Social Problems In the Society (Essay Sample)

Social Problems in Societies
Student’s Name
University of affiliation
Social Problems in Societies
Social problems are conditions that a majority of people in a society view as being undesirable. In an increasingly globalized world, many of the social problems seen as national are becoming global problems. Global social problems are social menaces within many societies. These problems are not faced by one society and, therefore, to be ameliorated, they need both national and international attention. Eight examples of global social problems are pollution of the atmosphere, poverty, domestic violence, migration, race and ethnic conflicts, crime, substance abuse and addictions and AIDS (George & Page, 2004). This essay will focus on discussing the following global social problems: substance abuse and addictions, poverty, crime and AIDS.
Global Social Problems
Around the world, poverty is a social problem. The gap between the poor and the rich is quite high and increasing. Majority of the world’s nations and people are in the state of poverty. Over 3 billion people live on not more than a dollar a day; this translates to half the world’s population. Approximately 640 million people live without proper shelter, 270 million lack access to health services, 400 million lack access to safe drinking water, and in 2003, 10.6 million children died before they reached age 5 (Shah, 2011). Causes of poverty include a lack of personal responsibility, exploitation by businesses and people with influence and power and bad government policies. Global practices, decisions, and policies formulated to reduce poverty have no great results. This is because decisions, practices, and policies formulated to reduce poverty are driven, influenced, and formulated by the powerful and rich. The governments of poor societies and their citizens are often powerless and poor. As a result, few societies get wealth while the majority struggle (Shah, 2011).
Substance abuse and addictions are serious global social problems. About 76.3 million people have alcohol use disorders and 1.8 million die each year because of alcohol use (Keel, 2011). Each year, substance abuse results in serious injuries or illnesses among people in different societies. Abused drugs include heroin, marijuana, anabolic steroids, cocaine, amphetamines, and prescription drugs. Substance abuse results in social problems such as violence, child abuse, stress and drugged driving. Substance abuse can lead to problems with keeping a job, missed work, homelessness and crime (Keel, 2011).
Globalization has enhanced the rate of crime. Global crimes include money laundering, terrorism, dealing in illicit drugs, war crimes, illegal trafficking in human beings and weapons. Global crime affects national and international security, economics, and politics. Technological advances such as the internet, migration, or travel, establishments of global markets and freedom of circulation make the world a small place of engaging in activities that beget crime. Causes of crime include unemployment, youth abandonment, and alienation. Use of illegal trafficked drugs threatens neighborhoods around the globe. Criminal trafficking of women leads them into systems of prostitution (Findlay, 2000).
Domestic violence has recently become a global social problem. Domestic violence includes elder or child abuse or violence by one partner against another in an intimate relationship such as marriage, cohabitation, dating or within the family (Shipway, 2004). Gender based violence within the family includes torture, physical assault, financial abuse, rape and sexual violence and control of movement and social contacts (Pahl, 2005). Children who witness family violence have health problems such as headaches, peptic ulcers, fear, withdrawal, anxiety, sadness, asthma, and abdominal pains. Social-structural explanations of gender-based violence are factors such as low income, bad housing, poor education, and unemployment. Discrimination against women and male dominance is the cause of violence against women. International organizations regard gender based violence as a threat to health or a violation of human rights (Pahl, 2005).
The increased spread of HIV is a threat to people in all continents. Worldwide, 40 million people live with HIV, including 8.3 million in the continent of Asia (Farmer, 2003). No nation in the world is protected by social, religious, or political associations against HIV/AIDS. Tourism and global ...