...Poverty as a problem A. Describe the social problem. Poverty is a state in which income is insufficient to provide basic needs. Lack of control over resources, lack of education and poor health. There is a multidimensional component which may cause one to lack the ability to care for the basic needs for themselves as well as their families. Poverty can cause alienation and be very distressing. On a very concerning level are the indirect effects of poverty on the development and ones continued wellbeing in regards to emotional, behavioral and psychiatric problems. Measurement of poverty is based on income and consumption levels. People are considered poor if their consumption or income levels fall below the poverty line. The poverty line is the minimum level necessary to meet basic needs (Townsend, 1979). B. Analyze the social problem. According to article (Poverty, social inequality and mental health, 2004, para2). Poverty and social inequality have direct and indirect effects on the social, mental, and physical wellbeing of an individual or group of people. Income inequality produces psychological and psychosocial stress. This stress will trickle down and may cause increased health problems and an influx in mortality rates over time in these lower socioeconomic classes. This is caused by a lack in community investment in the social and physical infrastructure (Wilkinson, 1996). The effects of income inequality also trickle down into society. This trickle...
Words: 1330 - Pages: 6
...Social Problems Chupical Shollah Manuel HIV is a long term social problem in most underdeveloped countries. This takes us directly beyond the epidemiological aspects of the disease to the social and economic dimensions. Many social studies have revealed that HIV and AIDS is fast becoming a social cancer and it can be understood if one was to assess the social structure and the availability of resources in the society. The most affected persons are those who live in the lower strata of the social stratification due to inequalities that comes with social structure. This paper serves to explain that HIV and AIDS is a social problem of poverty and it also looks at other factors such as religion, promiscuity and child rights which also result in the spread of the disease. It is undisputed to say that poverty is implicated in the prevalence in most developing world. Because these countries are generally poor people are normally forced to engage in activities that end up putting them at the risk of HIV. United Nations (2004) revealed that in South Africa more than 6 million people where living with HIV. The paper also revealed that the majority number who were affected were blacks who are generally poor who have no proper housing facilities, mal-nutritional, lack of safe water. Further research has suggested that Botswana and Zimbabwe have high prevalence of the disease due to the poor conditions which prevails in these countries. In Zimbabwe around 2 million people are said to...
Words: 1823 - Pages: 8
...The Relationship between Obesity and Poverty Obesity in the United States and similar societies is a socioeconomic problem. Obesity is defined as an abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that presents a risk to one’s health. The energy intake coming from food is stored as fat since the body does not use it. This ultimately impacts one’s physical health that many degenerative diseases are directly and indirectly linked to obesity. Throughout the history of obesity, its reputation varies from appreciation and the opposite among cultures over time. For instance, Ancient Egyptians are said to consider obesity as a disease, having been drawn in a wall of depicted illnesses. The Aztecs believed that obesity was supernatural, an affliction of the gods. Hippocrates, the father of medicine, was aware of sudden deaths being more common among obese men than lean ones as stated in his writings. In certain cultures and areas where food is scarce and poverty is prevalent, obesity is viewed as a symbol of wealth and social status. Throughout the history of obesity, the public’s view and status of obesity started to considerably change in the 1900’s. During this time the government started to become more involved by initiating campaigns against the problem and publishing ideal weights for various heights. In 1996, the Body Mass Index (BMI) was published, which was a statistical calculation and index to determine if a person is obese or not. In the 21st century, obesity is considered an epidemic...
Words: 2985 - Pages: 12
...Socioeconomic Effects of Alcoholism Philip Malavenda Socioeconomic Effects of Alcoholism There are no shortage of well documented physical and mental related studies and research done on alcoholism. The physical and mental effects, both short and long-term, can render someone with debilitating health issues ending in death. While there has been significant research and investment into identifying symptoms and factors of alcoholism, it is equally important to understand how the dynamics of socioeconomics impacts the awareness and education of alcoholism prevention. Introduction According to the National Council on Alcoholism, “Alcohol is the most commonly used addictive substance in the United States- 17.6 million people, or one in every 12 adults, suffer from alcohol abuse or dependence along with several million more who engage in risky, binge drinking patterns that could lead to alcohol problems” (NCADD, 2013). Alcoholism has been defined by Merriam Webster Dictionary as “continued excessive or compulsive use of alcoholic drinks”. More than half of all adults have a family history of alcoholism or problem drinking, and more than 7 million children live in a household where at least one parent is dependent on or has abused alcohol. There is growing sediment that alcoholism is hereditary. Studies, including the one done by George Washington University Assistant Professor of Statistics, Taityana Apanasovich, notes that “40 to 60% of alcohol dependence is believed...
Words: 2323 - Pages: 10
...with benefits and professional opportunities in order to prosper in life. In fact, education has the ability to make the world a better place. However, with the highly segregated school system in New York City, America is progressing backwards. With the increasing numbers of minority students attending schools in racially and economically isolated neighborhoods, it is easy to say that America is right back to where it started—a segregated system that is keeping students of color from long-term equal achievement. Furthermore, it is causing a decrease in New York City’s general academic performance of students, and minority families can no longer...
Words: 1206 - Pages: 5
...SOCIAL PROBLEM Educational Inequality: A Social Problem in the U.S. SOCIAL PROBLEM Educational Inequality: A Social Problem In the U.S. Introduction: The goal of education is to make sure that every student has a chance to excel, both in school and in life. Increasingly, children's success in school determines their success as adults, determining whether and where they go to college, what professions that they enter, and how much they are paid. Why is that getting a good education is dependent upon a person’s socioeconomic status? Education is a right in the U.S, but it seems to be accessible for the privilege. Why do we have inequality in education? Let’s look at different views explaining some possible causes or contributors to this issue. “Social inequality is the expression of lack of access to housing, health care, education, employment opportunities, and status. It is the exclusion of people from full and equal participation in what we, the members of society, perceive as being valuable, important, personally worthwhile, and socially desirable. Economic inequality is expressed through the unequal distribution of wealth in society. This has obvious ramifications in terms of the unequal distribution of what that wealth may purchase; housing, health care, education, career prospects, status - in our society, access to all these things is largely dependent on wealth. Because of the nature of our society - post industrial, competitive, capitalist, commercially driven...
Words: 5078 - Pages: 21
...Early Childhood Development and Social Inequalities by all families should have the same opportunities to live a descent life. But due to the backgrounds of some families, and children, they may not have a chance for this. There are certain risk factors that have a bearing on social inequalities in health, and particularly those that are prone to preventative intervention. There are many that I could talk about, but I have picked out four of these factors to talk about. They are biological factors, family and social factors, parenting factors, and attachment. Even these I feel that I will not be able to cover completely, because there is only a certain part we see, and then there is the that is kept hidden from all. There are many factors that influence the development and social inequalities in a child’s life. These include biological, family and social factors, parenting factors, attachment, and the way non-maternal care is influenced. All of these are risk factors that are likely to have a bearing on the child’s social inequalities on their health. The biological factors include premature birth, low birth weight, and a serious medical illness. The significantly influence and infants growth. “Low birth weight, less than 2500 grams, has a prevalence of 6 percent in white middle-class U.S. women, and 15 percent in ethnic minority teenagers. These teenagers tend to be single mothers.” At the Infant Health and Development Project, they found that in a large amount of premature infants...
Words: 2326 - Pages: 10
...Unlearning Deficit Ideology and the Scornful Gaze: Thoughts on Authenticating the Class Discourse in Education Paul C. Gorski Founder, EdChange Assistant Professor, Integrative Studies George Mason University http://www.EdChange.org gorski@EdChange.org December 2010 Unlearning Deficit Ideology and the Scornful Gaze 2 It is popular in the education milieu today to talk about the dangers of assuming a deficit perspective, approaching students based upon our perceptions of their weaknesses rather than their strengths. Such a perspective deteriorates expectations for students and weakens educators’ abilities to recognize giftedness in its various forms (Ford & Grantham, 2003). The most devastating brand of this sort of deficit thinking emerges when we mistake difference—particularly difference from ourselves— for deficit. If one concentrates best while sitting still it may be difficult to imagine that somebody else—a student or colleague, perhaps—concentrates more effectively while pacing or tapping a pencil. Similarly, if one always has lived among people who speak a certain language variation, such as what people commonly refer to as “standard English,” she or he might mistake somebody’s use of a different variation, such as the Appalachian variety spoken by my grandmother, as an indication of intellectual inferiority or, worse, deviance (Collins, 1988). Over the past ten or so years a critical discourse challenging the deficit perspective has emerged among educators....
Words: 9486 - Pages: 38
...Issue: School Dropout Rate Michael Neeley National University Urban Issue: School Dropout Rate The issue of quitting school and leaving a high school diploma to the wayside is an issue that has long term consequences for both the individual and society. Common media reports state that every nine seconds a student drops out of school. Various reasons for dropping out of school are cited and vary from personal to social problems. While the dropout rate for high school has steadily fallen since the 1980’s where it was 14.1, the rate in 2008 was reported at 8.0 according to US Department of Education, the issue still at the forefront of urban affairs. The reason for the alarm is due to the correlation of dropping out of school and criminology as well as unemployment, both of which are urban problems of themselves. The problem with dropping out of school is best summed up as an individual and as a societal view. The individual consequences of a 16-24 year old quitting school include they are less likely to be part of the labor force and more likely to be unemployed. High School dropouts reportedly had worse single and family income, measures of assets, and self-reported depression than their Diploma and GED accredited counterparts. (Caputo, 2005) Education and dropout rates have significant effects on criminal incarceration, specifically fifty percent of all United States inmates are dropouts. Additionally...
Words: 1587 - Pages: 7
...violence as a concern that needed international attention (Alhabib, Nar, & Jones, 2009). Adding credibility to the cries of women internationally, the United Nation “International Bill of Human Rights” in 1979, and the convention of the elimination all forms of discrimination against women in 1985, was enacted to prevent the unequal treatment of women (Weingourt, Maruyama, Sawada, & Yoshino, 2001). Intimate Partner Violence threatens the lives of women socioeconomic well-being, security, and the lives of millions of women globally each year (McAllister, & Roberts-Lewis, 2010). Women of every class, color, socioeconomic status, and religious association experience the affects of intimate partner violence is frequent, complex, and far-reaching with social and economic consequences (Ringel, & Park, 2008). Interpersonal violence has become a human rights and socioeconomic problem (Hageman & White, 2001). The cost and consequence of which are revealed in the expenditures of global governments. The socioeconomic cost of domestic violence as shown is shocking: “Australia $700 million; Canada $1.2 billion; Chile $1.73 billion; Nicaragua 32.7 million; Jamaica $454,000 or $709 per patient; Netherlands $142.2 million; New Zealand $717,000 or approximately 0.20 per capita; United Kingdom $4.5 billion and the United States $12.6 billion” (World Health Organization, 2004, p. 16-19). Although international governments struggle to address the scourge of domestic violence...
Words: 3836 - Pages: 16
...are increasing in rates because of drug abusers. However, the inferior impact on our race that it causes and the consequences it creates. Cultural biases and the constant emphasis on typical American values and lifestyles may contribute to drug abuse within the African American community. The psychological well being of African Americans today is consistently disagreeing with the constant reminder of their place in society. The inferior place is of course the place in which many African Americans allow themselves to be put in. Experts on drug abuse disorders agree that poverty and other socioeconomic factors have a great impact on the rise of drug abuse in the African American community (Britt 8). These common mistaken ideas by experts have a great impact on the way African Americans view themselves. Rather than suggesting to that, the several socioeconomic factors are the cause of drug abuse from an outsider point of view. Experts should do their research from within the black community. Research in substance abuse often does not specify descriptive variables such as gender, age, income, and location. The variables are basic in showing the differences in drug abuse patterns, whether they are between different races or within them. According to Alice B. Britt, author of the article “African Americans- Substance Abuse and Spirituality”, a 1992 study identified poverty, illiteracy limited job opportunities, poor...
Words: 1298 - Pages: 6
...Students at Risk – An American Epidemic EDU 490: Interdisciplinary Capstone Shmeka L. Williams June 27, 2009 Abstract Socioeconomic status is a very real problem for children in American society. It affects many areas of their lives, but most importantly, it affects their education. For this reason, it is imperative that parents, teachers, administrators, and communities ban together to ensure that at-risk students from low socioeconomic backgrounds are given the same opportunities as those from a higher socioeconomic background. We can do this by eliciting the best teachers, quality schools, and administrators to instruct these disadvantaged children. We can also do this as parents by making sure that we have educational attainment as our goal for our children by providing different instructional avenues in the home to facilitate learning and desire for learning by our children. If all of these parts of the puzzle can be put in place correctly, then at-risk youth at least have an equal opportunity to succeed in this world of inequality that we all live. Equality in the public school system is a joke. In other words, it does not exist. There are certain criterion that must be met before schools can even start to be considered equal: “equal access, common curriculum, differential curriculum, desegregated schooling, and equality of results” (Riordan 2004, p. 2). In some underdeveloped countries, certain people are excluded from an education...
Words: 4233 - Pages: 17
...information and meanings directed to them by their social communicative partners. However, that conversation is dependent upon many factors, the one that shall be further examined is the effect of social class. There is wealth of empirical studies suggesting that all aspects of language that children learn are highly influenced by the socioeconomic status of their communicative partners. For example, Irwin's studies (1948, as cited in Raph, 1965) have shown the superiority of the speech sound of infants whose parents belonged to middle-class families over those of infants whose parents belonged to lower-class. Clearly, there are big differences between classes in the way they speak. Furthemore, Bernstein (1972, as cited in Piché, Rubin & Michlin, 1978) said that the language is characterised by the dissimiliraties in socialization process which are reflection of different social structural orders within the family. Additionally, the social structural bases of family have an effect on their communication orientation. Thus, the lower class families are characterised by a pattern role-to-role relations, in contrast to middle-class families where they are presumed to be characterised by a pattern of person-to-person role relations. Cook-Gumperz (1973, as cited in Piché et al., 1978) demostrated how social class made an impact on mothers and their children strategies of...
Words: 1543 - Pages: 7
...Harry Racial Segregation Socy 305 - 5/27/15 The Civil Rights Act was passed to end racial discrimination in America. And later on the 24th Amendment to poll taxes, then the Voting Rights Act to allow every man to vote and not be discriminated against. Black Power, the Nation of Islam, and the Southern Christian Leadership conference were just some of the groups that tried to end segregation and promote the African American race. Although these groups did help end it, it still exists in today’s world and many studies have been done to prove it in the past couple of years. Although racial discrimination and segregation is not as bad as it use to be, it’s unfortunate we still have it going on in many different cases and many different areas. Many people across the world still judge based on color. They have also seen racial segregation on college campuses over the past few years, they have seen students of different racial backgrounds attending the same classes, but more so socializing with the same race and not having diversity within their friend groups. This is called self-segregation, while some people view it as an okay thing, since the students are just simply looking for others who understand their culture and have common beliefs. Others don’t agree with it saying that it is just encouraging racism within the campus. They aren’t intentionally trying to segregate the campus...
Words: 1007 - Pages: 5
...chances across a broad spectrum of social phenomenon from health care, to educational attainment, to participation in the political process, to contact with the criminal justice system. B. What is Social Stratification? Social stratification refers to the division of a society into layers (or strata) whose occupants have unequal access to social opportunities and rewards. People in the top strata enjoy power, prosperity, and prestige that are not available to other members of society; people in the bottom strata endure penalties that other members of society escape. In a stratified society, inequality is part of the social structure and passes from one generation to the next. C. What is a Class? People who occupy the same layer of the socioeconomic hierarchy are known as a social...
Words: 5484 - Pages: 22
