Social Issue

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Social issue
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"Social problems" redirects here. For the journal, see Social Problems (journal). | This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. This article needs attention from an expert in Sociology. The specific problem is: may need to be rewritten entirely to comply with Wikipedia 's quality standards. (March 2013) | This article 's tone or style may not reflect the encyclopedic tone used on Wikipedia. (March 2013) | |
A social issue (also called a social problem or a social ill) is an issue that relates to society 's perception of people 's personal lives. Different societies have different perceptions and what may be "normal" behaviour in one society may be a significant social issue in another society. Social issues are distinguished from economic issues. Some issues have both social and economic aspects, such as immigration. There are also issues that don 't fall into either category, such as wars.
Thomas Paine, in Rights of Man and Common Sense, addresses man 's duty to "allow the same rights to others as we allow ourselves". The failure to do so causes the birth of a social issue. Contents [hide] * 1 List of social issues * 1.1 Personal issues versus social issues * 1.2 Caste system * 1.3 Economy * 1.4 Social disorganization * 1.5 Age and the life course * 1.6 Inequality * 1.7 Education and public schools * 1.8 Work and occupations * 1.9 Media * 1.10 Health and medicine * 1.11 Advertising junk food to children * 1.12 Obesity * 1.13 Alcohol and drugs * 1.14 Crime and the justice system * 1.15 Environmental racism * 1.16 Hate crimes * 1.17 Valence issues versus position issues * 1.18 Abortion * 2 Other issues * 3 See also * 4 References * 5 External links |
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List of social issues[edit]
Personal issues versus social issues[edit]
Personal issues are those that individuals deal with themselves and within a small range of their peers and relationships.[1] On the other hand, social issues threaten values cherished by widespread society.[1] For example, the unemployment rate of 7.8 percent[2] in the U.S. as of October 2012 is a social issue.
The line between a personal issue and a public issue may be subjective, however, when a large enough sector of society is affected by an issue, it becomes a social issue. Although one person fired is not a social issue, the repercussions of 13 million people being fired is likely to generate social issues.
Caste system[edit]
Caste system in India resulted in most oppressed Untouchables on earth for the past 3000 years . UK recently banned caste system [1] and US is also planning to ban [2] caste system.
Economy[edit]
Main article: Economic problem
Unemployment rates vary by region, gender, educational attainment and ethnic group.
In most countries, including the developed countries many people are poor and depend on welfare. In Germany in 2007 one in six children depended on welfare. That is up from only one in seventy-five in 1965.[3] economy is undefined nowadays.[4]
Social disorganization[edit]
Main article: Social disorganization theory
So called problem neighbourhoods exist in many countries. Those neighbourhoods tend to have a high drop-out rate from secondary school and children growing up in a neighbourhood like this have a low probability of going to college compared to a person growing up in another neighbourhood. Abuse of alcohol and drugs is common. Often those neighbourhoods were founded out of best intentions.[5]
Age and the life course[edit]
Main article: Agism
Throughout the life course there are social problems associated with different ages. One such social problem is age discrimination. An example of age discrimination is when a particular person is not allowed to do something or is treated differently based on age.
Inequality[edit]
Main article: Social inequality
Inequality is "the state or quality of being unequal".[6] Inequality is the root of a number of social problems where things such as gender, race and age may affect the way a person is treated. A past example of inequality as a social problem is slavery in America. Africans brought to America were often enslaved and mistreated, and did not share the same rights as the white population of America (ex. voting).
Education and public schools[edit]
Main article: Educational inequality
Education is arguably the most important skill in being a successful member of society, however there has not been an equal amount of distribution of funding to public schools.[7] The weak organizational policy in place and the lack of communication between public schools and the federal government has begun to have major affects on the future generation. Public schools that do not receive high standardized test scores are not being funded sufficiently to actually reach the maximum level of education their students should be receiving.[8]
Work and occupations[edit]
Social Problems in the workplace include theft, sexual harassment, wage inequality, gender inequality, racial inequality, health care disparities, and many more.
Media[edit]
Media or outlets that publicize information often socially construct social problems. Depending on who owns the media outlet often determines the types of social problems presented, how long they are air, how dramatic they should be, etc. The media is often based towards one end of the spectrum; i.e media outlets have been accused of either being too conservative or too liberal.
Health and medicine[edit]
Main article: Public health
Medication prescriptions have substantially risen in the past decade in our society. The question is whether these medications actually work or is it mind over matter. Studies have shown that placebos are almost as effective in helping with depression than antidepressants. Antidepressants are many of the pills that are being prescribed and make Americans even more addicted to medication because of the concept of taking the pills.[9]
Advertising junk food to children[edit] | The neutrality of this article is disputed. Relevant discussion may be found on the talk page. Please do not remove this message until thedispute is resolved. (April 2013) |
The food industry has been blamed by many for the increase in childhood obesity by targeting the child demographic in marketing. The food products marketed often are deemed unhealthy because of their high calorie, high fat, and high sugar contents.[10]
Obesity[edit]
Main article: Obesity
Obesity is a prevalent social problem in today 's society, with rates steadily increasing. According to the Weight Control Information Network, since the early 1960s, the prevalence of obesity among adults more than doubled, increasing from 13.4 to 35.7 percent in U.S. adults age 20 and older.[11] In addition, today two in three adults are considered overweight or obese, and one in six children aged 6–19 are considered obese.
Alcohol and drugs[edit]
Drugs are at times the causes of social problems. Drugs such as cocaine and opiates offer very limited positive effects and are extremely addictive. Many users of such drugs will commit crimes in order to obtain their fix. Occasionally, drugs such as methamphetamine or phencyclidine will cause deviant and violent behavior, which would be classified as a social problem.[12]
Drunk driving is on the rise and is the number two cause of accidental death, it is a cause of around 17,000 deaths each year. All but 9 states have adopted the Administrative License Revocation where if you are caught drinking and driving and found guilty you lose your license for a full year. This is a step that is being taken in order to try and avoid this social problem.[13]
Crime and the justice system[edit]
The federal prison system has been unable to keep up with the steady increase of inmates over the past few years, causing major overcrowding. In the year 2012, the overcrowding level was 41 percent above "rated capacity" and was the highest level since 2004.[14]
The federal prison not only has overcrowding, but also has been the center of controversy in the U.S regarding the conditions in which the prisoners are treated.
Environmental racism[edit]
Main article: Environmental racism
Environmental racism is when a particular place or town is subject to problematic environmental practices due to the racial and class components of that space. In general, the place or town is representative of lower income and minority groups. Often, there is more pollution, factories, dumping, etc. that produce environmental hazards and health risks not seen in more affluent cities.
Hate crimes[edit]
Main article: Hate crime
Hate crimes are a social problem in the United States because they directly marginalize and target a specific group of people or community based on their identities. Hate crimes can be a result of hate-motivated behavior, prejudice, and intolerance due to sexual orientation, gender expression, biological sex, ethnicity, race, religion, disabilities, or any other identity.[15] Hate crimes are a growing issue especially in school settings because of the young populations that exist. The majority of victims and perpetrators are teenagers and young adults, the population that exists within educational institutes. Hate crimes can take shape in physical or sexual assaults or harassment, verbal harassment, robbery, or even death.[16] The lasting effects of hate crimes can result in mental illness and disorders such as depression, suicidal thoughts and behaviors, etc. The issue is a social problem because it is widespread and affects much of our communities and the individuals who do not fit the norm.
Valence issues versus position issues[edit]
A valence issue is typically a social problem that is uniformly agreed upon.[17] These types of issues generally generate a widespread consensus and provoke little resistance from the public. An example of a valence issue would be incest or child abuse.[18] Unlike a valence issue, a position issue typically outlines a social problem in which the popular opinion among society is divided.[18]An example of a position issue is vegetarianism or veganism, due to the lack of widespread consensus from the public.
Abortion[edit]
Main article: Abortion
Abortion is split between pro choice and pro-life. Pro choice people believe abortion is a right that women have that shouldn 't be limited by government. Pro life people believe personhood begins at conception so abortion is the wrongful killing of an innocent person.[19]
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Other issues[edit] | This section requires expansion.(January 2013) |
Other issues include education, lack of literacy and numeracy, school truancy, violence and bullying in schools, religious intolerance, immigration, political and religious extremism, discrimination of all sorts, the role of women, aging populations, gender issues, unplanned parenthood, and teenage pregnancy.
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See also[edit] * Social issues in the United States * Anti-German sentiment * Population ageing * Immigration * Social inequality * Social Problems (journal) * The Society for the Study of Social Problems
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References[edit] 1. ^ a b C. Wright Mills: The Sociological Imagination 2. ^ DEWAN, SHAILA. 2012. NY Times 3. ^ Report des Kinderhilfswerkes: Jedes sechste Kind lebt in Armut 4. ^ → 5. ^ Wolfgang Uchatius: "Armut in Deutschland - Die neue Unterschicht". Die Zeit. 10th March 2005 6. ^ "Inequality | Define Inequality at Dictionary.com". Dictionary.reference.com. Retrieved 2013-03-08. 7. ^ Bruce J. Biddle and David C. Berliner. "Educational Leadership:Beyond Instructional Leadership:Unequal School Funding in the United States". Ascd.org. Retrieved 2013-03-08. 8. ^ Scott, Dylan (2012-08-23). "Biggest Problem for Public Education? Lack of Funding, Poll Says". Governing.com. Retrieved 2013-03-08. 9. ^ "Active placebos versus antidepressants for depression - The Cochrane Library - Moncrieff - Wiley Online Library". Onlinelibrary.wiley.com. 2010-01-20. Retrieved 2013-03-08. 10. ^ Barnes, B. (2007). Limiting ads of junk food to children. The New York Times, 2. 11. ^ "Overweight and Obesity Statistics". Weight Control Information Network. Retrieved 4 March 2013. 12. ^ "Cocaine". Erowid.org. Retrieved 2013-03-25. 13. ^ "Social Problems in American Society | Reader 's Digest". Rd.com. 2013-01-15. Retrieved 2013-03-08. 14. ^ Posted: 09/14/2012 6:51 pm Updated: 09/15/2012 10:15 pm. "Overcrowding In Federal Prisons Harms Inmates, Guards: GAO Report". Huffingtonpost.com. Retrieved 2013-03-08. 15. ^ National Crime Prevention Council 16. ^ Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network (RAINN) 17. ^ "valence issue: Definition from". Answers.com. Retrieved 2013-03-08. 18. ^ a b Nelson, Barbara J (1986-04-15). Making an Issue of Child Abuse: Political Agenda Setting for Social Problems. ISBN 9780226572017. 19. ^ "Abortion ProCon.org". Abortion ProCon.org. Retrieved 2013-03-08.
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Inequality, Philanthropy and Social Entrepreneurship

by Ernesto M. Pernia
Originally posted on the Inquirer (2 April 2013)
Reposted here with permission from the author

Our country is among the most unequal in wealth and income distribution in Asia such that it is often associated with its more distant cousins in Latin America. World Bank data on Gini index – which goes from 0 (perfect equality) to 100 (perfect inequality) – indicate that the Philippines’ index is 43, compared with Thailand’s 40 (as of 2009), Indonesia’s 34 (2005), and Vietnam’s 36 (2008).

Comes now the front-page news (Inquirer, 3/4/13) reporting Cielito Habito’s observation that the rise in aggregate wealth of the country’s 40 richest families in 2010-2011 was equivalent to 76.5 percent of the increase in the economy’s GDP during the same period. The corresponding figures were 33.7 percent in Thailand, 5.6 percent in Malaysia, and 2.8 percent in Japan. This does not mean that more than three-quarters of the Philippines’ GDP goes to the 40 families as wealth is a stock while annual GDP is a flow. The ratios merely poignantly highlight how serious social inequality is in our country.

An earlier ADB study we conducted on the links between economic growth and poverty reduction reveals that the growth elasticity of poverty is just above 0.5 for the Philippines compared with 0.7 for Indonesia, and closer to 1.0 for Vietnam. These elasticities imply that, say, a 10 percent increase in overall per capita GDP raises the per capita income or expenditure of the poorest by just about 5.0 percent in the Philippines, 7.0 percent in Indonesia, and close to 10 percent in Vietnam. This suggests that the higher the inequality in a country the more muted is the effect of economic growth in terms of poverty reduction. This partly explains why the relatively high GDP growth rates in the Philippines in some years have hardly moved poverty incidence. Moreover, other studies show that high inequality, to begin with, tempers economic growth itself. In short, inequality is bad for both economic growth and poverty reduction.

The recent Forbes magazine article on the richest Filipinos against the backdrop of egregious inequality was provocative. Among others, it stimulated thinking about what philanthropy could or might do to help address the country’s age-old social problems. Philanthropy per se is nothing new and is in fact already being practiced to some degree by the more affluent individuals through their donations to worthwhile causes, as well as by businesses through their foundations for corporate social responsibility.

What might be a more innovative philanthropy is for the richest Filipinos to commit a bulk of their wealth to make a quantum and durable impact on the country’s chronic inequality and poverty. Such philanthropy would in effect serve to make up for the government’s failure and budgetary constraints. For instance, our annual budgets for education and health have been on the order of 2.0-2.5 percent of GDP – well short of UNESCO’s and WHO’s 5.0 percent norms, to which our older ASEAN neighbors hew much closer. Moreover, the budget for science and technology has been a mere 0.15 percent of GDP, compared with our neighbors’ average of 0.5 percent. These shortfalls are a non-trivial reason why our economic development has lagged behind so badly.

Philanthropy for health, education, and science and technology would be an investment in public goods, often also referred to as “merit goods” in that they create positive externalities for society and therefore tend to be privately under-consumed and under-supplied (i.e., the public benefit is greater than the private benefit). But it may still be in the self-interest of the more affluent people to address the “merit goods” deficits towards a better and more productive citizenry resulting in a more stable and safer living environment for all.

Philanthropy is not lacking of worthy exemplars. Andrew Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller, William D. Ford, and the Vanderbilt family contributed to the building of the U.S. cultural infrastructure. More recently, “Warren Buffett and Bill and Melinda Gates established The Giving Pledge in June 2010: a public commitment by some of the world’s richest people to give away at least half of their wealth, which in turn is meant to inspire more giving. To date, 81 billionaires have signed on, with Buffet alone pledging $37 billion” (Marina Primorac, “Good Works,” Finance and Development, December 2012, p. 9).

For philanthropists in the more mature countries, the philosophy it seems is to not bequeath a large inheritance to their children as it could lead to complacency and a disincentive for hard work. However, such a philosophy appears still relatively uncommon among rich Filipino parents who tend to pamper their children. Businessmen are wont to hand over their business empires to their children that not infrequently cause inter-sibling fights. Whether or not such a tradition is a good Filipino value to keep may require serious thought and reflection.

Philanthropy can be made more effective with social entrepreneurship. “Social entrepreneurs drive social innovation and transformation in various fields including education, health, environment and enterprise development. They pursue poverty alleviation goals with zeal, business methods, and the courage to innovate and overcome traditional practices” (Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship). A good example in the Philippines is Antonio Meloto and his co-workers running the now famous Gawad Kalinga project.

Our country needs bigger philanthropy supported by social entrepreneurship to help address its formidable social challenges.

Sumber : http://philbasiceducation.blogspot.com/2013/04/inequality-philanthropy-and-social.html#ixzz2YRMHLP4r phi·lan·thro·py /fəˈlanTHrəpē/ Noun 1. The desire to promote the welfare of others, expressed esp. by the generous donation of money to good causes. 2. A philanthropic institution; a charity. | | | Synonyms charity - benevolence - beneficence | |

References: 2. ^ DEWAN, SHAILA. 2012. NY Times 3 8. ^ Scott, Dylan (2012-08-23). "Biggest Problem for Public Education? Lack of Funding, Poll Says". Governing.com. Retrieved 2013-03-08. 9. ^ "Active placebos versus antidepressants for depression - The Cochrane Library - Moncrieff - Wiley Online Library". Onlinelibrary.wiley.com. 2010-01-20. Retrieved 2013-03-08. 10. ^ Barnes, B. (2007). Limiting ads of junk food to children. The New York Times, 2. 13. ^ "Social Problems in American Society | Reader 's Digest". Rd.com. 2013-01-15. Retrieved 2013-03-08. 18. ^ a b Nelson, Barbara J (1986-04-15). Making an Issue of Child Abuse: Political Agenda Setting for Social Problems. ISBN 9780226572017. * "Berlin blues" relatively long article by The Guardian on the current economical problems and mood in Germany shortly before the general elections (September 15, 2005) [hide] * v  * t  * eSocial issues in Europe | by Ernesto M. Pernia Originally posted on the Inquirer (2 April 2013)