behavior ?
Should girls dress modestly to avoid being abused?
What is the use of war monuments?
The issue of girl education in India.
How does war influence the development of children?
Analyze the accuracy of the events depicted in Sam Mendes’ film 1917 .
Everything Quiet on the Western Front and the youth’s attitude towards fighting.
The treatment of veterans in your community.
Why do people join the army?
Connection between school bullying and problems in adult life.
What are the most common reasons for murder ?
How can a family move on after their child has been kidnapped?
Why are veterans more likely to commit suicide than average citizens?
Is human trafficking modern-day slavery?
Investigate how citizens of Cape Town deal with the high crime rate in their city.
What events can lead to an increase in crime?
Explain the socio-economic aftermaths of the Afghanistan war .
Examine the success of Columbia’s DESEPAZ program.
What is the origin of domestic violence?
Do schools in your country work effectively to discourage abusive behavior towards girls?
Why do men tend not to report domestic violence ?
How does emotional neglect impact children?
What are the best ways to prevent street violence?
Is there a connection between the strictness of gun laws and homicide rates ?
Why do women hesitate to report rape cases?
Rape and sexual harassment in the military .
An overview of Japanese mafia culture.
The connection between education and violence.
Who profits from war?
Are the US military expenses justified?
What does the “guns vs. butter” model describe?
Give examples of cultural norms justifying violence.
In how far has globalization impacted violent behavior ?
What triggers aggression against healthcare workers?
Ways to manage verbal abuse in social care.
Examine the Chinese phenomenon of Yi Nao.
Investigate the recent decriminalization of domestic abuse in Russia.
What was the impact of the #metoo movement ?
Bullying and sexual harassment at workplace.

🚓 Police & Criminal Justice Topics to Write About

Everyone should feel safe in their community. That’s what a country’s criminal justice system is for. But humans can make mistakes and be biased. Not everyone feels protected by the current system. What can we do to change that? Explore this question in one of the following creative topics:

What does the phrase “ defund the police ” mean?
What makes you feel safe in your community?
Describe the social standing of police officers in your country.
Examine if there’s evidence of structural racism in the police.
Is it possible to achieve true equality ?
Are all professions in criminal justice equally prestigious?
Discuss the concept of juvenile crimes.
Debate castration as a punishment for sexual offenders.
The influence of the internet on human trafficking .
What could the police be substituted with?
How does racial profiling work?
Should people who abuse drugs go to jail?
How do people become homeless in big cities?
Discuss the legitimization of prostitution.
What causes governments to oppose gay marriage ?
The safest ways to deescalate riots.
What are the best methods to discourage people from committing crimes ?
Define civil disobedience and its goals.
Victimology and traditional justice system alternatives.
What makes white-collar crimes more socially acceptable than others?
Reintroducing prisoners to society: obstacles and consequences.
Would society profit from the abolition of prisons?
What are the advantages of community services ?

How does crime differ in various social classes?
Justice for women: the legacy of Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
How do prejudices influence criminal justice mechanics?
Human services issues from the point of income inequality.
Why was the Hong Kong national security law installed?
How did legalizing all drugs affect Portuguese society?
What are the prominent civil rights issues in your country?
The Captain of Köpenick : the psychological effect of uniforms.
Why was racial segregation widely accepted in America?
How do witness protection programs work?
The right to privacy vs. safety: a case for surveillance cameras.
How can one save their reputation after committing a crime?
Compare the four deviance theories in sociology .
To what extent can biology explain criminal behavior ?
Do police officers need guns?
Should law enforcers need to request permission before using firearms ?
How did dismantling the police department in Camden, NJ impact crime?
Explore the connection between militarization and police violence.
What does the principle of qualified immunity entail?
Debate the use of body cameras by police officers .
Police violence and subterfuge.
What are the social benefits of jury duty?

👨👩 Gender-Related Social Issues Essay Topics

Even today, a lot of people are systematically disadvantaged because of their gender. This problem manifests itself not only in the infamous gender pay gap. For example, in the US, transgender people are banned from serving in the army. And in some countries, women are still denied fundamental rights. If you want to get to the heart of contemporary controversial issues, this section is for you.

Why is the number of women in positions of power still low?
Are quotas the only way to guarantee equal hiring processes?
Pros and cons of unisex bathrooms.
Why are matriarchal societies rare?
Describe how the patriarchy holds back women.
Conflicting theories: gay marriage and feminism.
Does feminism need to be radical?
How does gendered marketing affect child development ?
Should insurance companies pay for sex reassignment therapy?
Reasons why some people have problems with they/them pronouns.
What does it mean to be non-binary?
Investigate the treatment of women in Saudi Arabian society .
What makes a profession traditionally female?
Should women be more encouraged to join the military ?
Why is it more challenging for men to get full custody ?
Find historical examples of women who made a change in their society.
Should professors be required to include more women authors in their reading material?
Examine the treatment of the transgender community in healthcare.
Is gender a purely social construct?
What can a woman do to become more empowered ?
Can a patriarchal society ever achieve true gender equality ?
Are Disney princesses good role models?
Examine the representation of gender variety in popular TV shows.
Gender identity: promotion of equality for sexual orientation.
Discuss the connection between gender-biased language and oppression.
Why are sexist marketing practices still legal?
Should girls capitalize on their attractive looks?
Define the term “gender blindness.”
Do school uniforms promote gender inequality?
Bibiana Steinhaus: a female referee.
Discuss how the battle of the sexes impacted society.
Should men be entitled to more extended paternity leave ?
Can religion ensure equality?
How do stereotypes against women decrease their chances of getting hired?
Why do millions of women still have to choose between having a family or a career?
Explain the gender dynamics in development.
Should men and women play and compete in mixed sports teams?
What do beauty pageants teach girls?
Debate the importance of LGBT studies.
What causes gender dysphoria?
Do blockbuster films have the responsibility to advocate for equality?
Does society need gender roles to function properly?
What makes same-sex marriage a controversial topic in many countries?
Examine adoption laws for gay couples.
Compare gender-based violence in the UK vs. Iran.

🧔🏿 Social Topics for Essays on Racism

Slavery is abolished everywhere in the world. Still, it didn’t put an end to racism. There’s a lot of racial bias fueled by insecurity and ignorance. Because of this, ethnic minorities rarely enjoy equal opportunities. An essay on racism can raise awareness of the problem by shedding light on racial injustice.

How has racism changed over the past hundred years?
Queer of color: history and theory.
Who were the Khmer Rouge ?
Trace the development of anti-discrimination laws in your country.
What caused populist groups to gain popularity in recent years?
Did Donald Trump’s presidency increase racism towards Latin Americans?
What socio-economic issues do African American families face?
Is there a connection between racism and social progress?
Would there be no racism without colonialism ?
Discuss subtle forms of everyday racism.
Should women in teaching positions be allowed to wear hijabs ?
Nelson Mandela and the fight against apartheid .
What makes people scared of minorities ?
Who benefits from structural racism ?
Find out how racism manifests itself in your native language.
Compare the types of social segmentation.
Is the use of the n-word in hip hop empowering?
How did imperialism impact Okonkwo’s life in Things Fall Apart ?
In which areas of life are black Americans institutionally disadvantaged?
Is it appropriate for white people to wear hoop earrings?
The best ways to educate children about race.
How does cultural appropriation become harmful?
Racial prejudice in the movie industry.

Your position on companies renaming well-known brands to avoid claims of racism .
Discuss the problem of racism at institutional and interactional levels.
Will racism ever end?
Is “All lives matter” a racist statement?
How does environmental racism affect the living conditions of minorities?
Investigate the historical persecution of the Romani people.
What makes people racist nowadays?
The internet’s contribution to alleviating racism.
Cultivation of racism in the American society.
How much of a problem is reverse discrimination?
Trace the history of lynching and mob violence against blacks in the American South.
Who was Leo Frank?
How does discrimination differ in rich vs. developing countries?
Racism as a barrier to educational opportunities.
Does social media help fight racist bias?
How to responsibly handle classic movies and literature with racial prejudices .
What constitutes a healthy national identity ?
How does modern television portray minorities ?
Does your country’s healthcare system disadvantage minorities ?
Investigate what happens to the Rohingya people in Malaysia.
Is antisemitism still a problem in your country?
Does nationalism always lead to racism?

✈️ Social Awareness Topics on Migration & Refugees

Migration can have a beneficial effect on a host country’s economy. For instance, migrants can provide vital additional workforce. But an overflow of newcomers can also lead to problems. Most notably, it affects a nations’ cultural and social landscapes. “How should we deal with refugees?” is one of the most challenging political questions today.

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How has migration changed over the past 20 years?
Mexican immigration as a political controversy.
Why do migrants from the Middle East face more prejudice than those from Central Europe?
Describe the types of events that can cause major forced displacement .
How should governments plan for migration?
Why do many people in Europe have a negative attitude towards refugees ?
Why are foreign workers important to every nation’s economy?
Effective ways to integrate displaced people.
Critique Arizona’s new immigration laws.
Have refugee camps ever been a solution to the problem?
What drives people to immigrate illegally ?
Should the US’ sanctuary cities be dissolved?
Describe the notion of ecological migration.
Should Europe take in more refugees ?
Compare resettlement models in Canada vs. Australia.
What’s the difference between expats and migrants?
What factors make illegal immigration undesirable?
Has the public perception of migrants changed over the past years?
How important is it that immigrants speak their host country’s language?
What does social integration ideally consist of?
Discuss Chinese settlement patterns in America.
The advantages of dropping visa restrictions.
How did 9/11 affect the public’s perception of the global movement?
Is it morally right to marry someone just for their passport?
Do illegal immigrants negatively impact their host country’s society?
Does migration cause destabilization?
What does the claim “no one is illegal” advocate?
How does the American green card lottery work?
Should a child born in a foreign country automatically receive citizenship ?
American society wouldn’t exist without immigration . Why is it still so hostile towards foreigners?
Explore the link between global movement and the spread of diseases.
Should the government use taxpayer money to upskill refugees ?
Immigrants in Toronto: social and economic challenges.
Can expats from a distinct cultural background ever integrate into a country that doesn’t share their norms?
Discuss the importance of diversity to society.
Is there a connection between immigration rates and crime?
Should expats be eligible for welfare programs ?
Where’s the line between cultural appropriation and integration?
Can binational relationships work?
How do you become a stateless person?
What rights do asylum seekers have in your country?
Is immigration from developing countries a threat to wealthier nations?
Explore moral panics associated with other ethnicities.
What makes Europe attractive to expats?
Describe the common prejudices refugees have to face in Australia.

⚖️ Social Justice Essay Topics on Human Rights

You probably agree that every human deserves access to fundamental rights. Unfortunately, these are continually under threat. And it doesn’t always happen far away from you. Women, the LGBT community, and many others fight for their rights every single day.

Are limitations of human rights during crises justified?
Should we strive to achieve the same rights globally?
Is male circumcision shortly after birth a violation of human rights?
How do you prevent low-income families from sending their children to work ?
Capital punishment vs. the right to live.
Can dictatorships ensure human rights ?

Is using sensitive language incriminating our freedom of speech?
Describe the achievements of Amnesty International.
Should Europe stop business interactions with countries that violate human rights ?
Examine effective ways to combat food shortages in the Global South.
How can governments secure freedom of speech ?
Should access to the internet be included as a fundamental human right?
Are restrictive laws concerning hijabs violating religious freedom ?
Charlie Hebdo and its Muhammad cartoons: did they go too far?
When does satire become harmful?
Examine how human rights are treated in the pornography industry.
Why are LGBT people around the world not granted the same rights as everyone else?
Balancing labor conditions and demand: human rights in the economy.
Who protects stateless persons?
What has changed since the first declaration of human rights?
How was slavery justified back in the day?
Why do women in many countries still not have the same rights as men?
The Handmaid’s Tale : how is the society in Gilead structured?
Discuss how vital the rights to freedom of thought and expression are.
To which rights should prisoners have access to?
Debate the fairness of the utilitarian approach.
How do NGOs help to ensure human rights in Somalia?
Human rights and the Bible : how does the church get away with violations?
Define different perspectives on what constitutes freedom .
What are the most significant human rights issues today?
Ethics and the media: exploiting personal tragedies for attention.
Prisoners are humans, too: rights violations in Guantanamo.
Is combating climate change a human rights issue?
Are cruel traditions such as honor killings justified if they are socially accepted?
How successful is the European Commission of Human Rights?
Is the death penalty a justified measure nowadays?
Should pets have the same rights as humans?
Define the difference between civil and human rights.
If there’s gay pride, why shouldn’t there be straight pride?
Unequal privilege: legal, religious, and social factors.
What would happen if education were free and accessible to everyone?
State terrorism vs. critical terrorism.
Did globalization make us freer?
Is the wellbeing of the majority more important than the wellbeing of a minority?
When, if ever, should men and women have different rights?

🗽 Current Social Issues Topics in America

With its variety of races and cultures, America faces many social issues. Its deeply divided political parties add more fuel to the fire. African American rights and police brutality are some of the most pressing issues in the US today.

Consequences of fortifying the American-Mexican border wall.
Should illegal immigrants always be deported when found?
Is the democratic system in the US in need of reform?
What are the social causes of obesity in the USA?
Negative side effects of the war on drugs .
How important is bipartisan cooperation?
What difference does it make if Russia meddled in the 2016 elections?
Police brutality: reasons and countermeasures.
Discuss the importance of reducing medical costs.
Racism and the police: is it an institutional problem?
What are the strictest cultural taboos in American society?
Are there enough women in American leadership positions?
Is sexism a significant problem in the States?
Describe the consequences of voter fraud.
Should schools teach students to be more patriotic ?
Discuss prescription drug abuse in America.
College student debt : is it a fair price to pay for a good education?
Will police presence in schools help curb violence?
What drugs should be legalized vs. remain illegal?
Debate the quality of political education in your state.
Is fake news a severe problem?
Financial literacy as a compulsory subject in high school.
How do you destigmatize taboo topics in society?
Why do conversations about periods make people feel uncomfortable?
Social causes of eating disorders in adults.
Discuss how various religions can live together peacefully.
Describe the NIMBY phenomenon.
What are the benefits and limitations of needle exchange programs?
Find reasons why peaceful protests turn into violent riots.
Are students in the US nowadays under too much stress ?
What are the harmful effects of urban sprawl ?
Can your vote make a difference?
Do American schools need to offer better sex education classes?
What makes people believe the Earth is flat ?
Why do conspiracy theories spread so quickly nowadays?
Traffic in California: reasons to invest in public transport.
Are charter schools better than public schools?
Compare the most prominent social movements currently active in America.
The legacy of Occupy Wall Street.
Describe the pros and cons of the Green New Deal.
How successful is special education in the US?
What causes gentrification in American cities?
Is immigration a strain on the American job market ?
Tackle the problem of prison overcrowding.
Investigate the effects of ableism in the States.

That’s all we’ve got for you. We hope this article was helpful. Good luck with your essay writing!

🔍 References

Lifestyles & Social Issues: Encyclopedia Britannica
Controversial/Contemporary Issues: How to Write a Research Paper: Campbell University
3 Insights Into Writing about Social Issues: Jane Friedman
Key Issues: eSafety Commissioner
Top 10 Most Common Health Issues: University of Rochester Medical Center
Top 10 Most Important Environmental Issues: Iberdrola.com
War: Social Problems: University of Minnesota
Violence: a Global Public Health Problem: WHO
What Are the Biggest Problems Women Face Today?: Politico Magazine
Issues: National Center for Transgender Equality
List of Issues about Racism: The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
Potential implications of Increasing Significance of Migration: EU
The Biggest Issues Facing Migrants Today — and What We Can Do to Solve Them: World Economic Forum
How Americans See Major National Issues: Pew Research Center
Social Issues and Human Rights: United Nations Environment
Crime & Criminal Justice: Brookings
Social Problems: Oxford Academic Press
Criminal Justice: ProPublica
Structural Racism in America: Urban Institute
Racism and Health: American Public Health Association
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Photo (Visual) Essay of Social Problems

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Usage Notes

Learning goals and assessments.

Learning Goal(s):

Students will demonstrate their understanding of a selected social problem and how it manifests itself in their everyday lives.
To acquaint students with visual research methods and empower them to collect, analyze, and display visual data.
To enliven and enrich the creative capacities of students through an arts-based approach rather than a standard written essay.

Goal Assessment(s):

Students create a photo essay using a series of original (self-produced) images which represent a selected social problem. Captioning of the images using sources and citations allows for an extrapolation and discussion of the larger social problem.
Students should discuss their experiences producing the images, as well as any ethical considerations, in the "Project Explanation" section of the assignment.
Students should discuss their thought processes concerning selecting and/or staging of the images they produce in the "Project Explanation" section of the assignment.

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1.1.2: Sociological Perspectives on Social Problems

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Learning Objectives

Define the sociological imagination.
Explain what is meant by the blaming-the-victim belief.
Summarize the most important beliefs and assumptions of functionalism and conflict theory.
Summarize the most important beliefs and assumptions of symbolic interactionism and exchange theory.

The Sociological Imagination

Sociology takes a different approach, as it stresses that individual problems are often rooted in problems stemming from aspects of society itself. This key insight informed C. Wright Mills’s (1959) (Mills, 1959) classic distinction between personal troubles and public issues. Personal troubles refer to a problem affecting individuals that the affected individual, as well as other members of society, typically blame on the individual’s own personal and moral failings. Examples include such different problems as eating disorders, divorce, and unemployment. Public issues , whose source lies in the social structure and culture of a society, refer to social problems affecting many individuals. Problems in society thus help account for problems that individuals experience. Mills felt that many problems ordinarily considered private troubles are best understood as public issues, and he coined the term sociological imagination to refer to the ability to appreciate the structural basis for individual problems.

Rawle C. Jackman – The line of hope… – CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

Theoretical Perspectives

Functionalism

Functionalism, also known as the functionalist theory or perspective, arose out of two great revolutions of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The first was the French Revolution of 1789, whose intense violence and bloody terror shook Europe to its core. The aristocracy throughout Europe feared that revolution would spread to their own lands, and intellectuals feared that social order was crumbling.

Émile Durkheim was a founder of sociology and is largely credited with developing the functionalist perspective. (Marxists.org – public domain.)

Conflict Theory

In a capitalist society, Marx and Engels wrote, revolution is inevitable because of structural contradictions arising from the very nature of capitalism. Because profit is the main goal of capitalism, the bourgeoisie’s interest lies in maximizing profit. To do so, capitalists try to keep wages as low as possible and to spend as little money as possible on working conditions. This central fact of capitalism, said Marx and Engels, eventually prompts the rise of class consciousness, or an awareness of the reasons for their oppression, among workers. Their class consciousness in turn leads them to revolt against the bourgeoisie to eliminate the oppression and exploitation they suffer.

Symbolic Interactionism

Applying the Three Perspectives

Key Takeaways

According to C. Wright Mills, the sociological imagination involves the ability to recognize that private troubles are rooted in public issues and structural problems.
Functionalism emphasizes the importance of social institutions for social stability and implies that far-reaching social change will be socially harmful.
Conflict theory emphasizes social inequality and suggests that far-reaching social change is needed to achieve a just society.
Symbolic interactionism emphasizes the social meanings and understandings that individuals derive from their social interaction.

For Your Review

Select an example of a “private trouble” and explain how and why it may reflect a structural problem in society.
At this point in your study of social problems, which one of the three sociological theoretical perspectives sounds most appealing to you? Why?

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Student Essays

Essays-Paragraphs-Speeches

11 Essays on Society – Importance, Impacts, Problems [ 2024 ]

Essay on Society: Its Importance for our Life

The society is a place where we live into. We share our life experiences with other individuals. The society helps us to interact with different types of people and learn from them. It is a platform that enhances our personality and teaches us how to live in a community.

Concept of Society

A society is not just about a group of individuals living together but it is much more than that. A society shapes the character of its members and instills values in them. It defines what is right and what is wrong for its members. It also provides them with a sense of security and belonging.

Importance of Society

The importance of society can be understood from the fact that it plays a pivotal role in our life. Our survival and development depend on the society. The society provides us with shelter, food, clothing, and education. It also protects us from danger and keeps us safe from harm.

>>>> Read Also : ” Essay on Cooperation, Need & Importance in Life “

The society is important for our life because:

1) it provides us with basic necessities of life: The society provides us with shelter, food, clothing, and education. All these things are necessary for our survival and development. 2) it protects us from danger and harm: The society protects us from danger and harm. It keeps us safe from criminals, natural disasters, and other threats. 3) it shapes our personality and character: The society shapes our personality and character. It defines what is right and what is wrong for us. It also instills values in us. 4) it gives us a sense of security and belonging: The society gives us a sense of security and belonging. It makes us feel safe and accepted. We feel connected to others and have a sense of purpose in life.

Role of Students in a Society:

There are many ways in which students can be productive members of society. Some of them are: 1) by participating in social service activities: Students can participate in social service activities and help the needy. They can volunteer for organizations that work for the betterment of society. 2) by spreading awareness about social issues: Students can spread awareness about social issues and raise awareness about the problems faced by society. They can use social media to spread awareness about important issues. 3) by becoming involved in politics: Students can become involved in politics and work for the betterment of society. They can run for office or volunteer for political campaigns.

The society is an important part of our life. It plays a crucial role in our survival, development, and personality. We should appreciate the importance of society and work towards its betterment.

Short Essay on Society in English:

Society plays a crucial role in shaping our lives. It is the framework within which we interact and build relationships with each other. From our families to our communities, society has a major influence on every aspect of our daily lives.

In today’s world, the concept of society has evolved drastically. With advancements in technology and globalization, we are no longer confined to physical boundaries. We are now part of a global society, connected to people from different backgrounds and cultures.

One of the fundamental aspects of any society is its values and beliefs. These shape our attitudes, behaviors, and perceptions towards others. They provide us with a moral compass to guide us in our interactions with fellow human beings. However, these values and beliefs can vary greatly across societies, leading to conflicts and misunderstandings.

Furthermore, society also provides us with a sense of identity. We are inherently social beings and rely on our interactions with others to form our self-concept. Our role in society, whether it be as a student, professional, or family member, contributes to our sense of self.

In conclusion, society is the glue that holds us together as a community. It provides us with structure, values, and identity. As individuals, it is our responsibility to contribute positively to society and help create a better world for future generations. After all, we are not just members of society; we are society itself.

Importance of society Essay:

The society we live in plays a crucial role in shaping our lives. It is the foundation on which our values, beliefs and behaviors are built upon. Society not only affects us as individuals but also has a significant impact on the world around us. In this essay, we will explore the importance of society and how it impacts our lives.

Firstly, society provides us with a sense of belonging and identity. As social beings, we have an innate desire to be a part of a community and feel connected to others. Through our interactions with family, friends, and other members of society, we develop a sense of who we are and where we fit in.

Moreover, society also provides us with the necessary support and resources to thrive. In times of need, we can turn to our community for help and support. Whether it is financial assistance, emotional support or advice, society offers a safety net that helps us navigate through life’s challenges.

In addition, society plays a crucial role in shaping our values and beliefs. Our cultural norms, traditions, and customs are all influenced by the society we live in. Through socialization, we learn what is considered acceptable and unacceptable behavior, and this helps us function harmoniously as a community.

Furthermore, society also promotes personal growth and development. By providing opportunities for education, employment, and personal advancement, it enables individuals to reach their full potential. A healthy and supportive society encourages its members to pursue their passions and aspirations.

In conclusion, the importance of society cannot be overstated. It is the fabric that holds us together and shapes our lives in more ways than we can imagine. As members of society, it is our responsibility to contribute positively towards its growth and well-being, for the betterment of ourselves and future generations.

Essay on Impact of Social Media on Society:

Social media has become an integral part of our lives in this modern day and age. It allows us to connect with people from different parts of the world, share our thoughts and experiences, and keep up with current events. However, its impact on society is a topic that has been widely debated.

On one hand, social media has played a major role in revolutionizing communication and breaking down geographical barriers. It has allowed us to stay connected with loved ones, even if they are miles away. Social media also serves as a platform for spreading awareness and promoting social causes. It has given a voice to marginalized communities and helped bring about much-needed change.

But on the other hand, social media comes with its own set of challenges. The constant need for validation and the pressure to present a perfect life online has led to a rise in mental health issues, especially among the youth. It has also made it easier for fake news and misinformation to spread like wildfire, creating chaos and division in society.

Moreover, social media has changed the way we perceive ourselves and others. We are constantly bombarded with images of idealized lives that have been carefully curated for the online world. This has led to an unhealthy comparison culture and a rise in feelings of inadequacy.

In conclusion, the impact of social media on society is complex and multi-faceted. While it has brought about positive changes in terms of communication and social activism, it also comes with its own set of challenges. It is up to us as individuals to use social media in a responsible and balanced manner, keeping in mind its potential impact on our mental health and society as a whole. So, we must strike a balance between being connected and staying grounded in the real world. Let’s make sure that social media remains a tool for positive change rather than a source of negativity.

Essay on Impact of Modern Technology on Society:

Modern technology has become an inseparable part of our daily lives. With every passing day, we are becoming more dependent on the latest gadgets and devices to make our lives easier. From smartphones to smart homes, modern technology has revolutionized the way we live, work and communicate.

The impact of modern technology on society has been both positive and negative. On one hand, it has accelerated the pace of progress and brought about significant advancements in various fields such as healthcare, education, and transportation. On the other hand, it has also contributed to societal issues like addiction, privacy invasion, and job loss.

The rise of social media platforms has connected us with people from all around the world but at the same time, it has led to a decrease in face-to-face communication and affected our social skills. The convenience of online shopping has made us more prone to impulsive purchases, causing financial strain on individuals and families.

The healthcare industry has benefited greatly from modern technology with the invention of life-saving medical equipment and advancements in treatment methods. However, it has also raised concerns about artificial intelligence replacing human jobs in the sector.

In conclusion, the impact of modern technology on society is a double-edged sword. It has brought about tremendous progress and convenience, but it has also posed challenges that need to be addressed

Essay on society and culture:

Society and culture are two intertwined concepts that shape our daily lives. Society refers to a group of individuals who share a common set of values, beliefs, and practices while culture encompasses the customs, traditions, and behaviors of a particular society.

The relationship between society and culture is dynamic and constantly evolving. As humans, we are social beings who are influenced by our surroundings. Our social environment which includes our family, friends, institutions, and media plays a critical role in shaping our perspectives and beliefs. These influences are reflected in our culture, from the food we eat to the way we dress and celebrate important occasions.

Culture is not limited to material objects or practices but also encompasses intangible aspects such as language, art, religion, and social norms. These aspects are what makes each society unique and different from others. Culture also helps us connect with our past, understand our present and shape our future.

While society and culture play a significant role in shaping an individual’s identity, they can also create divisions among people. Our cultural differences can lead to misunderstanding, discrimination, and conflicts within societies.

It is crucial for individuals to have an open mind and respect for other cultures to foster a harmonious society. By understanding and embracing different cultures, we can create a more inclusive and cohesive community where everyone feels valued and respected.

In conclusion, society and culture go hand in hand in shaping our beliefs, values, and behaviors. It is essential to recognize the impact of these concepts on our daily lives while also promoting an inclusive and diverse society. By valuing our differences, we can move towards a better future for all individuals.

Essay on Importance of Education in Society:

Education is one of the most crucial aspects of our society. It plays a vital role in shaping individuals and their perspectives towards life. Education not only provides knowledge, but it also helps us to develop critical thinking skills, moral values, and ethical beliefs.

In today’s world, education has become a necessity for survival. It is no longer seen as a luxury or privilege, but it is a basic human right. The importance of education in society can be seen through its impact on individuals, communities, and the nation as a whole.

For individuals, education opens doors to better career opportunities and higher income levels. It helps them to become self-sufficient and lead a better quality of life. Education also promotes personal growth and enables individuals to make informed decisions.

At the community level, education promotes social cohesion and harmony. It brings people from diverse backgrounds together and helps them to understand and appreciate each other’s cultures, beliefs, and values. Education also plays a crucial role in eradicating social evils such as poverty, discrimination, and inequality.

On a national level, education is instrumental in building a strong economy and creating a skilled workforce. It equips citizens with the necessary skills and knowledge to contribute to the development of their country. Education also plays a vital role in promoting democracy, social justice, and progress.

In conclusion, education is the cornerstone of our society. It empowers individuals, brings communities together, and strengthens nations. Therefore, it is essential to invest in quality education for all to ensure a better and brighter future for generations to come

Short Essay on humanity:

Humanity is a term that encompasses the collective characteristics, behaviors, and beliefs of human beings as a species. It is often used to describe the positive aspects of human nature such as compassion, empathy, and kindness towards others. However, it also includes the negative aspects such as greed, violence, and selfishness.

Throughout history, humanity has evolved tremendously in terms of technological advancements and societal structures. But at the core, humanity remains the same – with all its complexities and contradictions.

One of the defining characteristics of humanity is our ability to think critically and empathize with others. This has allowed us to understand and relate to people from different backgrounds, cultures, and beliefs. It has also led to the development of social systems such as laws, education, and healthcare that aim to improve the well-being of individuals and society as a whole.

On the other hand, humanity has also been responsible for some of the greatest horrors in history – whether it be wars, genocide, or environmental destruction. This highlights our inherent flaws and the need for constant self-reflection and improvement.

Despite our differences, there is an undeniable sense of interconnectedness amongst all human beings. We all share the same basic needs, desires, and emotions. This is what makes us human, and what ultimately unites us.

In a world that often seems divided and chaotic, it is important to remind ourselves of our shared humanity. It is through understanding and compassion for one another that we can create a better future for ourselves and future generations.

So let us strive to embrace our humanity, both the good and the bad, and use it to uplift ourselves and those around us. So let’s continue to spread kindness, empathy, and understanding – for that is what truly makes us human.

Essay on Society Today:

Society today is constantly changing, evolving, and adapting to new advancements and challenges. And as we grow and progress, it’s important to reflect on the state of our society in order to understand where we’ve come from and where we’re headed.

One of the biggest trends that has emerged in recent years is the increasing importance placed on diversity and inclusivity. With globalization and the rise of social media, people from different cultures, backgrounds, and walks of life are coming together like never before. This has led to a greater appreciation for diversity and a call for more representation in all aspects of society.

At the same time, technology has also played a major role in shaping our society today. From smartphones to social media platforms, we are more connected than ever before. This has led to a rapid exchange of information and ideas, making it easier for people to stay informed and engaged.

But with all this progress also comes the rise of challenges such as cyberbullying, online privacy concerns, and fake news. These issues are not only affecting individuals but also society as a whole. It’s important for us to be mindful of the impact of technology on our society and to use it responsibly.

Moreover, as we continue to make strides towards a more inclusive and technologically advanced society, we must also address ongoing issues such as social inequality, poverty, and climate change. These are complex problems that require collective action and a commitment to creating a better world for future generations.

In conclusion, society today is a complex and ever-changing landscape. It’s important for us to stay informed, engaged, and open-minded in order to continue progressing towards a more diverse, inclusive, and sustainable future. Let us not forget our past while we strive towards building a better tomorrow.

Essay about Society Problems:

Society has always been an ever-changing entity, and with that comes a plethora of problems that we face as a community. These issues are not limited to one particular part of the world or group of people; they affect us all in some shape or form. From economic struggles to environmental concerns, society is faced with numerous challenges that need to be addressed.

One of the biggest problems that society faces today is economic inequality. Despite advancements in technology and medicine, there is still a stark difference between the wealthy and the poor. This leads to a wide range of issues such as limited access to education, healthcare, and employment opportunities for those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds.

Another pressing problem in society is climate change. The effects of global warming are becoming increasingly evident, with extreme weather events and rising sea levels threatening our planet. This is not just an environmental issue but also a social one as it disproportionately affects marginalized communities.

Furthermore, societal norms and expectations often lead to discrimination and injustice against certain groups of people. Racism, sexism, homophobia, and other forms of discrimination are prevalent issues that need to be addressed in order for society to progress.

In addition, the rapid pace of technological advancements has brought about its own set of problems. From cyberbullying to invasion of privacy, technology has opened up new avenues for societal issues that we must navigate and find solutions for.

It is crucial for us as a society to acknowledge and address these problems in order to create a more equitable and sustainable future. Each and every one of us has a role to play in making our world a better place for ourselves and future generations. Let’s work together towards finding solutions and creating a society where everyone can thrive.

Indian Society Essay:

Indian society is an intricate web of traditions, values and beliefs that have been passed down through generations. Despite vast regional differences and cultural diversity, there are a few common threads that bind the people together. The Indian society is deeply rooted in its rich history and heritage, which has shaped its present form.

One of the most significant aspects of Indian society is its emphasis on family and community. Indians place great value on familial relationships, and the joint family system is still prevalent in many parts of the country. In this system, several generations live together under one roof, sharing their lives and responsibilities.

Religion also plays a crucial role in Indian society. With over 80% of the population identifying as Hindus, India is often referred to as the land of spirituality. The country is home to multiple religions, and each one has its unique customs and practices that are deeply ingrained in the culture.

Another defining aspect of Indian society is its diversity. India is a melting pot of different languages, cuisines, traditions, and belief systems. This diversity not only adds to the cultural fabric but also plays a vital role in shaping the country’s economic and social landscape.

Despite its challenges, Indian society has come a long way in terms of progress and development. With a growing economy, advancements in technology, and changing mindsets, the society is constantly evolving. However, it still holds on to its roots and traditions, making it a unique blend of modernity and tradition.

Indian society may have its flaws, but it is a beautiful tapestry of cultures, religions and communities that make it truly one of a kind. So, let us celebrate this diversity and continue to cherish the values that bind us together as Indians.

We live in a society Speech:

Hello everyone!

Today, I want to talk about a topic that is very close to my heart – “We live in a Society”. As we all know, society plays an integral role in our lives. It shapes our thoughts, beliefs, and actions. We may have different cultural backgrounds, but ultimately, we are all part of the same society.

In today’s world, we are heavily influenced by society. It is often the driving force behind our decisions and actions. However, it is crucial to remember that society is not always right. It has its flaws and imperfections, just like anything else.

What makes a society strong and thriving is the unity of its people. We must work together towards a common goal – creating a better world for ourselves and future generations. We must also learn to embrace diversity and respect each other’s differences.

Living in a society means being part of a community where we have rights, but also responsibilities. We must use our voices for the greater good, stand up against injustice, and help those in need. After all, it is only when individuals come together as a collective that real change can happen.

We also must acknowledge the impact of technology and social media on our society. While it has connected us in ways we never thought possible, it has also brought about new challenges. We must use these platforms responsibly and not let them control our lives.

As students, you are the future of our society. It is your responsibility to ensure that society continues to progress and evolve in a positive direction. You have the power to make a difference, no matter how small.

>>>> Read Also: “Essay on Personality Development & its Importance “

Q: What is society in essay?

A: In an essay, society is a complex network of individuals living together, sharing common values, norms, and institutions.

Q: What is society in 100 words?

A: Society is a structured community of people who interact, coexist, and share common values, beliefs, and customs. It encompasses social, cultural, economic, and political systems that shape human behavior and relationships. Society provides the framework for individuals to collaborate, exchange ideas, and establish social order. It plays a crucial role in human development, as it influences identity, roles, and opportunities.

The dynamics of society are constantly evolving, influenced by historical events, technological advancements, and cultural changes. A functional and harmonious society is essential for the well-being and progress of its members.

Q: What is the importance of a society?

A: The importance of society lies in providing a structured environment for individuals to live, collaborate, and thrive together, facilitating cooperation, shared resources, cultural development, and social order.

Q: What is society introduction?

A: An introduction to society typically provides a brief overview of what society is, its significance in human life, and its various components, setting the stage for a deeper exploration of the topic in an essay or discussion.

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Society Nowadays: Social Issues Among Young People

Categories: Society

About this sample

Words: 953 |

Published: Feb 12, 2019

Words: 953 | Pages: 2 | 5 min read

Works Cited

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021). Preventing Youth Violence.
Cummings, C. M., Caporino, N. E., & Kendall, P. C. (2014). Comorbidity of anxiety and depression in children and adolescents: 20 years after. Psychological Bulletin, 140(3), 816–845.
Drug Enforcement Administration. (2021). Drug Use and Prevention. https://www.dea.gov/drug-use-prevention
Moffitt, T. E., Arseneault, L., Belsky, D., Dickson, N., Hancox, R. J., Harrington, H. L., Houts, R., Poulton, R., Roberts, B. W., Ross, S., Sears, M. R., Thomson, W. M., & Caspi, A. (2011). A gradient of childhood self-control predicts health, wealth, and public safety. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 108(7), 2693–2698.
National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2021). Principles of Adolescent Substance Use Disorder Treatment: A Research-Based Guide. https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/principles-adolescent-substance-use-disorder-treatment-research-based-guide/introduction
Office of National Drug Control Policy. (2021). Youth Substance Use Prevention.
Singer, J. B., & Singer, D. G. (2014). Violence on television and its impact on youth: A psychological perspective. In K. Dill (Ed.), The Oxford handbook of media psychology (pp. 609–628). Oxford University Press.
Thompson, K. M., & Haninger, K. (2011). Violence in the media and its effects on adolescents. Journal of Adolescent Health, 46(6), S26–S27.
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. (2019). Global Study on Homicide 2019. https://www.unodc.org/documents/data-and-analysis/gsh/Booklet2.pdf
World Health Organization. (2021). Violence and injury prevention.

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The U.S. Supreme Court’s June 2022 ruling to overturn Roe v. Wade – the decision that had guaranteed a constitutional right to an abortion for nearly 50 years – has shifted the legal battle over abortion to the states, with some prohibiting the procedure and others moving to safeguard it.

As the nation’s post-Roe chapter begins, here are key facts about Americans’ views on abortion, based on two Pew Research Center polls: one conducted from June 25-July 4 , just after this year’s high court ruling, and one conducted in March , before an earlier leaked draft of the opinion became public.

This analysis primarily draws from two Pew Research Center surveys, one surveying 10,441 U.S. adults conducted March 7-13, 2022, and another surveying 6,174 U.S. adults conducted June 27-July 4, 2022. Here are the questions used for the March survey , along with responses, and the questions used for the survey from June and July , along with responses.

Everyone who took part in these surveys is a member of the Center’s American Trends Panel (ATP), an online survey panel that is recruited through national, random sampling of residential addresses. This way nearly all U.S. adults have a chance of selection. The survey is weighted to be representative of the U.S. adult population by gender, race, ethnicity, partisan affiliation, education and other categories. Read more about the ATP’s methodology .

A majority of the U.S. public disapproves of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe. About six-in-ten adults (57%) disapprove of the court’s decision that the U.S. Constitution does not guarantee a right to abortion and that abortion laws can be set by states, including 43% who strongly disapprove, according to the summer survey. About four-in-ten (41%) approve, including 25% who strongly approve.

A bar chart showing that the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade draws more strong disapproval among Democrats than strong approval among Republicans

About eight-in-ten Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents (82%) disapprove of the court’s decision, including nearly two-thirds (66%) who strongly disapprove. Most Republicans and GOP leaners (70%) approve , including 48% who strongly approve.

Most women (62%) disapprove of the decision to end the federal right to an abortion. More than twice as many women strongly disapprove of the court’s decision (47%) as strongly approve of it (21%). Opinion among men is more divided: 52% disapprove (37% strongly), while 47% approve (28% strongly).

About six-in-ten Americans (62%) say abortion should be legal in all or most cases, according to the summer survey – little changed since the March survey conducted just before the ruling. That includes 29% of Americans who say it should be legal in all cases and 33% who say it should be legal in most cases. About a third of U.S. adults (36%) say abortion should be illegal in all (8%) or most (28%) cases.

A line graph showing public views of abortion from 1995-2022

Generally, Americans’ views of whether abortion should be legal remained relatively unchanged in the past few years , though support fluctuated somewhat in previous decades.

Relatively few Americans take an absolutist view on the legality of abortion – either supporting or opposing it at all times, regardless of circumstances. The March survey found that support or opposition to abortion varies substantially depending on such circumstances as when an abortion takes place during a pregnancy, whether the pregnancy is life-threatening or whether a baby would have severe health problems.

While Republicans’ and Democrats’ views on the legality of abortion have long differed, the 46 percentage point partisan gap today is considerably larger than it was in the recent past, according to the survey conducted after the court’s ruling. The wider gap has been largely driven by Democrats: Today, 84% of Democrats say abortion should be legal in all or most cases, up from 72% in 2016 and 63% in 2007. Republicans’ views have shown far less change over time: Currently, 38% of Republicans say abortion should be legal in all or most cases, nearly identical to the 39% who said this in 2007.

A line graph showing that the partisan gap in views of whether abortion should be legal remains wide

However, the partisan divisions over whether abortion should generally be legal tell only part of the story. According to the March survey, sizable shares of Democrats favor restrictions on abortion under certain circumstances, while majorities of Republicans favor abortion being legal in some situations , such as in cases of rape or when the pregnancy is life-threatening.

There are wide religious divides in views of whether abortion should be legal , the summer survey found. An overwhelming share of religiously unaffiliated adults (83%) say abortion should be legal in all or most cases, as do six-in-ten Catholics. Protestants are divided in their views: 48% say it should be legal in all or most cases, while 50% say it should be illegal in all or most cases. Majorities of Black Protestants (71%) and White non-evangelical Protestants (61%) take the position that abortion should be legal in all or most cases, while about three-quarters of White evangelicals (73%) say it should be illegal in all (20%) or most cases (53%).

A bar chart showing that there are deep religious divisions in views of abortion

In the March survey, 72% of White evangelicals said that the statement “human life begins at conception, so a fetus is a person with rights” reflected their views extremely or very well . That’s much greater than the share of White non-evangelical Protestants (32%), Black Protestants (38%) and Catholics (44%) who said the same. Overall, 38% of Americans said that statement matched their views extremely or very well.

Catholics, meanwhile, are divided along religious and political lines in their attitudes about abortion, according to the same survey. Catholics who attend Mass regularly are among the country’s strongest opponents of abortion being legal, and they are also more likely than those who attend less frequently to believe that life begins at conception and that a fetus has rights. Catholic Republicans, meanwhile, are far more conservative on a range of abortion questions than are Catholic Democrats.

Women (66%) are more likely than men (57%) to say abortion should be legal in most or all cases, according to the survey conducted after the court’s ruling.

More than half of U.S. adults – including 60% of women and 51% of men – said in March that women should have a greater say than men in setting abortion policy . Just 3% of U.S. adults said men should have more influence over abortion policy than women, with the remainder (39%) saying women and men should have equal say.

The March survey also found that by some measures, women report being closer to the abortion issue than men . For example, women were more likely than men to say they had given “a lot” of thought to issues around abortion prior to taking the survey (40% vs. 30%). They were also considerably more likely than men to say they personally knew someone (such as a close friend, family member or themselves) who had had an abortion (66% vs. 51%) – a gender gap that was evident across age groups, political parties and religious groups.

Relatively few Americans view the morality of abortion in stark terms , the March survey found. Overall, just 7% of all U.S. adults say having an abortion is morally acceptable in all cases, and 13% say it is morally wrong in all cases. A third say that having an abortion is morally wrong in most cases, while about a quarter (24%) say it is morally acceptable in most cases. An additional 21% do not consider having an abortion a moral issue.

A table showing that there are wide religious and partisan differences in views of the morality of abortion

Among Republicans, most (68%) say that having an abortion is morally wrong either in most (48%) or all cases (20%). Only about three-in-ten Democrats (29%) hold a similar view. Instead, about four-in-ten Democrats say having an abortion is morally acceptable in most (32%) or all (11%) cases, while an additional 28% say it is not a moral issue.

White evangelical Protestants overwhelmingly say having an abortion is morally wrong in most (51%) or all cases (30%). A slim majority of Catholics (53%) also view having an abortion as morally wrong, but many also say it is morally acceptable in most (24%) or all cases (4%), or that it is not a moral issue (17%). Among religiously unaffiliated Americans, about three-quarters see having an abortion as morally acceptable (45%) or not a moral issue (32%).

Religion & Abortion

Jane Doe is a a research analyst focusing on social and demographic research at Pew Research Center

What the data says about abortion in the U.S.

Support for legal abortion is widespread in many countries, especially in europe, nearly a year after roe’s demise, americans’ views of abortion access increasingly vary by where they live, by more than two-to-one, americans say medication abortion should be legal in their state, most latinos say democrats care about them and work hard for their vote, far fewer say so of gop, most popular.

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ABOUT PEW RESEARCH CENTER Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. Pew Research Center does not take policy positions. It is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts .

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