how to solve social problems essay

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.

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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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Home — Essay Samples — Sociology — Society — Addressing Social Problems: A Call to Action

Addressing Social Problems: a Call to Action

• Categories: Society Suicide

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Published: Mar 1, 2019

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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.

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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.

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.

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.

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.

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]

Social Problems Copyright © by Kim Puttman. All Rights Reserved.

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Don't Just Defend Science, Mobilize It for the People

By  Sigrid Schmalzer

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Science is under attack. We have been hearing this for decades, and it is truer now than ever before. The Trump administration's attempt to obtain names of civil servants who attended climate-related meetings , the proposal to cut the EPA's research office by up to 42 percent (including the entirety of the Global Change Research Program), the overturning of policies that are grounded in scientific consensus and vital to our survival, the disdain with which Trump and his allies dismiss scientific evidence -- these all constitute clear assaults on science. In response, scientists are mobilizing to resist the Trump agenda, including with a proposed March for Science (previously called the Scientists' March on Washington).

If we strike while the iron is hot, this could be an opportunity not just to defend some abstract understanding of “science” but also to advance a much stronger vision of how science can serve the common good. Scientists and others in the STEM fields should make lasting commitments to stand in solidarity with the people of the world most harmed not just by the Trump administration but also by oppression and exploitation in all their forms.

The pursuit of scientific knowledge for the betterment of society has already long been shackled. Ask Marc Edwards. He's the Virginia Tech professor who worked with people in Flint, Mich., to expose the poisoning of their water supply. In an interview titled “ Public Science Is Broken ,” Edwards criticized the “perverse incentives” offered to faculty members and the risks involved in challenging the people who provide research funding. He concluded, “We’re all on this hedonistic treadmill -- pursuing funding, pursuing fame, pursuing h-index -- and the idea of science as a public good is being lost.”

That treadmill is not the science we need to defend. Nor is the science that profits agribusiness at the expense of impoverished farmers, torments villagers with the threat of drone strikes or otherwise privileges the acquisition of knowledge beneficial to corporate and military interests above that which supports human needs.

We should also be wary of defending science when it is imagined to be the province solely of an expert elite. We can respect the knowledge science produces while recognizing the many people from diverse social backgrounds who contribute to it: not just Ph.D.s but also farmers, members of environmental justice communities, people living with illnesses under research and many others.

The science we should rally to defend is that which people pursue with political consciousness for the benefits it brings to society and the planet. Lest anyone see that as too utilitarian, I would hasten to emphasize that charting the stars, learning the language of dolphins and pursuing a great many other subjects that bring us enlightenment qualify as benefiting society, provided we keep a sharp eye on how such knowledge is acquired and applied.

More than just defending such science, we must create a vibrant movement of STEM workers who see their survival and liberation as tied to the survival and liberation of poor people, people of color, people in the global South and others who are most vulnerable to the disasters our political and economic systems have produced.

This is hardly the first time scientists have organized to engage politically. In the United States today, the Union of Concerned Scientists is perhaps the most familiar organization that continues to promote, mainly through policy advocacy, what it calls “science for a healthy planet and a safer world.” Their work remains invaluable.

However, we should also recognize other groups in different times and places, many of which have adopted more activist approaches and an analysis more sharply focused on wresting science from the oppressive power structures of capitalism, racism, sexism, militarism and imperialism, and placing it in the service of social needs. The British Science and Society Movement of the late 1930s and 1940s, the Indian Kerala Sasthra Sahithya Parishad founded in 1962, and the Philippine AGHAM: Advocates of Science and Technology for the People founded in 1999 are just a few examples.

The United States once had its own activist science organization, called Scientists and Engineers for Social and Political Action, better known as Science for the People. The original organization formed in 1969 out of the rising tide of opposition to the war in Vietnam. Although it folded in 1989, its members carried their cause forward. Former SftP members have been involved in improving health and safety for factory workers, mobilizing farming communities to document and resist pesticide exposure, working with communities in Eritrea and Malawi to develop sustainable energy technologies, researching and promoting agro-ecological approaches to farming in the United States and Latin America, and many other areas of politically engaged, socially conscious science.

The Science for the People movement is currently being revitalized ; chapters are now forming on campuses at Columbia, Cornell and Emory Universities; the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; and the Universities of Massachusetts at Amherst, Pennsylvania and Tennessee at Knoxville. Numbers will no do doubt swell as the Trump administration helps make the stakes clearer to STEM workers and students across the country and the world.

In times of political crisis, some people may be tempted to embrace science as an apolitical force of reason. While science does offer reason, it does not do so in a political vacuum. We have political choices to make. We have to decide what kind of science is worth making and worth fighting for. We have to make that science. And we have to fight for it.

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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.

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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

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 Problems Copyright © 2015 by University of Minnesota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Social problem-solving might also be called ‘ problem-solving in real life ’. In other words, it is a rather academic way of describing the systems and processes that we use to solve the problems that we encounter in our everyday lives.

The word ‘ social ’ does not mean that it only applies to problems that we solve with other people, or, indeed, those that we feel are caused by others. The word is simply used to indicate the ‘ real life ’ nature of the problems, and the way that we approach them.

Social problem-solving is generally considered to apply to four different types of problems:

• Impersonal problems, for example, shortage of money;
• Personal problems, for example, emotional or health problems;
• Interpersonal problems, such as disagreements with other people; and
• Community and wider societal problems, such as litter or crime rate.

A Model of Social Problem-Solving

One of the main models used in academic studies of social problem-solving was put forward by a group led by Thomas D’Zurilla.

This model includes three basic concepts or elements:

Problem-solving

This is defined as the process used by an individual, pair or group to find an effective solution for a particular problem. It is a self-directed process, meaning simply that the individual or group does not have anyone telling them what to do. Parts of this process include generating lots of possible solutions and selecting the best from among them.

A problem is defined as any situation or task that needs some kind of a response if it is to be managed effectively, but to which no obvious response is available. The demands may be external, from the environment, or internal.

A solution is a response or coping mechanism which is specific to the problem or situation. It is the outcome of the problem-solving process.

Once a solution has been identified, it must then be implemented. D’Zurilla’s model distinguishes between problem-solving (the process that identifies a solution) and solution implementation (the process of putting that solution into practice), and notes that the skills required for the two are not necessarily the same. It also distinguishes between two parts of the problem-solving process: problem orientation and actual problem-solving.

Problem Orientation

Problem orientation is the way that people approach problems, and how they set them into the context of their existing knowledge and ways of looking at the world.

Each of us will see problems in a different way, depending on our experience and skills, and this orientation is key to working out which skills we will need to use to solve the problem.

An Example of Orientation

Most people, on seeing a spout of water coming from a loose joint between a tap and a pipe, will probably reach first for a cloth to put round the joint to catch the water, and then a phone, employing their research skills to find a plumber.

A plumber, however, or someone with some experience of plumbing, is more likely to reach for tools to mend the joint and fix the leak. It’s all a question of orientation.

Problem-Solving

Problem-solving includes four key skills:

• Defining the problem,
• Coming up with alternative solutions,
• Making a decision about which solution to use, and
• Implementing that solution.

Based on this split between orientation and problem-solving, D’Zurilla and colleagues defined two scales to measure both abilities.

They defined two orientation dimensions, positive and negative, and three problem-solving styles, rational, impulsive/careless and avoidance.

They noted that people who were good at orientation were not necessarily good at problem-solving and vice versa, although the two might also go together.

It will probably be obvious from these descriptions that the researchers viewed positive orientation and rational problem-solving as functional behaviours, and defined all the others as dysfunctional, leading to psychological distress.

The skills required for positive problem orientation are:

Being able to see problems as ‘challenges’, or opportunities to gain something, rather than insurmountable difficulties at which it is only possible to fail.

For more about this, see our page on The Importance of Mindset ;

Believing that problems are solvable. While this, too, may be considered an aspect of mindset, it is also important to use techniques of Positive Thinking ;

Believing that you personally are able to solve problems successfully, which is at least in part an aspect of self-confidence.

See our page on Building Confidence for more;

Understanding that solving problems successfully will take time and effort, which may require a certain amount of resilience ; and

Motivating yourself to solve problems immediately, rather than putting them off.

See our pages on Self-Motivation and Time Management for more.

Those who find it harder to develop positive problem orientation tend to view problems as insurmountable obstacles, or a threat to their well-being, doubt their own abilities to solve problems, and become frustrated or upset when they encounter problems.

The skills required for rational problem-solving include:

The ability to gather information and facts, through research. There is more about this on our page on defining and identifying problems ;

The ability to set suitable problem-solving goals. You may find our page on personal goal-setting helpful;

The application of rational thinking to generate possible solutions. You may find some of the ideas on our Creative Thinking page helpful, as well as those on investigating ideas and solutions ;

Good decision-making skills to decide which solution is best. See our page on Decision-Making for more; and

Implementation skills, which include the ability to plan, organise and do. You may find our pages on Action Planning , Project Management and Solution Implementation helpful.

There is more about the rational problem-solving process on our page on Problem-Solving .

Potential Difficulties

Those who struggle to manage rational problem-solving tend to either:

• Rush things without thinking them through properly (the impulsive/careless approach), or
• Avoid them through procrastination, ignoring the problem, or trying to persuade someone else to solve the problem (the avoidance mode).

This ‘ avoidance ’ is not the same as actively and appropriately delegating to someone with the necessary skills (see our page on Delegation Skills for more).

Instead, it is simple ‘buck-passing’, usually characterised by a lack of selection of anyone with the appropriate skills, and/or an attempt to avoid responsibility for the problem.

An Academic Term for a Human Process?

You may be thinking that social problem-solving, and the model described here, sounds like an academic attempt to define very normal human processes. This is probably not an unreasonable summary.

However, breaking a complex process down in this way not only helps academics to study it, but also helps us to develop our skills in a more targeted way. By considering each element of the process separately, we can focus on those that we find most difficult: maximum ‘bang for your buck’, as it were.

Continue to: Decision Making Creative Problem-Solving

See also: What is Empathy? Social Skills

Using Psychology to Address Social Problems

Dr. wolff and dr. glassgold speak on psychology's problem solving ability..

Posted October 24, 2020

Psychology affects every aspect of our lives. How can we use this on an individual, communal, and structural level to address social problems?

Joshua R. Wolff , Ph.D. (he/him) is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and Adjunct Professor in the Department of Psychology (Psy.D. Program) at Adler University in Chicago, IL. Dr. Wolff co-chairs the APA Division 44 (Society for the Psychology of Sexual Orientation & Gender Diversity) Subcommittee on Higher Education Accreditation & Policy. Dr. Wolff’s research and publications center on the experiences of LGBTQ+ students in religious university settings, higher education policy, and social determinants of health.

Judith Glassgold, Psy.D. is a licensed psychologist and an expert in applying psychology to problems of public policy, focused on mental health. She is a consultant to national civil rights organizations on legislative efforts to improve mental health at the federal, state, and local levels. She is a part-time lecturer at Rutgers University Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology.

Jamie Aten: How would you personally define psychological training pathways?

Joshua Wolff and Judith Glassgold : Professional psychology spans multiple settings and serves very diverse groups of people. Thus, psychological training must also be diverse and give students the training they need for multiple career pathways. Professional psychology needs to expand opportunities for students to go beyond traditional health settings. This means that we need to think broadly about where our students get 'real world' experience — not just in traditional settings (e.g., hospitals, university research labs), but in settings and domains that haven’t been as well explored or may still be underutilized.

Examples that come to mind include forensic settings (jails, prisons), community non-profit organizations, government agencies, K-12 schools, workplace, military and veterans, and early childhood centers. Training also needs to span teaching our students how to communicate beyond academic and medical settings, but also with mainstream media, politicians, and the public.

JA: What are some ways these expanded opportunities can help us live more resiliently?

JW and JG : Psychology affects every aspect of our lives — the ways we make decisions, our motivation , how we feel, how we connect to other people, what types of job responsibilities we enjoy, etc. Thus, psychologists can be useful and improve a person’s quality of life in almost any setting.

We need to think about this on an individual level (e.g., how do we help the person who comes to my office for mental health treatment?), on a community level (e.g., how do we encourage everyone in my city or state to prevent the spread of COVID-19 ?) and structural level (what policies encourage or reduce health and wellbeing?). This means that psychological research needs to think in innovative ways to address social problems that build resiliency in a broad range of settings.

We also need to be better at quickly sharing the results of our research so that the data is useful to the people and communities that might benefit from it the most.

JA: What are some ways people can influence psychological policy?

JW and JG : We find it exciting that there are lots of ways to influence policy! For example, this can be at the institutional level where you advocate for changes to your curriculum or learning. I have seen students get engaged by running for their Student Government Association and making a big impact in their college or graduate school program. This can also be at the systems and structural level — this might include sending an elected official an email about a topic you care about, attending a town hall, joining efforts within professional associations, meeting in person with elected officials or their staff, seeking employment in government or media, and running for office.

There is no ‘one size fits all’ approach – thus, advocacy is diverse, and everyone can engage in different ways. One tip though is ‘don’t go it alone’ (i.e., find other people who share your interests and want to influence policy together).

JA: Any advice for how we might use this knowledge to support a friend or loved one struggling with a difficult life situation?

JW and JG : There are several recent studies that demonstrate that many individuals are struggling, especially those grieving the loss of friends and families, individuals from ethnic minority communities, and essential workers, College and graduate students are experiencing a lot more stress and worry right now due to the COVID-19 pandemic as important life transitions are disrupted. This includes financial stress, worry about loved ones, and social isolation due to remote learning. Thus, I try to remind individuals that it is ‘normal’ to feel discouraged, down, or different right now. I want to keep reminding them that they are not alone in feeling this way because so many of us are in the same boat together.

One option is to stay connected through virtual resources that focus on wellness. Many health insurance companies, state and local governments, clinics, and non-profits are now offering free or low-cost mental health and substance use care for virtual, and telehealth sessions. Now is a great time to speak with a mental health professional to get extra support if that is something you have been thinking about or may need (though always check with your insurance first, since plans and coverage can vary widely!).

JA: What are you currently working on that you might like to share about?

JW : I recently co-authored a report on the impact of COVID-19 on psychology training and education. We sampled a diverse group of leaders within Divisions, affiliates, and a committee of the American Psychological Association (APA). I’m really proud of the Report because people shared some very important concerns, and also identified ways that we can advocate and better support students. You can obtain a free copy of the Report here .

JG : My academic institution committed itself to focusing on social justice during the 2020-2021 academic year. I have made my course relevant to the stresses and issues that we are currently facing in society. For example, my mental health policy class includes material relevant to the COVID-19 pandemic and health equity. I focus on the important research on social determinants of health that can build resilience , slow the pandemic through proactive behavior change, reduce discrimination , and increase equitable policies. Graduate students seem engaged in making a positive difference in areas as diverse as increasing resources for people with neurodiversity , reducing institutional violence, support for immigrants, children’s mental health during the pandemic, and equitable school policies.

Glassgold, J.M. ,& Wolff, J.R (2020). Expanding Psychology Training Pathways for Public Policy Preparedness Across the Professional Lifespan. American Psychologist, 75(7), 933-944. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/amp0000696

Jamie Aten , Ph.D. , is the founder and executive director of the Humanitarian Disaster Institute at Wheaton College.

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70 Social Problems Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

🏆 best social problems topic ideas & essay examples, 👍 good essay topics on social problems, ⭐ simple & easy social problems essay titles.

• Pornography as a Social Problem in the Modern World In pornography, sex is degraded to a state that human are treated like objects, and this is accredited to the increase in the number of sexual crimes.
• Social Problems and Ways to Solve Them World peace is possible with a systematic approach to eradicate the biological and social prerequisites for war, to rehabilitate people after the experience of combat actions, which is difficult to achieve due to the complexity […]
• Responsibility of Artists to Address Social Problems in Their Work In light of the significant power that art and by extension artists hold, there arises the question of whether artists have a responsibility to address social problems through their works.
• Social Problems in The Godfather Movie Although at some points the main characters of “The Godfather” are represented as honoured and fair, the analysis of the events constituting the movie’s plot make it clear that the criminal behaviour can be proliferated […]
• Poverty as a Great Social Problem and Its Causes The human capital model assumes that the inadequate incomes of the working poor are the result of characteristics of the labor market rather than the inadequacy of the poor.
• Health, Disease and Social Problems As AIDS is relevant to the end of the last century, and the beginning of the millennium, there were questions, on whether the new disease is connected to the cultural changes that occurred in the […]
• Aging as a Social Problem The social challenges of the old people are further worsened by the economic constrains, and labeling. Ageism is another social challenge and it refers to a situation where people look down upon the elderly people […]
• Social Problems in the Japanese Literature This hopelessness that has been impeded on her makes her aware of her future in the world and provokes her to build a wall around her.
• Urban Sprawl and Environmental and Social Problems The concept of immense use of automobiles, which goes hand in hand with increase in the number and size of cities, is well known as urban sprawl and motorization.
• Social Theory & its Relation to Social Problems: Unemployment. Furthermore, classical economists perceive unemployment as a result of excess supply that is influenced due to elevated price level of work labor.
• The Role of Social Initiatives in the Alleviating Social Problems in Society This has been precipitated by adamant poverty and the increasing gap between the rich and the poor in the society. This saw the adoption of policies that advocated for social initiatives such as: The government […]
• Analysis of a Social Problem: Poverty Furthermore, the World Bank predicts that both the number of people and the percentage of the population living in extreme poverty will increase in 2020 and 2021 due to the coronavirus outbreak.
• The Psychological and Social Problems in Students Taking into consideration such factors as the number of students with anxiety and depression and the effects of these problems on human health and development, this topic has to be explored further within the frames […]
• Social Problems and Its Impact on the Economy Despite the rapid development in education in the past years, the GDP of various countries has not improved in the same proportion.
• Social Location and Its Role in Social Problems For a condition to qualify as a social problem, it has to have consequences that affect a large number of people. Income is the flow of money anticipated to be earned in a given period.
• The sociological viewpoint toward social problems Sociologists can enlighten the society about the problems, conduct research about the problem and give report to the public on what needs to be done. Sociologists can use social media platform to excite members of […]
• Obesity: Personal or Social Problem? Such efforts should include societal initiatives such as promotion of healthy living habits, educating the population on the dangers of obesity, and addressing the systemic constructs that drive people to this condition.
• Homelessness: A Huge Social Problem in Canada Lastly, homelessness was chosen as a topic of research because there is very little information about the issue especially in relation to health.
• Urban Social Problems: Slums and Segregation The 19th century was the period of the industrial revolution in Britain. According to Engel’s work, slum dwelling in Britain was because of the huge numbers of people who moved from rural areas to the […]
• Deviance: Social Problems of Youth Gangs Youth gangs are usually targets of terror groups that recruit and use them to perpetuate social injustice in the society. Gangs apply violence to ensure that all members in the gang adhere to their rules […]
• Jonathan Swift’s Humble Offerings Is a Discoverer of Social Problems Obviously, the problem of hungry people is embellished for a satirical effect, but it is in the spirit of Swift and his mockery of society.
• Poverty and Homelessness as a Global Social Problem What makes the task of defining poverty particularly difficult is the discrepancy in the distribution of social capital and, therefore, the resulting differences in the understanding of what constitutes poverty, particularly, where the line should […]
• Decision-Making in Nursing: Impact of Social Problem-Solving Training When it comes to the issues that pertain to workload and staffing, the decision-making should also be delegated to the head of the department or facility.
• Social Problems Surrounding Racism, Prejudice and Discrimination This kind of discrimination makes the students lose their self-esteem and the traumas experienced affects the mental health of these students in the long term.
• Welfare and Meritocracy: Understanding Social Problems The principles of meritocracy inherently ignore the importance of means of obtaining an end, so they allow violations of corporate culture for the sake of personal welfare.
• Racebending as a Social Problem One of the problems that have come to light because of it is a problem of racebending or racial masquerade in the media and entertainment industry.
• Poverty as a Social Problem in Burundi The rationale for studying poverty as a social problem in Burundi is that it will help to combat poverty through the advocacy plan at the end of this paper.
• Poverty and Homelessness as Social Problem The qualifications will include a recommendation from the community to ensure that the person is open to help and willing to be involved in the neighborhood of Non-Return.
• Social Problem: Hunger in the United States Factors that perpetuated the problem are: the income gap, race discrimination, poverty in rural areas the COVID outbreak Income inequality: the country’s wealthy and multinationals obtain the benefits of economic growth. The largest share of […]
• Social Problem Emphasized by the COVID-19 Pandemic Discrimination is a violation of fundamental human rights, and this has influenced the development of policies and frameworks designed to protect the interests of the minority.
• Making the Best Decisions and Solving Common Social Problems Finally, a government facing endless challenges during a pandemic and with limited funds may decide to make the best decision in the shortest time.
• Poverty as a Global Social Problem For example, the research shows that Kibera is the largest slum in the country, and this is where many people move to settle after losing hope of getting employed in towns.
• Critical Social Problems Research: Racism and Racial Domination According to his opinion, which is proven today by many examples including the attitude of the authorities, people of color are treated as if they are worthless and not destined to achieve success.
• Aging as Social Problem in North American Society In the North American society, individuals attaining the age of sixty-five are expected to retire to pave way for the new generation to manage the economy. In other words, the project would have a number […]
• How Sociological Perspectives Approach Social Problems Family breakups are a threat to the society and in an effort to seek for corrective measures; the sociologists can employ the three approaches.
• Debriefing and Analysis of Social Problems We are not governed by any structure of power, in fact we are only subjected to have multiple choices that rule our lives. Power is what we acknowledge and political ideologies is the acknowledgement of […]
• The Underclass Poverty and Associated Social Problems From the reading what comes out clearly is that all the authors allude to the fact that the issue of discrimination is still evident and is partly to blame for the problems of the underclass.
• Alienation Social Problem Analysis Under this division of labor, Marx notes exploitation of man by the capitalists and identifies four elements that encompass economic alienation namely; alienation of man from product of his labor, alienation of man from production, […]
• Social Problems Which Appeared in the Society With Swine Flu Appearance The article gives the information about the condition in the society and provides us with the statistics about the disease cases in the United States and all over the world.
• Indigenous Groups and Ethnic Conflicts as Social Problems It is suggested, that indigenous people will be living in states which have populations compiled of various ethnic or racial groups who are successors of the earliest populaces which endure in the area, and who […]
• Juvenile Drinking as a Social Problem You find that most of the students in the small towns do not usually have a lot of money since most of them are from the poor families and hence it’s due to the cheapness […]
• Most Cruel Social Problems Analysis In our daily life everyone faces the social problem. The social problems are listed below:- Gender discrimination Human rights Poverty World population AIDS Violence Child labor pollution
• Japanese Social Problems Analysis The role of Japanese workers is significant in the rise of Japan to the status of economic super power. The overall living conditions are acceptable and admirable; however the scenario is not the same in […]
• Women Writers and Artists About Social Problems The uniqueness of Mary Cassatt’s style is that she depicts the natural desires and values of women, women, and their hopes.
• Disability as a Social Problem in the UK’s History A brief historical analysis of the European disability policy of the selected period is needed to show what determined and directly influenced the development of the current disability policy in the UK.
• Human Sexuality. Social Problems of Queer People It means that the stigmatization associated with same-sex relationships still exists and that there is a situation where it is simpler for gay and lesbian adolescents not to accept their sexual orientation.
• Contemporary Social Problems & The Workplace: Sexual Harassment Sexual harassment is unwanted sexual courtship, demands for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical manifestations of a sexual nature in the workplace, educational institutions, and other places.
• 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.
• Marriage Decline as a Social Problem in the US To discuss the social illness of declining marriages in the US, the incorporated is the social constructionist perspective. The origins of the constructionism can be traced back to the attempts to establish the nature of […]
• China’s Economic Development and Social Problems Despite the profitableness caused by the development, the wealth is still available only for a small number of people, and the majority of the Chinese population cannot afford such ordinary things as education and medical […]
• Narcissism as a Social Problem of Personality The psychologists acknowledge that the trait of narcissism provokes a range of undesirable behaviors, which damage both the personal self of a person and the surrounding society.
• Social Conditions and Social Problems One of the immense challenges in setting of an agenda is the determination of the tactic to deploy in placing a problem into an agenda.
• Social Problems in IBM The other important fact of the situation is that the company should establish social responsibility programs in order to outdo its competitors in the market.
• Induced beauty as a Social Problem It is with great concern that the perceived superstars do not look similar to the photos used in the adverts, magazines, and the newspapers.
• Meth epidemic as a social problem The problem of the meth epidemic originated from the western sides of the US, and later spread to the East Coast.
• Social problem facing the contemporary US Although several persons have ignored such a concern, it is evident that for an individual to comprehend the current health care crisis of the African American population, one must understand the legacy of the experience […]
• Unemployment as a Social Problem To gauge the rate of unemployment the number of the people who are idle is calculated versus the number of people who have been hired.
• Racial and Ethnic Inequalities as a Social Problem Racial and ethnic inequalities affect an individual and the society in different ways including the socioeconomic position of an individual or of the society.
• Jonathan Swift’s a Modest Proposal: Swift’s Satire Approach Concerning the Social Problem of Dublin’s Starving Children Instead of suggesting the obvious limiting the number of children each female “breeder” should have he encourages the “breeders” to get pregnant, enjoy motherhood and nursing of their suckling infants for one year, and then […]
• Social Problem: Abortion The willingness of the students to partake in the procurement of abortion was significantly correlated with the views that they held regarding the issue of abortion, the extent to which they would be required to […]
• Drug Abuse as a Social Problem This poses as problem to the society because many of the people who are unemployed will resort to different ways of seeking money and pleasure.
• Reading Between the Lines: Poetry, Movies and Social Problems The unceasing string of comparisons is cleaving the poem, picturing the natural beauty of a woman as the beauty of the world at dawn, comparing the marvelous sight with the wonders of the nature which […]
• The Social Problem of Drug Use Many analysts, however, feel that the government and other stakeholders are using the wrong methodologies to tackle the problem such as pursuing the drug traffickers while totally ignoring the multiplicity of factors that leads people […]
• Economic and Social Problems in the Tampa City The city of Tampa is one of the most populous cities in Florida with its population representing a third of the total Hillsborough County.
• Social Problem of Abortion: Dealing With Media By focusing on the concept of abortion and the legislations or the medical reports that are related to the act, the media houses succeed in applying pathos, an emotional appeal, to influence the perceptions of […]
• Social Responsibility Topics
• Child Abuse Essay Topics
• Social Security Paper Topics
• Crime Prevention Research Topics
• Economic Inequality Questions
• Social Work Essay Titles
• Environmental Protection Titles
• Socialization Essay Ideas
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

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The Definitive Guide to Writing a Problem Solution Essay

06 February, 2021

13 minutes read

Author:  Josh Carlyle

In this article, we cover the basics of problem solution essay writing. We will explain what a problem and solution essay is in academic and straightforward terms. We shall also cover the four essential components that make this essay coherent. With these four components in mind, we will offer guidance on the outline structure and provide some general writing tips on research and problem solving, as well as some topics and essay samples.

What is a Problem Solution Essay?

A problem solution essay is a staple of humanities and social science subjects. These essays cover a pressing issue, examine how it causes problems, and offer solutions to these problems. The topic for problem solution essay papers can be incredibly diverse. The problem could be local, regional, or global. It could affect a wide range of people or be part of the discourse on an arcane and obscure aspect of computing.

If you are wondering how to write a problem solution essay, look no further than its name. The core of a problem solution essay is in the title. In this type of essay, a problem is presented, and a solution is offered. Doing this well requires presenting the issue in an audience-appropriate way and then offering solutions that thoroughly negate any critiques of those solutions. 

4 Components of a Problem Solution Essay

In a problem and solution essay, the following aspects must be included:  

• The Situation: this opening part is where the foundation of the problem lies. It is not an introduction in the sense that you may be familiar with or an abstract that covers the entirety of your thesis. Rather, it is a short and straightforward briefing that will make a layperson familiar with the situation at hand.
• The Problem: this part provides specifics of the problem. Detailed dissections of evidence take place here; we’ll summarise those later in the evaluation section. 
• The Solution: this component covers push-back specific solutions you may encounter. Part of a correct answer is thinking of your opponents’ perspectives and ensuring that they address their assumptions and points.
• The Evaluation: in this section, it is crucial to write with brevity and wit; this will make your position memorable. Readers will often remember the last part of essays they read, so make sure it represents a microcosm of your essay as a whole. 

These components are the essence of the structure required in a problem solution essay. The actual structure you will work with will require a finer granulation of sections. For instance, in the solution section, the critiques will also need to have a review applied, demonstrating their lack of applicability or irrelevance. 

Problem Solution Essay Outline

The best guide for a problem solution essay outline is the four components mentioned above. Cover the situation, the problem, the solution, and then evaluate both or all sides of the story. 

To drill down further into the outline, you should have an introduction that will set out your paper’s structure. Then you should present the situation. Keep this section free from emotive language. Use it to ensure the reader has all the facts, and imagine that you want everyone reading the paper to be on a level playing field in terms of knowledge and framing of the problem.

In the problem section, you must explain why there is a particular issue. At this point in your essay, ensure that you do not leave the door open to other causes of the problem. Find ways to make the problem something that the reader cares about and wants to solve, but beware of assuming the reader is on your side simply because you’ve said some things and made some points. 

Once the situation has been explained, and the problem elucidated, present your solution. It  should use evidence, and you should be able to explain how it directly relates to the question.  Don’t use ad hominem attacks or go polemic. Unravel the problem with your solution. Take it to step by step and keep your writing composed.

In the evaluation section, you should find your argument’s weaknesses and the views that find fault with your solution.

How To Find Solutions to Your Problems

You can find solutions to your problems by researching them; someone will have asked the question before, or one very similar to it. You can talk to your peers and even conduct polls on social media to gauge the public’s position on various solutions. 

Another way of finding solutions include flipping your perspective. Take the position of the other side and see the world through their gaze. By putting yourself in the opponent’s shoes, you can see weaknesses in your ideas and perhaps adjust them to take on more relevance to more people or factor in an aspect that you had overlooked.

Ultimately, the best way to find solutions is to read and read some more. Try looking in your library if you prefer books to the internet, but don’t leave Google out of it. Using the search engine correctly, you can dig up all kinds of books, papers, and presentations that will be very useful in your studies.

Problem Solution Essay Topics

The list of problem solution essay topics is very long. As mentioned earlier, the problem can be a local issue, affecting a specific demographic or being universal. Regardless of the topic you choose, there are another million waiting for an answer.

To start you off, the climate crisis is an excellent area for debate. 

• How do we deal with stranded assets in the fossil fuel industry and financial sector? 
• What should the laws be surrounding new cars run on petrol and diesel? 
• How should electrification be carried out in developing nations? Is a carbon tax a viable way to reduce emissions? 

Other problem solution essay ideas might include social media’s effect on dopamine levels, gerrymandering in electoral districts, or the working week’s length. 

Problem Solution Essay Examples

Reading previous papers is a fantastic method to improve your grades. Study essays that get top marks and some of the ones which get lower marks. The difference will be apparent in their vocabulary, logic, and evidence. Read a few problem solution essay sample papers but don’t plagiarize them; always cite your sources. Here are a few examples to help you get started: 

https://www.eapfoundation.com/writing/essays/problemsolution/  

https://www.ieltsbuddy.com/problem-solution-essays.html  

Writing Tips for a Problem Solution Essay

An essay is a complex task to complete. That’s why it’s useful to break down the whole into several steps. 

Step one is to conduct some thorough research and planning. If you have free choice over the problem at hand, then start by brainstorming some groups you belong to and decide whether they’re officially mandated ones like a sports team or a club, or broader, like your sex, gender, nationality, or language grouping.

After this, jot down some issues in the groups. Are you struggling to manage the payment plan for your sports hall? Has there been an instance of bullying or shaming in your school? With the topic in mind, move onto research. 

When researching your topic, it’s always useful to remember that there is nothing new under the sun. It is almost definite that similar problems have arisen before, and most solutions already exist.

Then, conduct and compose a literature review on the topic. A literature review is an excellent addition to your essay as a standalone section. It helps to situate your issue within the world and builds relations to other similar problems. 

You may think you have nothing to say about the problem or find it hard to justify your opinion. Well, in the problem solution essay, your voice matters. Always try to back up what you’re saying through evidence and try not to stray into writing a polemic. Yet, passion and emotion are useful tools for framing the problem. Just try not to make these responses the whole essay.

As far as solving problems goes, you can use some general mechanics to come up with solutions. The following paragraphs will present some of these logical mechanics; feel free to use them in your writing:

• Add something new: this solution works when something is lacking. The problem may be a lack of funding, equipment, or motivation. The assumed problem when using this angle of attack is that there is a lack of resources available. Concrete examples of this could include more teaching assistants in education, longer opening hours at a library, or more significant legislation to protect the environment.
• Remove something: this is the inverse of the previous point. Inversing is a useful strategy for thinking about problems in general. If something is too crowded or too busy, it might be a solution to limit exposure to something and devise a solution. 
• Education: learning is a more specific aspect of ‘adding something’; it presupposes that a lack of information and awareness is the cause of the problem. If people had this knowledge, the theory goes that the issue would disappear or reduce because people could make informed decisions and correct their behavior.
• Enforcement: if something like school rules, or even the law, is being ignored, proper enforcement might be a solution. Enforcement has its own sets of problems. This angle is an excellent way to write an unfolding and varied essay as it requires lots of discussion around proper enforcement. Making people do things they don’t want to do is a tricky situation and is riddled with structural and psychological issues.
• Compromising: proposing compromise through mediation or bi-partisan effort is another complex solution. To work effectively, it has to involve people who possess robust negotiation techniques. But settlements happen all the time, so they’re a powerful solution to many problems. It may be useful to learn about zero-sum and relative issues to argue this case correctly.
• A change in leadership: leaders can become stale and cumbersome; they may get weighed down by responsibility and have a low tolerance for change. Although, many problems require systemic changes, such as the climate crisis. With an established leader in charge, progress could be slow as they may be blinkered by their position. In this case, they are proposing an election or vote of confidence as a solution that can break the deadlock and offer people a chance to voice their concerns through voting.

One could surmise that the problem and solution essay is an incredibly relevant style of writing. By dissecting an issue and coming up with solutions, you learn a skill that is useful in many careers and practices. But writing one effectively requires both passion and perseverance; writing about topics that move us, though letting the fire burn too brightly, can put readers off or lead them to ignore their blind spots. 

Follow the structures set out above and make sure to proofread your essays before submission. Finding a good editor is always a positive step; they can help to rephrase your words so that your argument comes across more fluently. 

Writing drafts is good practice, although not always possible due to time constraints. Ideally, you should work through two drafts before submitting a final piece; if the essay makes up a small part of your overall grade, adjust the drafting process accordingly. 

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Students obtaining degrees in fine art and art & design programs most commonly need to write a paper on art topics. However, this subject is becoming more popular in educational institutions for expanding students’ horizons. Thus, both groups of receivers of education: those who are into arts and those who only get acquainted with art […]

How to Solve Problems in Society

Exploring a Method for Solving Social Problems.

T here are soooo many problems in society that need to be fixed. It seems hopeless.

But surrendering, deciding it’s impossible, and standing by as the world continues to deteriorate is defeatist and counter-productive.

What choice do we have but to believe progress is possible?

Less Bad is dedicated to understanding the most important problems we’re facing as a society and finding ways to solve them .

Of course, “solving” or “fixing” the biggest problems we face is a long-term endeavor, without a clearly-defined endpoint. That’s why the site is called Less Bad. We’re dedicated to progress . Small improvements today that over time add up to real solutions. Baby steps to a better world.

Social problem-solving skill is like a muscle. The more you work it the stronger it gets. That applies to humans in general just like it does to society at large. We’ve got to work our “progress-making muscle” more while lowering the amount of counter-productive behavior that goes on. To put it simply, as a society we’ve got to do more good things and fewer bad things. It is that simple .

As things get better, as certain strategies are deployed and goals are met , momentum builds. Past successes build and reinforce themselves. Progress gets easier.

It sounds simple, and it is. But the question remains, how do we go about solving problems?

A Method for Solving Social Problems

The following explains a tried and true method of solving social problems using a structure, or framework. Having a framework in place makes understanding issues easier.

Let’s take a look at the six components:

Define the Problem

The first step is to clearly and specifically define what the problem is, and why it’s an issue that needs to be improved. To paraphrase Albert Einstein, “the problem should be defined as simply as possible, but not simpler.”

This link leads to a starting point for some of our most important problems:

Explore some of the top Problems We’re Facing >>

Identify the Causes

What is happening that is leading to the lousy outcome?

Incentives, cultural norms, inertia, social pressures, constraints,  ignorance, distortions,  distractions, misunderstanding, misinformation – all these and more result in the intractable, miserable societal problems causing so much suffering.

Identifying the underlying, fundamental causes is the first step to fixing a problem. In systems thinking this is called root cause analysis .

“If I had an hour to solve a problem I’d spend 55 minutes thinking about the problem and 5 minutes thinking about solutions.” -Attributed to Albert Einstein

This link explores some of the causes of our current state:

Explore some of the Causes of Our Problems >>

Define the Goal

To solve a problem, you need to know what the ideal end-state looks like. A description of what the situation looks like once the problem is solved .

“If you don’t know where you are going, you might wind up someplace else.” -Yogi Berra

In some cases, metrics are appropriate. In the business world, “SMART” goals are those that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound.

While it would be great if all our goals could be smart, the fact that the goal of “world peace” may not be achievable doesn’t mean it isn’t worth moving closer to.

For our purposes, a goal is an ideal state. If we could wave a magic wand, what would the “solution,” the end state, look like?

Here are some goals most people would like to see achieved:

Explore some Societal Goals >>

Identify Strategies

How can we make progress? What smaller steps move us closer to the goal?

Strategies are simpler, more manageable, and achievable aspects of the overall goal. Goals are usually big and complicated. Strategies give us a more useful starting point.

We will likely not know ahead of time what one strategy is the best way to achieve a goal, so it’s helpful to have at least three strategies that can “move the needle.”

In reality, when dealing with complex social problems these strategies are pretty difficult. In many cases, it might be necessary to create sub-strategies to carry out a larger strategy. 1 For example, one strategy to fix the problem of extreme division in America  is to reform the election process, which in turn requires fixing problems like gerrymandering , the primary process, the influence of money , reforming the media , etc.

Explore Strategies for fixing our Problems >>

Only when we have a solid (not perfect) understanding of these four elements does it make sense to do what is most important:

Take Action

All the research, thinking, and strategizing in the world doesn’t mean anything if we don’t take action. Taking action comes in many forms, and what is right for you depends on myriad factors. 

Understanding what already exists that can be built upon , finding partners, building communities , increasing awareness, getting involved in politics, volunteering, and donating money are all ways of taking action to solve problems in society.

Learn How to Take Action >>

Keep Improving

In terms of solutions for social problems, nothing is ever finished. There will always be aspects of society that could use improvement. But the hope is that we’re moving in the right direction. As we work through ways of solving social problems, it’s important to stop and make sure our actions are having a positive contribution.

Want to know how we’re making the world Less Bad?

Sign up for our newsletter to learn more.

Find Out How We Can Fix All the Problems – Learn More >>

Why Is it Important to Solve Problems?

In the face of such overwhelming odds, it’s understandable that some people are questioning if it’s even worth it. Apathy is rampant in the country. But if we want to avoid massive conflicts in the future, or if we just want to alleviate suffering in the world at large, it’s important that as a society we make progress.

We must start solving some of our most pressing problems so that everyone can have an equal opportunity to succeed in life.

• When society has a lot of problems it can hold people back from achieving their full potential .
• Not only are people suffering, but the possibility of destabilization exists if enough people get mad enough.

Finding Real Solutions is Difficult

Social problem-solving skills are complex and multi-layered. There are a variety of social innovation solutions that have been proposed to try and fix them. But if we look around it’s easy to feel like we’re going backward instead of making progress.

We Need to Get At the Root Cause

Too often today, “solving social problems” only addresses the symptoms and not the root cause of the problem.

Government, nonprofits, and businesses throw resources at the problem without a full appreciation of the problem and the fundamental root causes. These half-assed, ill-conceived measures often only make things worse.

While addressing the symptoms can help assuage individual suffering (which is important), in the long term, addressing the fundamental cause is the only way to make meaningful change.

Take drug addiction. In the short term, a clean needle exchange can help decrease the spread of disease in vulnerable communities. But long term, addressing how and why people take drugs in the first place, while much more difficult, will have a more meaningful impact.

To truly achieve social problem solving we need to get to the heart of each problem and address the underlying root cause. Positive problem orientation leads to rational problem-solving skills that get better with practice.

What Are Some of Our Most Pressing Social Problems?

We all have things we don’t like. Here’s a whole page devoted to the biggest problems facing America . But just to give you an idea of the kinds of problems we’re defining, in no particular order here are some of the biggest societal problems we face:

• Innocent people are dying for no reason.
• War is leading to mass starvation.
• The threat of Nuclear Armageddon is back!

• Health Care
• Political Bribes
• You name it

• Our police and legal systems are overwhelmed.
• Mass shootings are commonplace.
• It seems like we’re moving backwards.

• There are ONLY two sides.. And they HATE each other.
• We’re heading toward another Civil War

• Irresponsible corporations pouring poison in the air
• No fish in the ocean
• Droughts and wildfires all over.

• Less and more for the bottom
• More and more for the top
• Might not be sustainable

And if that’s not enough, here are some more:

• The high cost of healthcare
• Poverty and homelessness
• Rising economic inequality
• Gender and racial inequality
• Unequal access to upward mobility
• The influence of money on the government
• The extreme division in the political arena
• A media with the wrong incentives
• Drug addiction
• Federal spending and the budget and deficit
• People have lost hope

See All the Problems >>

What are Some Ways to Solve Social Problems?

What are the solutions?

There are a variety of different approaches that can be taken to solve social problems.

• Some people believe that the government should take care of social problems.
• Others believe that it is the responsibility of individuals and community groups .
• Other types think that new technologies , businesses, and corporations need to play a bigger role in problem-solving.

Clearly – the government won’t help

As covered above, the government has proven that it cannot get anything done. We can wish it were different but we’ve got to face reality. Until something changes (or many things really) we can only hope for very little action from the government (unless change means someone is making money from it). The powerful politicians that determine government priorities and their partners in the media are focused on driving division and enriching themselves and their allies, not helping solve our societal issues. The powers that be like the status quo just fine.

Nonprofit groups are overmatched

Nonprofit groups are great in theory, but they don’t have the resources. There are a lot of great nonprofit organizations out there with hard-working volunteers, employees, and skills. But they only have so much money, which unfortunately is all that really matters.

Businesses Have the Resources to Help

Less Bad thinks that business has the resources, and are in the best position, to affect social change. But we can’t force them to. It can’t be up to one person. It goes back to incentives. The challenge is to begin to align the goals of business with those of society at large.

Impact Consumerism is the idea of using the power in your wallet to form a coalition to encourage corporations to play a more active role in helping society. Here’s a link to a brief introduction to Impact Consumerism.

Impact Consumerism >>

The point is to make progress. You can’t make progress if you don’t have an idea of where you want to get to.

There is a more comprehensive list of strategies to make the world better on the dedicated pages, but to give you an idea of some strategies to fix our social problems

Strategies for Solving Social Problems:

• Leverage scientific know-how not to make rich people richer, but to help us all.
• Invest in cutting-edge technology and transform our society for the better.

• Into the money they pay to get the laws they want passed.
• The wages they pay the people at the bottom compared to the top.
• Transparency into the poisons they put in the air and water. And into our food.

• Put workers first so that the middle class can thrive.
• Reduce the extremes.
• Educate and train employees so that they help themselves and the company at the same time.

• Get hate mongers out of our lives
• Reward honest, objective reporters out for the truth

• And compromise.
• Honest communication
• And brotherly love.

• A comprehensive overhaul of our most destructive business processes
• Where we don’t just burry shit in the ground, or throw it in the ocean

• One where our leaders are focused on improving our lives.
• Not raising money for their next campaign.
• A government that lives up to the ideals enshrined in The Constitution.

• Where everyone can see a good doctor that knows who they are and what’s in their best interest.
• With good food

• Tone down the hate
• Take the profit motive out of death and destruction
• Redouble diplomatic efforts, and lead by example

There’s clearly no shortage of ideas for making progress, and many of these endeavors are being worked on very hard every day. It’s just a question of who has more resources. Those contributing to the common good, or those hurting it.

If the above isn’t enough, here are some more strategies to solve problems.

Strengthen Communities

Thriving communities are important for society. They help with everything. Stronger communities are critical to a happy and healthy life. Create opportunities for people to connect and engage with their neighbors. Whether it’s through block parties, education programs, or volunteering opportunities, when people come together, great things happen.

Increase Accountability

We need to increase accountability in both the government and in business. Too often people misbehave or act contrary to the common good. This type of behavior needs to be stopped, and the only way to do that is by increasing accountability. We need to ensure our politicians and corporations are working in our best interests.

Align Incentives

We need to align incentives so that businesses are rewarded for supporting societal goals. We want businesses to be profitable, but we also want them to help us reach our goals. Businesses should be motivated to do both.

Whistleblower Protection

Whistleblowers play an essential role in holding the powerful accountable. This not only helps to keep businesses and government agencies honest but also helps to create a more transparent marketplace. Whistleblower protection is not only good for society, but it’s also good for the economy.

Impact Consumerism

Impact Consumerism is a movement of individuals, businesses, and non-profits coming together to create social change through the power of the free market. Companies have the potential to be a force for good, and consumers have the power to drive this change. Impact Consumerism promotes a more sustainable and equitable future, one where businesses thrive by doing good.

Reduce the Influence of Money in Washington

Lobbyists spend billions of dollars every year trying to influence politicians. Big businesses and special interests have an outsized impact on the legislative process. Meanwhile, the average American has very little say in what goes on in our nation’s capital.

This needs to change. We need to get money out of Washington and put the power back in the hands of the people. We need to close the loopholes that allow corporations and the wealthy to skirt the rules. We need to increase transparency and regulation to make sure that our elected officials are working for us, not for money.

Redistribute Wealth

The gap between the rich and the poor is getting bigger and bigger, and it’s not sustainable. And the wealthy tend to do things to make sure they get even more money. Making rich people richer is not the best use of limited resources. We need to reverse this trend. We need to bring out a more balanced distribution of wealth and reduce the concentration at the top. Otherwise, we’re going to have a lot of problems.

What are the Fundamental Causes of Social Problems?

In systems theory, when attempting social problem-solving to make changes to the system you turn to root cause analysis as a way to fully understand the problem. As the problem is better understood, finding ways to improve the situation can be introduced.

The causes of the social issues are as numerous as the problems themselves. Dozens if not hundreds of forces are at play. But some causes have a much bigger impact on outcomes than others. In general, some of the more notable causes of the problems we collectively face include:

• Leaders on both sides don’t care about us.
• They don’t care about our problems.
• They care about scoring points,
• And tweets.
• Just take a look around!

• You can have your profits, but can the middle class get some too?
• We’re the ones doing all the work.
• Do you really need to take EVERYTHING?

• Voting is not creating accountability.
• The bulk of general elections are formalities.
• The same people who got us in this position just stay in office forever.

• There’s something wrong when like 7 people have more money than the rest of the world combined.
• And this wealth / income gap keeps widening.

• Nothing in government gets done without a big sack of cash.
• Promoting the lobbying culture is the only agenda with bipartisan support.

• We’re rewarding complexity and obfuscation, not healthy people.
• The sicker we get, the more money they make.
• We don’t even know what things cost!

• On both sides, they are not here to tell us the truth.
• Their profit model depends on anger.
• And Distractions.
• And Division.

• The waste and bureaucracy is STAGERING
• The National Debt is THIRTY TRILLION DOLLARS
• What does that even MEAN?

• Financial types make the most money, but they cause the most harm.
• Credit card companies with gross margins of 80 percent.
• Single Money Manager / CEO-type who makes A BILLION DOLLARS A YEAR.

More Causes of Social Problems

• The incentives – Much of the current state of the world can be explained by incentives.
• Lack of resources – We know what we want to see happen, but we don’t have what we need to affect that change. It goes back to incentives as well as the decisions those in power are making.
• We only do things that can make a profit – Happiness, meaning, health, and good education are things we all want, but it’s difficult for a company to make a profit from them. So there’s not enough left for problem-solving. We need to take a serious look at the incentives and see what we can do to minimize the problem of only doing things that make money .
• Government gridlock – It’s become all but impossible for the government to pass any kind of legislation that would improve. Some of the laws on the books are ancient, but there’s just not the political will to compromise for the good of the country. Gridlock in the political arena is a serious detriment to progress.
• Extreme division – Perhaps the biggest cause of government gridlock is the extreme polarization in the country. Politicians that work with the other party are ostracized and can count on a challenge next election. And the media doesn’t help.

While those are some most powerful causes of the state of affairs, it’s not an exhaustive list by any means.

Explore more of the causes >>

So What Are the Goals?

There are a large number of ways to think about societal goals, but let’s start with a big one, and from there we can develop sub-goals.

Universal Happiness

Universal happiness across countries should be the idealized goal. Too many people are angry and have lost hope because they do not have what they need to be happy. According to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs , people need to have food and shelter first, then safety and security, then love and belonging, then esteem, and finally self-actualization. If people do not have their basic needs met, they will never be able to be truly happy.

• Where we can all get the care we need
• Without going bankrupt if the worst happens
• Cut down on the diabetus

• Where we feel safe
• Where we feel a part of the neighborhood
• Where we get along with each other

• Where hard-working employees share in the rewards
• Competitive markets where anyone can succeed

• Where drought and forest fires don’t cause untold deaths
• Sustainable ecosystems
• With fish in the oceans
• And air we can breath

• Leaders that unite us
• Accountable leaders with our best interest at heart
• Leaders able to make hard decisions that are for the best

• Where they can reach their full potential
• Where they can have all the things we don’t have today

Equal Access to Upward Mobility

The Constitution of the United States promises the pursuit of happiness for all Americans. But in today’s society where you were born and raised plays an outsized role in your education, the classes you attend, and what you can achieve in life. That’s not to say those born in less affluent circumstances can’t succeed, it’s just harder. This disparity is not only unfair, but it ultimately harms us all by preventing us from achieving our full potential as a nation.

Promoting access to upward mobility is a way to make many of the problems we face as a society better.

Feeling of Progress

We all want to feel like we are making a certain amount of progress toward our goals. When we see gridlock, it can seem like nothing is happening and that things are getting worse. However, it’s important to remember that progress is being made all around us. We may not always agree on the best process to achieve progress, but progress itself is something that we can all rally around.

Safety and security are important to everyone. We all want to feel safe in our homes, workplaces, and neighborhoods. Crime is bad for individuals, families, and businesses. That’s why it’s so important to take steps to reduce unemployment and crime and keep our streets safe.

World Peace / Peace on Earth

In a world that is increasingly interconnected, the need for world peace is more evident than ever. We won’t get there overnight but as we solve social problems we move just a bit closer. Although there will always be disagreements and conflicts between nations, the world has become more stable overall in recent years. This is due in part to the rise of international institutions and the increased cooperation between states. By continuing to work together on various subjects and supporting each other, we can create a model world that is more peaceful and prosperous for all.

A Healthy Planet

A healthy planet is necessary for a healthy environment, which is necessary for healthy human beings. We want to promote sustainability and a circular economy so that businesses are incentivized to protect the environment, not just pollute it. And we want to reduce greenhouse gases in the atmosphere so that our planet can thrive for generations to come. Reach all our environmental goals .

Healthy People

We all know that health is important. It’s not just about looking good in that new swimsuit – although that is a nice perk. Being healthy means having more energy, being able to think more clearly, and reducing the costs of health care for everyone. A healthy society listens to medical professionals and embraces effective techniques and processes. We all benefit when most people can live long, happy, and healthy lives.

Thriving Communities

Thriving communities help solve problems. Stronger communities , where all children go to a good school, are critical to a happy and healthy life. Whether it’s through block parties, education programs, smaller classroom sizes, or volunteering opportunities, when people come together, great things happen.

Prosperous Middle Class

A thriving middle class is essential for the growth of any country. The middle class is the backbone of the economy, and its success directly impacts the process of problem-solving. A strong local community is an important process for the solution of any social problem. It’s created by following examples defined by ideas and processes.

When the middle class is doing well it benefits everyone in the country, as it increases purchasing power and lowers the cost of living. Similarly, when the middle class is thriving, businesses can grow and create new jobs. This leads to even more upward mobility and creates a vicious cycle of growth.

In today’s age of 24-hour news cycles and seemingly constant information overload, it can be difficult to know where to turn for real, honest news. With the proliferation of “fake news” and clickbait headlines, it’s more important than ever to be able to identify a source of news we can trust . We should expect journalism of the highest standards – accurate reporting, fair and balanced stories, and a commitment to transparency. It’s time to reform the media to make progress .

Journalists should be asking hard questions, not driving division.

Productive Government

A functioning government works for the people it represents. When the government functions properly, it leads to things like happiness, meaning, and better use of tax dollars. All people want the government to function to make progress. Gridlock and polarization are bad because they prevent the government from working. Politicians campaign on promises, but often do not follow through on them. This gridlock and polarization need to be fixed for the government to function properly again.

Helpful Private Sector

We need a business community that supports our societal goals. Unfortunately, we often see businesses whose only goal is to make a profit, without any regard for the broader implications of their actions. We need to align incentives so businesses are rewarded for supporting societal goals, rather than just maximizing profits. A labor market that offers family-supporting jobs to people of all backgrounds and aptitudes. We need a business community on the side of progress .

Competitive Marketplaces

A Competitive Marketplace is good for consumers because it drives down prices. When businesses compete against each other, it forces them to keep their prices low to attract and keep customers. In addition, a Competitive Marketplace provides consumers with more choices.

“Destiny is not a matter of chance; it is a matter of choice. It is not a thing to be waited for; it is a thing to be achieved.” -William Jennings Bryan

We Can Make Things Less Bad

Some social problems can seem overwhelming. But remember that even the most complex problem can be solved if we work together, focus on what matters, and are willing to find innovative solutions.

Given the enormous challenges, it’s easy to despair. But non-stop complaining and giving up hope is certainly not going to help us solve problems.

If we are going to avoid a societal breakdown , we need to do a better job of addressing our most pressing issues.

So that’s what I’m doing on this site—exploring the problems and causes and proposing goals and strategies to reach them across the four core groupings ( Environment , Business , Government , and Society ). I believe that working through this problem-solving framework is the best way to fix so many of the aspects of society that are causing so much pain and frustration in the world.

Over the following weeks and months, the plan is to flesh these ideas out. The aim is to eventually have a browsable framework of the various issues affecting us, their causes, broad goals, and specific strategies.

And most importantly, organizing the various groups already working toward those goals.

It’s not gonna happen overnight, and a lot of help is needed. But I think it’s the best hope we have of improving society.

I hope you’ll join the ride.

Related Posts

More From Forbes

Solving social problems: 11 ways new tech can help.

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That there are a lot of long-standing problems facing people not only in the U.S. but also abroad is not news. There are multitudes of people around the globe who don't have enough to eat, lack access to clean water or are simply prevented from elevating their socioeconomic status.

Photographer: Qilai Shen/Bloomberg

Alleviating societal issues is neither a simple nor a quick process. New technologies do offer alternate paths forward, however. Artificial intelligence, for instance -- especially combined with data gathered from a variety of sources -- can help curate information. This means a better identification of medical concerns, the ability to develop renewable food sources or the improvement of safety in our communities.

There are more problems facing the world than can be easily listed. The items below, gathered from members of  Forbes Technology Council , are a jumping-off point that identify problems and provide suggestions for potential solutions.

1. Climate Change

Climate change will become the most significant destabilizing global issue. Technology can help in myriad ways, from making electric cars mainstream and building alternative sources of energy to replace coal to creating more efficient buildings, non-polluting air conditioning systems and desalination systems. -  Leah Allen ,  Radius

I think we can eliminate poverty by using technology to create more jobs and open up a wider marketplace for those in developing countries to reach an audience that would be interested in buying what they make or offer. Ensuring everyone has equal access to the internet can certainly go a long way to creating a way for more people to economically sustain themselves. -  Chalmers Brown ,  Due

3. Education

Technologies like online courses and robots in the classroom allow for a higher-quality and standardized delivery of curriculum by experts who really understand the subjects being taught. This type of education dramatically increases access both for urban and rural classrooms that lack the resources to maintain a well-trained staff. -  Richard Margolin ,  RoboKind

4. The Economy 

VR will be a transformative tool to train workers displaced by automation in developed economies and workers entering the workforce in emerging economies. VR can program/reprogram the human mind to learn new skills more effectively, with better learning and long-term retention. "VR-Cades" can circumvent expensive university and polytechnic courses while saving the trainees' money and time. -  Siddharth Banerjee ,  Indusgeeks USA Inc.

Democracies depend on the participation of their citizens. We do this mostly through the power of voting. However, we still have poor participation and tremendous concern with voting accuracy. Blockchain's underlying technology -- the concept of the trust database -- could be used to facilitate universal participation in elections and to assure that there will not be any tampering with results. -  Paul Blough ,  BloughTech

6. Health Care

I strongly believe that by incorporating the right technology tools into the health care system, we could see a huge improvement in patient outcomes, as well as big savings for hospitals. To accomplish this on a larger scale, we need to see professionals in the medical industry who are willing to embrace the technology and technology companies that are open to listening to the needs of medical professionals. -  Marcus Turner ,  Enola Labs

7. Senior Isolation

The elderly often feel isolated, but we have technology based around video conferencing and telepresence that could alleviate some of that isolation when a physical presence isn’t possible. -  Stephen Cox ,  SecureAuth

8. Public Safety

Kidnappings, ambushes and reports of rape are words that we unfortunately read in headlines on a regular basis. Glasses or IoT-enabled personal devices with face recognition technologies connected to a database of criminals may be able to proactively warn when known offenders are in close proximity, while peer-to-peer, location-based emergency communication technologies can enable victims to seek help from law enforcement or others nearby. - Amit Mondal,  PowerSchool

9. Police Brutality

Police brutality is what pops first to mind. When police wear body cameras,  reports  of police violence drop off a cliff. A universal technology mandate would also protect police officers from baseless claims of excessive use of force. -  Timothy Chaves ,  ZipBooks Online Bookkeeping Services

10. Farming

Leveraging e-commerce technologies to improve access to healthier options will help save trillions of dollars in health care, help families live healthier, happier lives and make the healthier options affordable. With deep learning technologies, we can do analysis and predictions on how we farm our crops and livestock, allowing us to evaluate and optimize the sustainability of farming. - Kay Lee,  Thrive Market

11. Safe Drinking Water

With large-scale IoT and the cloud, we now have the ability to monitor infrastructure on a global scale. If we applied this technology and aligned strategy, I believe we could bring safe drinking water to most of the world. Safe drinking water is foundational in the journey out of poverty. - Kurt Dykema,  Twisthink

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• 3. How to Write a Problem-Solution Essay?
• 4. Problem-Solution Essay Examples
• 5. Problem Solution Essay Topics
• 6. Problem Solution Essay Checklist

What is a Problem-Solution Essay?

A problem-solution essay is a form of argumentative writing that looks into a specific issue, providing a detailed examination of the problem and proposing effective solutions. 

A problem-solution essay stands apart from narrative , descriptive , and expository essays by focusing sharply on identifying a problem, analyzing its causes, and proposing effective solutions. 

Unlike other types of essays , it places a strong emphasis on presenting practical remedies to real-world problems. This makes it a unique and impactful type of academic essay writing .

Why Write a Problem Solution Essay

There are significant reasons to write a problem solution essay. 

• First, it encourages the practical application of knowledge by addressing real-world issues and proposing solutions.
• Develops deeper understanding of societal problems.
• Refines analytical skills and fosters a solution-oriented mindset.
• Enhances communication abilities through clear explanation of complex issues and solutions.
• Facilitates intellectual growth by tackling significant societal challenges.

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Problem Solution Essay Structure

In crafting a problem-solution essay, the structure plays a pivotal role in presenting ideas coherently and persuasively. 

Two commonly used structures for this type of essay are the block structure and the chain structure. Each has its unique approach to organizing information, offering writers flexibility in presenting their analysis and proposed solutions.

Block Structure

The block structure, also known as the whole-to-whole or one-side-at-a-time structure, is a straightforward organizational method. 

In this type of structure, the writer dedicates separate blocks of text to first presenting the problem comprehensively. The solutions to the problems are presented in the next sections subsequently. 

This structure allows for a clear separation between the problem and solution sections, providing a systematic and easy-to-follow presentation.

Here is an outline for block structure problem-solution essay:

Chain Structure

Contrasting the block structure, the chain structure takes an interconnected approach. 

In this format, the essay addresses a specific problem and promptly proposes a solution. 

The pattern repeats as each problem is introduced, followed immediately by its corresponding solution. This structure aims to maintain a continuous and engaging flow, presenting a transition between problems and solutions. 

Here is a chain structure problem solution essay template:

How to Write a Problem-Solution Essay?

A problem solution essay requires taking a systematic approach. Here are the basic steps for writing this type of essay:

Step 1 - Topic Selection

Choosing the right topic is the first crucial step in writing a problem-solution essay. Pick a real-world issue that genuinely interests you. 

Consider problems that have personal significance or affect your community. The goal is to engage with a problem that allows for meaningful discussion and exploration.

Step 2 - Understanding the Problem

Before diving into solutions, take the time to fully grasp the intricacies of the problem at hand. 

Research the issue thoroughly, aiming to comprehend its various aspects and implications. This step is essential for presenting a well-informed analysis in your essay, ensuring a solid foundation for proposing solutions.

Step 3 - Explore Viable Solutions

Once you've identified and understood the problem, brainstorm possible solutions. 

Think about practical, achievable, and effective ways to address the issue. Consider different angles and perspectives, aiming for solutions that are not only feasible but also have the potential to make a positive impact in real-world scenarios.

Step 4 - Create an Outline

Organize your thoughts and structure your essay by creating a clear outline. 

Allocate specific sections for introducing the problem, proposing solutions, and crafting a conclusion. A well-organized outline serves as a roadmap, guiding you through each step of the writing process.

Step 5 - Write the Introduction

Begin your essay with a captivating introduction . Start with an attention-grabbing essay hook that draws your reader in. 

Clearly state the problem, emphasizing its significance. Conclude the introduction with a concise thesis statement that outlines the solutions you will explore in the essay.

Step 6 - Craft Body Paragraph

Dedicate an individual body paragraph to each problem and its corresponding solution. Elaborate on the details of the problem and present practical solutions. 

Support your ideas with examples, evidence, or real-life scenarios. This section forms the core of your essay, providing a comprehensive exploration of the issues at hand.

Step 7 - Address Possible Objections

Acknowledge and address potential counterarguments to your proposed solutions. 

Anticipating objections adds depth to your essay, showcasing a thorough consideration of alternative viewpoints. By addressing possible objections, you strengthen the overall persuasiveness of your solutions.

Step 8 - Conclude The Essay

Conclude your essay by summarizing the main points without introducing new information. Reinforce the importance of the proposed solutions and leave a lasting impression. 

Consider ending with a call to action or a thought-provoking statement that resonates with your reader. The conclusion should provide a sense of closure to your essay.

Problem-Solution Essay Examples

We know that writing this kind of essay could be a challenge. Here are some problem solution essay samples, you can download and read them for free:

Problem Solution Essay Sample PDF

Financial Problem Solution Essay

Garbage Problem Solution Essay

Problem Solution Essay IELTS

Problem Solution Essay Topics

When picking a topic for your problem-solution essay, think about a few important things. 

Choose something that matters to your audience and is important in society right now. Pick issues that really affect people or communities and need attention. 

Make sure the problem can be realistically solved with practical solutions. Here is a list of problem solution essay questions and topics you can use:

• Tobacco should be banned to control lung cancer. Discuss.
• Obesity is caused by genetically modified and processed food. Discuss the solution.
• Movie scripts should be censored to control violence in youth. Discuss.
• How to tackle the lack of resources in urban homeless shelters?
• Government should propose some policies to deal with illegal immigration. Discuss.
• How can we use social media to improve awareness?
• Propose some ways to keep your friends and family safe.
• College students in the United States are overburdened with homework.
• How to improve the quality of education in high school?
• Providing equal opportunities to under-privileged children is important. Discuss.

These are some good problem-solution topics that you can tweak to use as your own. 

Problem Solution Essay Checklist

Use this checklist to ensure your problem solution essay is well-crafted and effective:

So, wrapping up, with this guide and checklist, you can now write a problem-solution essay that fulfills its purpose. Just remember to be clear, practical, and interesting. 

But if you still feel unsure or want extra help, our professional essay writing service is here for you. 

Our experts know how to handle any type of essay, making sure it's top-notch. If you need that extra boost, don't hesitate to get in touch with us. We're here to make sure your essay shines and gets the job done.

So, why wait? Place your order today!

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a problem-solution essay called.

A problem-solution essay is often simply called a "problem-solution essay." It's named this way because its primary purpose is to identify a problem and propose effective solutions.

What type of paper is a problem-solution?

A problem-solution essay is categorized as an argumentative essay. It aims to persuade the reader that a particular problem exists and that specific solutions can address it effectively.

What is the problem-solution essay test?

There isn't a standardized test specifically called a "problem-solution essay test." However, in academic settings, instructors may assign problem-solution essays as assignments or assessments to evaluate students' abilities to analyze problems and propose viable solutions.

What is the problem solution essay topics list for IELTS?

Here are ten potential topics for a problem-solution essay suitable for the IELTS exam:

• Discuss measures to mitigate the impact of climate change on local communities.
• Analyze strategies to reduce youth unemployment rates globally.
• Propose solutions to alleviate traffic congestion in urban areas.
• Suggest ways to combat rising obesity rates among children and adults.
• Recommend actions to reduce plastic pollution in oceans and waterways.
• Discuss how to improve access to quality education for marginalized communities.
• Analyze methods to ensure equitable access to healthcare services in underserved regions.
• Propose strategies to tackle cyberbullying and its psychological effects on victims.
• Suggest measures to address water scarcity issues in drought-prone regions.
• Discuss solutions to make housing more affordable for low-income families in urban areas.

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Social Problem (Essay/Paper Sample)

Table of Contents

Social Problem

A social problem is an unwanted situation that occurs in a society affecting a significant number of people and the community. The cause of social problems is by factors that are beyond society’s control thereby creating confusion of what is right and wrong, and people believe they should be corrected. Social problems comprise of; sexually transmitted diseases, antisocial behavior, poverty, crime, murder, drug abuse, sexual assault, alcoholism, bullying, rape, climate change, child labor among others.

Social problems arise due to various factors. Sociologists argue that the nature of society through its structure and culture facilitate an environment that promotes thriving of these problems. Firstly, is social change. The alteration of society’s values, a way of life, customs, traditions, and laws due to globalization and need to adopt new ways of life give rise to social problems. Social change elicits this by disturbing the organization of a society thereby creating confusion, rebellion, and resistance. These result in social problems such as hate crimes, murder, discrimination, child abuse, bullying, and drug abuse. For example, the move by the United States to recognize and legalize gay marriages brought a new era to people’s rights. However, not all celebrated the move. Some extremists and hate groups have carried out hate crimes, bullying, and murder against the LGBT community to display their displeasure.

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Bad cultures also accentuate the occurrence of social problems. Cultural events that gratify sex among the youth causes social problems such as abortion, sexually transmitted diseases, pornography and drug and substance abuse. Additionally, cultures that create no barriers among children and the youth through increasingly busy parents who spend less time guiding and nurturing their offspring create problems. First, moral decay develops as these kids, and young people are left to the mercies of devices such as television, and the internet. Thus, they pick up unwanted social problems such as drug and substance abuse, watching of pornography, experimenting with sex.

Social issues affect the society by causing many repercussions. First, it creates disharmony among the people elicited by suspicion and hostility in cases where issues such as criminal activities, hate crimes, harassment, and rape occur. Secondly, they cause suffering and misery among people. A society full of fear of each other, where some cause harm or hate results in the suffering of the inhabitants. Thirdly, the social problems disadvantage a society, as they do not solve any problems but create others that become foundations of worse issues. Fourthly, they make it impossible to address them. Social problems are not universal to every society and tend to change rapidly. Hence, concentrating on solving one is difficult as others arise and cause more harm than the previous one.

Social problems can be solved by first, identifying the root causes of these problems. For example, watching of pornography, abortions and drug abuse among the youths may be due to lack of guidance and counseling. Therefore, programs aimed at creating awareness and educating the youths on these social problems can be created. Secondly, the creation of social support systems such as healthcare, rehabilitation, and employment services to solve alcoholism, drug abuse, and criminal activities.

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How to solve a social problem in india.

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The solving of a social problem depends upon finding out the causes of troublesome social conditions which create the problem. Though every social problem is caused by multiple factors, but it is always possible to find out the chief factor, the cooperative factors and the minor aggravates in the origin and development of the problem. Every problem is likely to be unique and is likely to have individualistic traits which may differentiate it from other problems.

Many a time, the nature of the social problem is such that the control becomes extremely difficult, if not impossible. This happens when a social problem is occa­sioned by natural factors like droughts or floods or when the conflict of social interests blocks the application of curative programmes, or a revo­lution is needed to change the existing political or economic systems.

But after understanding and judging social problems, the society has to be effective and has to take some action whether it is by attempting to al­ter the established social institutions or by trying to alleviate them by adopting measures without trying to change the existing institutions. Further, action can be organized or personalized.

The former is action through group effort like giving a share to industrial workers in the man­agement of the industry the latter is action through individual life and influencing others by living a life in accordance with good principles. Gandhiji used the second method for solving the problem of untouchability—by living with untouchables and treating them with sympathy and kindness. When others imitated his example and followed him, the effect became greater and greater, and the government was ultimately forced to enact a law in 1955 prohibiting the practice of untouchability.

Organized action, thus, can be taken by the state or a political party or by the panchayat or an official group. An important point in organized action is the distribution of functions between state agencies and those not connected with the state. Sometimes the problem is solved by the combination of organized and personalized action.

Social problems can be solved only when individuals in a society possess the following four feelings:

(1) Feeling that a situation can be corrected,

(2) Determination to correct the situation,

(3) Confidence in the people and a belief that there is no limit to progress because of their in­telligence and efforts, and

(4) The use of technological and rational knowledge and skill for correcting the situation.

The following three points have to be remembered while trying to reach a solution to social problems:

1. Multiple-factor approach:

Each social problem is caused by a number of factors, for example, the problem of crime cannot be con­tained unless it is collectively perceived in terms of poverty, unemployment, social associations, functioning of social structures, strains and frustrations, and so on.

2. Interrelatedness:

No social problem can be perceived atomistically. Each problem has some relation to the other problems.

3. Relativity:

Each social problem is related to time and space. What is considered a problem in one society may not be considered so in the other.

Related Articles:

• Social Problems in India: Characteristics, Causes and Types
• Relationship between Social Change and Social Problems

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• DOI: 10.52902/kjsc.2024.28.121
• Corpus ID: 269039411

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• Published in Forum of Public Safety and… 30 March 2024
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