This OpinionFront article lists some of the prominent social issues which are being constantly scrutinized and debated in our world today.
Social issues are those which affect the human society as a whole. These issues are pertaining human behavior, including government policies, religious conflicts, gender inequalities, economic disparities, etc.
List of Social Issues in Today’s Society
- Alcoholism
- Food and Drug Safety
- Tax Reform
- Church-State Separation
- Global Warming
- Birth Control
- Abortion
- Suicide
- Drug Abuse
- Capital Punishment
- Misuse of social networking
- Animal and environment abuse
- Homophobia
- Poverty
- Women’s Rights
- Religion-based Discrimination
- World population
- Organ & body donation
- Human Rights Violations
- Environmental Pollution
- Children’s Rights
- Corporate Downsizing
- Defense Spending and Preparedness
- Euthanasia & assisted suicide
- Eating Disorders
- Unemployment
- Homelessness
- Racial profiling
- Welfare
- Recycling and Conservation
- HIV/AIDS
- Civil Rights
- Genetic Engineering
- Consumer Debt and Bankruptcy
- Obesity
- Terrorism
- Judicial Reform
- Censorship
- Violence
- Academic Freedom
- Gun Control
- Gender issues
- Environmental issues
- Single Parenting
- Child Labor
- Immigration
- Tobacco
- Nuclear Proliferation
- Ageism
- Stress
- Cancer
- Prostitution
- Gay Marriages
- Education
- Health Care Reform
- Embryonic Stem Cell Research
- Affirmative Action
Revelations about Social Issues in Today’s Society
Health Issues
Health issues, which arise due to the increase in number of people detected with life-threatening diseases like cancer and AIDS every year. This social issue can be handled only if another issue i.e. health care reform, is dealt with appropriately.
Teen Issues
There are plethora of teen issues which society is facing today, right from increase in alcohol abuse, to eating disorders, to high stress levels amongst teens. According to the “Mothers Against Drunk Driving website”, around eight teens die every day due to drunk driving in America. Violence faced by teens is startlingly high too, with as many as one in every two rape victims being under the age of eighteen (statistics courtesy Department of Justice).
Gender Issues
Women’s issues, such as equality of rights, privileges, and pay-packages similar to those of men, are some of the gender-specific social issues which are faced by American women. According to department of labor, USA, 46.8 percent of the total U.S. labor force consisted of women and it is projected that by the year 2018, 46.9 percent of the labor force will be women.
Economic Issues
In the current economic recession, according to the United States Department of Labor, the unemployment rate has gone up to 9.60 percent, as of September 2010. On an average, the unemployment in America has remained 5.70% from 1948 to 2010. Thus, there has been a considerable increase in unemployment in recent months, making it one of the burning social issues today.
These were some of the major social issues present in today’s society. Efforts need to be made at an individual, national, international, and political level, to tackle them with conviction.
