Social Problem

Social Problems

Every society whether in developed or developing experience a number of social problems that may include poverty, unemployment, gun violence, child abuse, homelessness and unbalanced distribution of resources among others. It is quite evident that every social problem however small it may appear, it has thorny consequences to the society where it is prevalent. All social problems have a common origin that includes the society itself and the political system of a given country (Miller & Holstein, 2017). Adverse social problems in every country are characterized by a pervasive inequality built on gender difference, race or social class among others. Elsewhere, not every problem is considered a social problem. This, therefore, implies that for a problem to qualify as a social problem, it must have an adverse effect on the masses. Whereas the United States is known to be the most developed and industrialized country in the world, there is still the prevalence of poverty in its midst.

According to the recent statistics released in 2016, it is estimated that close to forty-three million Americans leave in abject poverty. This represents 12.7% of the United States population. However, this data does not include the homeless Americans who are equally poverty-stricken (Best, 2017). Poverty is not a disease that began yesterday; it has been there for centuries. However, one need to realize that poverty is caused by a number of factors that may include high divorce rates whereby the accumulated resources are split among the spouse hence reducing one to an impoverished level. Elsewhere, extreme weather conditions caused by climate change may cause poverty specifically to those who rely on rain-fed agriculture (Zhao, He, Johnson & Mou, 2015). Furthermore, lack of financial planning for the future may reduce one to poverty despite having a good job previously. This is experienced when one retires from service.

Poverty in the United States is not as prevalent as it is in many other developed and developing countries. However, there is a worrying trend considering the fact that close to forty-three million Americans live in poverty. The prevalence of poverty in the United State is associated with low wages as well as the absence of work among many people who have the skills and knowhow but they are unable to find suitable employment. Elsewhere the absence of work has made a good number of Americans to look for low wage-work which forces them to keep on struggling with life to make ends meet. However, many researchers blame the increased poverty level in the United States on the general economic decline as well the over expenditure by the federal government in foreign issues such as the war in Iraq which was followed by the economic depression of the 2007-2008.

Poverty in the United States is not prevalent in every community or population. However, the most affected population in the United States in terms of poverty is the black population. This is because African Americans constitute the largest portion of the unemployment rate in the United States (Desmond & Western, 2018). Equally, some researchers suggest that African Americans are poor because of lack of education or have lower levels of education compared to the Hispanics and the Whites. A good number of African Americans do not have post-secondary degree, or they have diplomas compared to the Whites. Equally, most of the African Americans have less than high school education which inhibits their chances of getting employed.

Poverty is associated with a number of theories that explain its prevalence in the society. These include the structural theory and individual theory. According to the structural theory, many people find themselves in poverty because of poor economic systems which fail to deliver sufficient income (Ghatak, 2015). Similarly, others find themselves in poverty because of defects in the economic structure. Elsewhere, the individual theory asserts that people find themselves in poverty out of their own laziness; they are ignorance or lack of education. However, in a bid to address the widespread poverty, various scholars, as well as policymakers, suggest that ending poverty requires an equal access to quality education thus providing the necessary skills that various industries require. Equally, scholars suggest that there is the need to there is a universal access to healthcare to help in fighting preventable diseases that are prevalent among the poverty-stricken communities. Elsewhere, economic security is vital in fighting poverty (Chandy, Kato & Kharas, 2015). This therefore requires that governments must expand their economies so that they can be able to absorb many unemployed youths based on their skills.

In summary, every society has its own social problems. However, the duty is incumbent upon the government to step in and help in addressing the social problems.

Reference

Best, J. (2017). Images of issues: Typifying contemporary social problems. Routledge.

Chandy, L., Kato, H., & Kharas, H. (Eds.). (2015). The last mile in ending extreme poverty. Brookings Institution Press.

Desmond, M., & Western, B. (2018). Poverty in America: New Directions and Debates. Annual Review of Sociology, (0).

Ghatak, M. (2015). Theories of poverty traps and anti-poverty policies. The World Bank Economic Review, 29(suppl_1), S77-S105.

Miller, G., & Holstein, J. A. (2017). Constructionist Controversies: Issues in social problems theory. Routledge.

Zhao, D. X., He, B. J., Johnson, C., & Mou, B. (2015). Social problems of green buildings: From the humanistic needs to social acceptance. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 51, 1594-1609.