Unit- 4
Social problems in india and applying social psychology
The concept of social problems
A social problem is any condition or behavior that has negative
consequences for large numbers of people and that is generally
recognized as a condition or behavior that needs to be addressed. This
definition has both an objective component and a subjective component.
The objective component is this: For any condition or behavior to be
considered a social problem, it must have negative consequences for
large numbers of people
• component of the definition of social problems: There must be a
perception that a condition or behavior needs to be addressed for it to
be considered a social problem. This component lies at the heart of
the social constructionist view of social problems (Rubington &
Weinberg, 2010).
• In this view, many types of negative conditions and behaviors exist.
Many of these are considered sufficiently negative to acquire the status
of a social problem; some do not receive this consideration and thus do
not become a social problem; and some become considered a social
problem only if citizens, policymakers, or other parties call attention to
the condition or behavior.
Characteristics of social problems
• All social problems are situations which have injurious conse-
quences for society.
• All social problems are deviations from the ‘ideal’ situation.
• All social problems have some common basis of origin.
• All social problems are social in origin.
• All social problems are caused by pathological social conditions.
• All social problems are interconnected.
• All social problems are social in their results, that is, they affect
all sections of society.
• The responsibility for social problems is social, that is, they
require a collective approach for their solution.
• Social Problems occur in all societies.
Causes of social problems
• The main causes of social problems are:
• Unemployment.
• Poverty.
• Rapid population growth.
• Urbanization.
• Lack of education.
• Superstitious beliefs.
• Gender discrimination.
• Caste discrimination
Types of social problems
• Social stratificationEdit
• Social stratification is a kind of social differentiation whereby
members of society are grouped into socioeconomic strata, based
upon their occupation and income, wealth and social status, or
derived power (social and political). As such, stratification is the
relative social position of persons within a social group, category,
geographic region, or social unit.
• Economic issues
• Unemployment rates vary by region, gender, educational attainment,
and ethnic group.
• In most countries (including developed countries), many people
are poor and depend on welfare. In 2007 in Germany, one in six
children . That is up from only one in seventy-five in 1965. War also
plays an important role in disturbing the economic status of a country
by using money that was intended for welfare.[4
• Social disorganization
So-called "problem neighbourhoods" exist in many countries. These
neighbourhoods tend to have a high drop-out rate from secondary
school, and children growing up in these neighbourhoods have a low
probability of going to college compared to children who grow up in
other neighbourhoods. Abuse of alcohol and drugs is common in these
neighbourhoods. Often these neighbourhoods were founded out of
best intentions
• Public healthEdit
• Widespread health conditions (often characterized
as epidemics or pandemics) are of concern to society as a whole. They can
harm quality of life, the ability of people to contribute to society (e.g. by
working), and most problematically result in death.
• Infectious diseases are often public health concerns because they can
spread quickly and easily, affecting large numbers of people. The World
Health Organization has an acute interest in combating infectious disease
outbreaks by minimizing their geographic and numerical spread and
treating the affected. Other conditions for which there is not yet a cure or
even effective treatment, such as dementia, can be viewed as public health
concerns in the long run.
• Age and the life course
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.
• Social inequality
• Social inequality is "the state or quality of being unequal". [6] Inequality is
the root of a number of social problems that occur when factors such as
gender, disability, race, and age may affect the way a person is treated. A
past example of inequality as a social problem is slavery in the United
States. Africans brought to America were often enslaved and mistreated,
and they did not share the same rights as the white population of America
(for example, they were not allowed to vote).
• A number of civil rights movements have attempted to, and often
succeeded at, advancing equality and extending rights to previously
marginalized groups. These include the women's rights movement
(beginning around the 1920s), the civil rights movement in the United
States for African-American equality (beginning around the 1950s), and
the LGBT rights movement beginning around the 1960s.
