Essay --

Social Problems in Society Insert Name Course, Class, Semester Institution Instructor Date Social Problems in Societies Social problems can be defined as a social condition that is perceived to be harmful, either directly or indirectly, to more than just a few people or the society in general. They therefore have a very wide scope. Social problems may include poverty, drugs and alcoholism, racism, teenage pregnancy, abortion, environmental pollution/global warming, tax reform and social discrimination (e.g. against homosexuals), among many others (Ritzer, 2004). This paper will try to criticaly examine social problems in societies. Social problems can be said to have two key components. First, social problems are considered to be an objective condition; thus some aspects of the society that can be experienced and measured. Like abortion (a social problem), the objective condition includes whether abortion is legal, under what circumstances should it be performed and who obtains it. The second key component of a social problem is the subjective concern, the concern that a significant number of people (or a number of significant people) have about the objective condition. The subjective concern about abortion may include some people’s distress that any woman must give birth to an unwanted child. It also includes other people’s distress that any woman would terminate the life of her unborn child. This opinion differs around the world; with different countries having different opinions. According to Dolch, Deutschmann and Powell (2007) Social problems in societies tend to have certain characteristic, that include 1. Social problems are relative: What is considered a social problem for some, on the contrary, is consid... ...media. They include unemployment, poverty, dicscrimination and much more. This paper has tried to critically addresses social problems in society and examines its characteristisc for a better understanding of social problems from a psychological point of view. References: Bumiller, K. (1992). The Civil Rights Society: The social construction of victims. Baltimore [u.a.: Johns Hopkins University Press. Dolch, N. A., Deutschmann, L. B., & Powell, H. (2007). Social problems: A case study approach. Lanham, MD: Lexington Books. Hitchcock, S. T. (2007). Roe v. wade: Protecting a woman's right to choose. New York: Chelsea House. Mooney, L. A., Knox, D., & Schacht, C. (2013). Understanding social problems. Belmont, Calif: Wadsworth Cengage Learning. Ritzer, G. (2004). Handbook of social problems: A comparative international perspective. Thousand Oaks [u.a.: Sage Publ.