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40 Social Issues Research Paper Topics

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List of 40 Social Issues Topics for College Students

Religious gatherings and rituals
Country-wide strikes and protest
LGBTQ+ prides
Worldwide flashmobs
Social stratification
Gender discrimination and anti-harassment movements
The issues of orphanage kids
Pornography and AI sex dolls
Sex work or paid rape?
Virtual reality
Information overload: the society is overstressed with the amount of data
Demographic crisis
Beauty standards
Social isolation of people with HIV/AIDS
The fight against animal testing
Internet safety
Humanitarian missions
Fighting racism
The rights of ethnic minorities and native people
Internet safety and cybercrimes
The necessity of the death penalty
Fighting poverty in the world
Access to the drinking water in third world countries
Free education for everyone: shall it be implemented?
National identity versus globalization
Women rights and trans people rights
Obesity as an obstacle in social life. Fatshaming
Civil rights: shall they be expanded?
Abuse and neglect in asylums, orphanages, and care homes
Church and state: shall they remain separate?
The problem of bigotry in modern society
Immigration and resocialization of the immigrants
Sustainable consumption on a worldwide scale
School violence
Legalizing drugs: basic rights to choose or a danger to society?
Social isolation. The hikikomori phenomenon
Bullying at schools and colleges
Kids transitioning: shall it be allowed?
Advertisements: are they becoming too powerful?
The global impact of the third world countries

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100+ Social Issues Research Paper Topics

Group of people discussing social issues

There are many issues in society to write about, making social issue essay topics some of the most fun. However, choosing a social topic for an essay isn’t as easy as it sounds, especially when there are several social essay topics. The secret to choosing the best among the many social topics is knowing what makes the best social topics for an essay, the best.

This article will give you workable tips for choosing a great topic on specific social issues, argumentative essay topics , and social topics. We will also throw in 100 topics on social issues; they can serve as your social topic or inspiration for choosing.

What Are Top Tips for Choosing Social Topics to Write About?

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When it comes to social problems essay topics, the list is endless; there are so many social issues to talk about. However, not all social problem topics will make a great paper, and the wrong social issue topic can reduce your grade. Below are the top practical tips for choosing social issues topics for presentation.

Choose easy social issues to write about – avoid trying to impress your professor by choosing complex social problems topics you can’t do justice to.
Choose social problem topics or social media research topics that your audience can relate to and find interesting.
When choosing from the myriads of social problems to write about, choose those with sufficient information. Also, you don’t want social problem essay topics you’ll have to walk miles to gather information on.
Pick as many good social issues to write about as possible; chances are you will change issues essay topics midway. You don’t have to return to searching for current issues to write about.
Source for articles that address problems in society to write about for an idea on how to write yours.

The “best” social topics, like social commentary essay topics, are those you’re passionate about. It would help if you cared about the social issue ideas you’ve decided to write on to do real justice to the paper. Writing an essay on them will be torture if you don’t care or know anything about social commentary ideas. Also, if your audience is clueless about a particular topic, consider omitting technical and social significance topics.

Interesting social topics are not hard to find if you know where to look. We will give you a social issues topics list here, but you can still find social issues ideas all over the internet. Find our social topics list below containing interesting and uncommon social issues for a distinction-worthy paper.

Political polarization
Racism in modern society’s healthcare
Ageism: the new racism?
The fairness of labor laws
Fat-shaming in the corporate world
Recovering addicts and social injustice
Child pornography
Prisoner rights violations: the types
Making vaccinations mandatory
Online education impact on obesity
Increasing employment: the solution to poverty?
Accessibility of healthcare in mobile clinics
Women empowerment
Social development in developing countries
Overpopulation: a threat?
How social networks impact friendship
Age restriction on Instagram
Social media effect on dependency
Business Facebook accounts and digital ethics
Cancel culture and mental health
Restricting children from social media
How to stay safe on the internet
Freedom of speech on Twitter
High cost of medical procedures
Obesity in developed countries
Abortion: legal or illegal?
Drug addiction
Hospices: should they be free?
Why HIV in seniors remains unrecognized
Dying with dignity
Pro-life movement origins
The social acceptance of autism
Effect of malnourishment on children’s psyche
Impact of fad diets
Discrimination against older adults
Acceptability of homeopathic treatment for children
The scarcity of and state of available healthcare facilities in rural areas
Poverty and health problems
Ensuring global access to drinking water
Implementing sustainable technology in agriculture
Benefits of studying the environment
Urban gardening and food security
Deteriorating environment effect on labor conditions
Religion and nature
Global warming impact on South America
Effect of racial profiling
Prevalence of hate speech
Discrimination against the LGBT community
Modern feminism: the negative impact on society
Pregnancy termination: morality vs. legality
Food culture
Emotional intelligence: impact on family life
Harmful effects of financial illiteracy
The perception of “Defund the police.”
Evidence of structural racism
The internet’s influence on human trafficking
Legalizing prostitution
Civil disobedience goals
The consequences of restoring prisoners to society
Influence of prejudices on criminal justice mechanics
Prominent civil rights violations in developing countries
Gender blindness
Gender dysphoria
The Khmer Rouge
Social media and racist bias
Justification of human rights limitations during a crisis
How governments can secure freedom of speech
Can satire be harmful?
Protection of stateless persons
Can illegal immigrants be pardoned?
War on drugs: the negative side effects
The importance of bipartisan cooperation
College loans: are they worth it?
Fake news: a severe problem?
Charter schools vs. public schools
The Great New Deal: pros and cons
Gentrification in America
Ableism effects in the US
Death penalty: a just punishment?
Healthcare: a fundamental human right?
The right to own a gun
Does history repeat itself?
Commercials in kids’ programs
Fiction vs. nonfiction: which is the better read?
Video games should be a sport
Hot dogs: have they caused more harm than good?
Eating dessert before dinner
Homework: is it too much?
Should gym classes be required?
The essentiality of feminism
Free healthcare for everyone
Exploring space: is it worth it?
Parents’ role in childhood obesity
Woman vs. man: who is more emotional?
The effects of campaign finance reform
Should illegal immigrants be granted residency?

With this list of social topics and others you’ll find on the internet, you can’t be short of social issues to talk about. Choosing the best social issues topics is essential for writing a great research paper,or write dissertation for me ranging from social change topics to social awareness topics. Considering the vast amount of community issues to write about, our tips on choosing from the best social relevance topics will come in handy. If you need professional writing services, you can contact our experts.

300 Social Issues Research Topics to Impress Your Professor and Get A

Researching social issues holds immense importance in our quest for knowledge and progress. It allows us to delve deeper into the complexities of society, unraveling the underlying causes, impacts, and potential solutions. However, the significance of a good research topic must be considered, which sets the stage for a high-scoring and impactful research endeavor. If you have difficulty finding a good social issue research topic, check out these lists from the experts working with a professional paper writing services provider.

Table of Contents

Comprehensive list of Unique Social Issue Research Topics

Scroll down and go through our list of unique topics and pick one that sparks your interest. Here you go with the first one:

Women’s Social Issues Research Topics

It’s crucial to look into the various aspects of women’s social issues if we want to get a better understanding of gender inequality. Here are some ideas to help you dig deeper into this topic.

Prejudice against women in corporate culture
Problems of pregnant women working in the corporate
Harassment in educational institutes against women
What strategies can governments adopt to ensure equal rights for women?
Raising awareness of the problems of pregnant women
How to develop a respectful attitude towards women and gender minorities in companies?
Ill-treatment of women in the government sector
Writing on essay topics related to problems with Syrian female immigrants
The Role of Women in economic life and the World of Work
Women’s political and electoral training
Women in old homes: Research and Interviews for Problems and Concerns
Toxic Masculinity in the Workplace: what can women do?
Developing a workplace culture for fair treatment of every gender
Role of Government in solving problems related to Women
The economy of the United States: Income inequality in the U.S.
Building a world where women have equal opportunities and fair treatment
Essay Topics Related to Problems of Women in New York
Financial problems for single mothers
Women dealing with social issues in New Mexico
Condition of Mexican immigrant women in the United States
Women’s health: Key performance indicators, problems and obstacles
Securing Women’s Rights with the Help of international law
Education of women: The rights and responsibilities
Better living conditions for older women
A research study of the problems of pregnant women in California
Health and welfare of older people, especially women
Improving the quality of life for single mothers with better opportunities

Children’s Social Issues Research Topics

It’s important to tackle the social issues that affect kids to create a better, more nurturing future for the next generation. Here are some interesting topics on this subject to get started with writing your research paper .

School Bullying and social networks
Problems and issues with children with a single parent
A research study on the problems of children in foster homes
How can we make foster care better and safer for children?
Delinquency trends in children among marginalized communities
modernity and technology at the cost of the destruction of childhood
Issues that children from Mexican households in America have to face
What are the advantages of multiculturalism in kindergarten?
Problems of Assault and Molestation of Children
Why Are Young People Committing Crimes These Days?
Cyberbullying and Toxicity on social media
Violence among children and young people
Rehabilitation of juvenile offenders and improving their lives
Illness and disability among kids living in developing countries
The lack of tolerance among the teenagers
Child labor in developing countries
Psychology of kindergarten education
School is a chance for every kid to learn tolerance and harmony
Children facing with lack of empathy and bullying on social media
The use of new technologies in education and adaptability in children
Problems of immigrant children
Child development and behavior

Social Issues Research Topics About Labor Rights

It’s essential to look into the social issues surrounding workers’ rights and fight for their well-being. Labor rights are the foundation of having fair and decent working conditions. Here are some topics if you want to research such subjects.

The legal responsibility of entrepreneurs
Workplace accident management
Increased flexibility via remote working options
Mental health problems caused by workers after the COVID pandemic
The principle of equality today is related to labor rights
Change wages or salaries
Labor problems caused by the Covid pandemic
Employees having to deal with additional work pressures
Role of labor unions in social justice for Laborers
Mental health problems in the Workplace
What can we do to offer ideas for improvements in labor laws
The desire to maintain a healthy work-life balance
Hate speech and domestic violence against marginalized groups in large companies
Academic paper for immigration disruptions in Canada and USA
The employer’s right to manage employees and the abuse of it
Role of human resources in identifying and solving problems of labor
The job of the government and schools is to offer their members better career prospects
Problems and issues related to a minimum period of employment
The technology skills gap leads to problems with the laborers
Improving the well-being of the company for its members
Change wages or salaries impact and consequences
How the global pandemic and Working from home changed the World
Recruiting methods from passive to active: how to prepare
Global labor shortages: problems and consequences
What are the reasons for the labor shortage?
Writing assignment about laborers dealing with the effects of long Covid
Why is it essential for companies to take a public stand for social issues
Mental health problems for workers in the field
Relevant examples of social issues related to labor and employment
How to empower workers against social injustice?

Social Issues Research Topics for the Environment

It’s important to dig into how social issues and the environment are connected when we’re trying to handle big problems like climate change, running out of resources, etc. Here are some research topics to think about.

Health risks associated with the general environment and their perception and representation
Climate change knowledge and expertise on health risks
Health inequalities resulting from environmental and social factors
What Role can environmental law play in protecting the environment at sea?
Deforestation and chronic pollution are destroying biodiversity
Importance of green energy conversion
The Law of the Environment and sustainable development
The Management of Pollution in Environmental Law
Toward a better understanding of atmospheric pollution
Utilizing environmental technologies and learning about them
Waste and material resources of the World
The destruction of ozone affects the environment and health
Nature’s resources are being destroyed. What can we do as researchers to prevent this?
Is it still imperative to preserve the environment during wartime?
Combating armed conflict while preserving the environment
The tourism industry and pollution management
Environmental factors that affect cancer risk
Cost-benefit analysis of the action based on legal or socioeconomic criteria
Analyzing how different environmental factors contribute to the risk
Investigating a variety of environmental issues and sectors
Regions and specific areas of environmental perception
The effects of climate change and global warming
Factors contributing to a healthy environment
The relationship between human rights and environmental law
In environmental law, pollution management is a constant
Worldwide implementation of sustainable development
How consumption trends and international news can help the environmental cause

Social Issues Research Topics Related to Covid Pandemic

The Covid-19 pandemic has changed how we live and has spotlighted all kinds of social issues that need to be looked into and solved. So, if you would like to research social issues related to the recent pandemic, check out this list for current social issues for research paper:

Social panic caused after the COVID-19 breakdown
Problems and social issues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic
COVID-19 and financial problems on the rise
Impact of COVID-19 on the people with middle class
Police Procedure and criminal justice during the COVID-19
The aftermath of COVID-19 has resulted in a social dilemma and economic disruption
An influential aspect of the pandemic is mental health
The Impact of social and territorial inequalities on health
The ethical issues raised by the pandemic
Writing research papers on social media’s Role during COVID-19
Children and adolescents’ mental condition during the pandemic
Problems in healthcare and Management of chronic diseases
Disruption in modern society by the COVID-19
How our social media accounts helped us during the darkest hours of covid
Ensuring the delivery of criminal justice during covid
Impact of COVID-19 on family life
Role of the Pandemic in the Promotion of remote education
Avoiding social media addiction during the quarantine

Social Issue Topics Related to American Society

Checking out the social problems in the U.S. gives us a great understanding of how complicated, varied and hard they can be for people and different communities. Here is another list of topics on social issues.

Environment perception in specific areas and regions
Climate change and global warming effects
The factors that contribute to a healthy environment
Cancer risk factors in the environment
Workplace toxic masculinity: what can women do?
The global labor shortage: problems and consequences
Why does the U.S. have a shortage of labor?
Workers dealing with the effects of Covid
Problems related to mental issues among field workers
Law and human rights concerning the environment
Management of pollution is a constant concern in environmental law
Impacts and consequences of changes in wages or salaries
How to prepare for passive to active recruitment
The problem of child labor in developing countries
Kindergarten Education and Psychology
Tolerance and harmony can be learned in school by every child
Lack of empathy and bullying on social media among children
Technology in Education and Children’s Adaptability
Legal or socioeconomic cost-benefit analysis of the action
A major social issue in the modern age is poverty
Government’s Role in solving social problems
Sustainable Development of the World
Trafficking in drugs and Mexican cartels
A culture of fair treatment for all genders in the Workplace
Nature’s resources are being depleted.
Management of pollution in the tourism industry
How can we use social media to improve society and resolve social problems?
A lack of respect for marginalized communities in the professional environment can be seen in several ways.
Understanding social issues and the problems associated with them
Materials and waste from around the World and the Impact they have on the environment
The depletion of ozone is detrimental to the environment and human health
Insights into the political and electoral training of women
Taking a closer look at Women’s Problems and Concerns in old homes: Research and Interviews
Issues and problems related to the minimum period of employment and the minimum wage
The technological skills gap is causing labor shortages shortly
Enhancing the well-being of the members of the company as a whole

Interesting Social Injustice Topics for College Students

As college students, exploring and engaging with interesting social issues topics expands our intellectual horizons and empowers us to become agents of change in our communities and beyond. Particularly when you include social problems examples. Here is another list of interesting topics.

Developing better relationships with public institutions to solve problems
The Role of social work in the Management of health problems
Corporations discriminate against marginalized communities in the U.S.
Sociology of the popular classes
The reasons for the low human development index in African countries
Social issues caused by class differences
Drugs and anarchist behaviors
Religious Differences and biased approaches to employment strategies
Mexican cartels and the problem of drug trafficking
Poverty is one of the most significant social issues in the Modern World
Role of the Government in solving social issues
How can we use social media to improve society and solve social issues?
Prejudice against marginalized communities in the professional environment
Understanding the problems related to social issues
Role of problem-solving and understanding the root cause of social issues
Major social issues in developing countries
Role of Education in ending violence in Society
Class Differences and the Impact on the human development index
Differences in health facilities for different classes
Social Norms and the Role of the Community
Causes and solutions to human trafficking on the Mexican borders
Human development index in India
How to solve the poverty problem?
What is the problem of social media bullying, and how to avoid it?
How does financial illiteracy lead to a lack of development in developing countries?
Impact of Terrorism on Society
How to solve the terrorism problem?
Mafia problems in the USA and how to deal with them
Biased treatment of marginalized communities in the government sector
The increasing problem of drug addiction
Ethics and Artificial Intelligence: Emerging social issues
Role of social media in increasing social issues

Police and Social Justice Research Papers Topics

Let’s unveil a curated collection of current social issues for a research paper. Here’s the list:

Children’s safety and protection: The security job is of the utmost importance
School bullying is a serious issue that needs to be addressed
A few heartrending social issues examples
Using the Internet to disseminate terrorist content: a serious issue related to Cybersecurity
Digital Platform Security Certification – A Guide to Cybersecurity Certifications
The protection of minors in alcohol-serving establishments
Concerns regarding cyber security in the United States
An analysis of the spatial pattern of terrorism in the USA over the past two decades
New York crime analysis, a look at the crime situation in the City
Security technologies face several obstacles when it comes to their implementation
Having the versatility to specialize and the specialization to be versatile in security matters
Investigative requisitions from the judicial police
Relationships between the police and the public: The need for improvement
Conflict Management and Prevention in Communities
The principle of secularism in sports must be respected
Stopping the illicit trade in tobacco products
Towns with small populations and cybersecurity
Taking care of historical monuments
Providing support to victims of aggression
An analysis of the roadside check system in developing countries
The challenges of reception at a police station for public security
A system for protecting housing from illegal encroachment
Anti-abuse and anti-fraud measures
A diversity of expectations and feedback from the inhabitants
Taking public security work seriously in terms of its relational dimension
The issue of external assistance in the area of internal security
Putting social networks to the test in terms of police ethics

As you have reached the conclusion paragraph of the blog post, you must have picked a topic or two to work for your social issue research paper. Most of the lists have focused on social issues today as they could be very interesting for the readers. Plus, there are a plethora of good topics for you to count on. Just remember that a good research subject must be able to answer, what is a social problem, what is a social issue, and more. Still if you are struggling with picking up a good topic, feel free to count on the expertise of our writers .

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155 Social Problems Essay Topics & Research Questions to Write about

Are you looking for the best social issues topics? You’re at the right place! StudyCorgi has prepared a list of social problems research topics and questions for your speech, essay, and other writing assignments. You’ll find titles about inequality, teenage pregnancy, violence, hunger, and other problems facing contemporary society.

⚠️ 7 Social Issues Topics 2024

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Poverty as a Social Problem
Migration as a Social Problem
Juvenile Delinquency as Social Problem Within Education Institutions
Violence: The Social Problem
Bullying: A Serious Social Problem
Social Problems Assignment: Juvenile Delinquency
Social Problem Analysis: Social Inequality in Education

If you need to write a paper on social issues and wonder what social problems to write about, here are a few easy options you can consider:

Social Deviance Contribution to Social Problems The paper examines the forms that social deviance may acquire contributing them to social issues, that is criminal and non-criminal deviance.
Social Problems of People with Disabilities People living with disabilities go through several challenges in life because society is yet to appreciate their presence.
Social Problems Related to Alcohol and Drugs The present paper will explain the content of three articles relating to the issue of Alcohol and drug use while also providing a personal reflection on the readings.
Oppression as a Social Problem The paper defines oppression in terms of marginalization, exploitation, powerlessness, cultural imperialism and violence: the key facets of oppression according to Iris Young.
Educational Institutions’ Social Problems: Juvenile Delinquency Juvenile delinquency is the problem that profoundly affects educational institutions as its representatives are people involved in education the most.
Substance Abuse: The Cause of Social Problems Substance abuse is a contributing factor to social problems but cannot be said to be the one that is most responsible.
The Use of Statistics in Evaluating Social Problems Statistics are an important tool for researchers and policymakers when analyzing particular social-related issues. The types of statistics are objective or subjective.
Social Problems and Policy: Youth Unemployment and Mental Health In the history of the US, the federal and state governments have been at the forefront to facilitate effective social programs.
America’s Social Problems Through the Song “Cookie Jar” by J. Johnson The song Cookie Jar is a song written by Jack Johnson song talks about the blame game that is going on and in American society.
Obesity in Adolescence as a Social Problem The paper states that adolescence is one of the most crucial developmental phases of human life during which the issue of obesity must be solved.
Social Problem and Policy Analysis Human rights and social work perspectives show how standardized testing promotes inequality and increases the barriers for non-white individuals.
Juvenile Delinquency as Social Problem of Vulnerable Populations The theme of this paper is such a problem of vulnerable populations as juvenile delinquency, its interconnection with other social problems, and possible ways of its solution.
Modern Social Problems Through the Sociological Imagination Prism This paper aims to discuss the concept of the sociological imagination and its significance in understanding contemporary social problems.
Development of Children’s Friendship and Social Problems This analysis was reached upon following a close thirty-minute observation of infants, and it suggests various types of behaviors presented by children in play.
The Social Problem of Bullying and the School System The present paper focuses on the connection between the social problem of bullying and the school system, describing each of these concepts.
The Covid-19 Related Social Problems The paper discusses the Covid-19 pandemic that has caused devastating social disruption where millions of individuals have fallen into extreme poverty.
Solving Social Problems With a Nudge The speaker’s perspective is on the human mind’s diversity and complexity, making people manufacture irrational behavior, perpetuating poverty, corruption, and discrimination.
Benchmark as Social Problems The impact of social phenomenon, for instance, social inequality, vulnerable population and other problems with politics, on poverty from a macro and micro perspectives.
Americas Social Problems Nowadays The article explains the social, economic, political, technological, and legal impacts of war and how the global community can address the reality of terrorism.
Social Problems in Wilson’s “Fences” Play People who have been subjected to social oppression have a good chance of developing mental health problems in the future.
Meth Epidemic as a Social Problem: Film Analysis Drug consumption has become a major social problem for many states in the US as many drug users and addicts consider meth as their top choice.
The Social Problems Behind the Military Suicide
How Overpopulation Causes Social Problems?
Ethical and Social Problems of Genetic Engineering
The Economic and Social Problems of the 1930s
Social Problems Among College Students
Alphonso Pinkney’s Black American: Chronic Social Problems
Race and Gender Impact on Social Problems
Behavior and Social Problems in Classrooms
Social Problems About School Drop Outs
Current Political and Social Problems of Pakistan
Social Problems Associated With Street Gangs
Social Problems and the Theories of Emile Durkheim
Unemployment and Social Problems in the Post-war United States
Social Problems and Issues in Pakistan
Sociology and Various Social Problems
The Major Social Problems Facing the Teenagers of Today
Values, Social Problems, and Balanced Development in Malaysia
Political, Economic and Social Problems of France
Social Problems Associated With Health and Happiness
The Environment and Social Problems
Social Problems Amongst the Homeless
Mauritius: Tourism and Social Problems
Social Problems Affecting Youth Today and Ways To Solve Them
Nature and Social Problems
Social Problems and Drug Abuse
Critical Social Problems Affecting African Americans
Social Problems Arise From the Views and Values of the Society
Connection Between Social Problems and Urbanization
Unemployment Social Problems Faced by China and West
Social Problems Among Youth in Malaysia
Social Problem of Inequality Studies of social inequality included non-urban areas and social inequality factors that had not been included in previous studies.
Queer (LGBTQ) Community as a Social Problem in Canada The Canadian government has shown interest in LGBTQ matters in recent years. Canadian queer persons are more likely to be victims of violent crime.
Social Problem: Hunger in the United States Hunger problem, income gap, race discrimination, poverty in rural regions, and COVID-19 outbreak have severe effects on the hunger problem.
American Modern Social Problem The United States is not renowned to having one of the best systems of health care worldwide, rather the U .S. is known for its best system in emergency care worldwide.
The Social Problem of Obesity in Adolescence The social worker should be the bridge uniting obese individuals and society advertising social changes, and ending injustice and discrimination.
Policies for Social Problems Social problems dominate in different parts of the world. Good policies should be devised to make it possible to pronounce dominant sociological problems.
The Most Crucial Social Problems To conclude, it is essential not to forget about less fortunate people who have nothing to eat and nowhere to live.
Social Problems Within Educational Institutions It is necessary to understand and analyze the connection between various social problems within U.S. educational institutions.
Analyzing Social Problems – Case Study: Jake Levy The analysis of Jake Levy’s case led to lobby the state legislature to start a suicide prevention program for veterans who are getting mental health services.
Perspectives on the Central Social Problem in Modern Society Social ills plaguing modern society have been a basic concern for many prominent philosophers throughout the ages.
Potential Threat of Coronavirus as a Social Problem in Haines City, Florida SARS coronavirus is only a potential threat for Haines City so far, but preventing misinformation and potential panic is still an important social problem.
Analyzing Social Problems: Health Disparities This discussion will examine the unequal access to healthcare and its cause, investigate its prevalence, describe vulnerable populations.
Social Problems: Exploring the Main Types There are four main social problems; crime, violence, drug abuse, and environmental problems. The other social problems are very closely related to the above.
Childhood Obesity: Medical Complications and Social Problems The children have also suffered from the adverse effects that have been instilled into our society. Obesity has become a common problem in children of American and European countries.
American Social Problems of Women and the Elderly The issues of social discrimination experienced by women and elderly people have their roots in two fundamental perspectives of social life.
Modern American Social Problems The essay lists the current American social problems and describes the key point of each problem the society faced nowadays.
American Social Problems: Family and Education The family and education are major socializing agents in society and to be particular the United States of America.
Rawls vs. Nozick on Social Problems and Criminal Justice The essay reflects on the articles of Rawls and Nozick to compare their key points and determine whose theory is most applicable to social problems and criminal justice.
Global Warming: Solving a Social Problem Global warming may be a cause of the cooling in some parts of the world. Global warming can slow down ocean heat transport which becomes the reason for cooling in some regions.
World Poverty as a Global Social Problem Poverty and the key methods helping to reduce it attract the attention of numerous researchers in different areas of expertise.
The Issue of Adolescent Pregnancy as a Major Social Problem The purpose of this study is to investigate the issue of adolescent pregnancy as a significant challenge that affects society across the globe.
Texting and Driving: Social Problems Texting and driving refers to the act of receiving, reading and sending text messages while operating a motor vehicle, which is a hazardous practice that causes many fatalities.
Social Problems Exam Practice
PRS and Its Social Problems
Social Problems and Legalization of Marijuana
The Increasing Social Problems of Violence in the 20th Century
Child Abuse – Social Problems
Social Problems and Solutions Chart
The Social Problems Facing Homeless Youth
Social Problems Are Due to Society’s Tolerance of Immorality
Realist and Constructivist Approaches to Social Problems
Social Problems During the Industrial Revolution
Emile Durkheim and Social Problems
Literature During the Old Times Until Now Contribute To Address Social Problems
Substance Abuse and Social Problems
Public Education and the Impact of Social Problems
Social Problems Facing Our US Veterens
Physiological and Social Problems in the Middle East
Social Problems and Homelessness in Savannah, Georgia
Technical and Social Problems of Nuclear Waste
Social Problems Associated With Interfaith Marriages
Technology and Social Problems
Social Problems Affecting Students and Schools in the US
Ethnography: Social Problems
Social Problems Affecting Society, Big and Small
Appalachia: Culture and Social Problems
Social Problems Associated With Racial Discrimination
Political, Economic, and Social Problems in India
Social Problems Behind Sexual Deviance
Poor Neighborhoods Give Rise to Social Problems
Literary Realism and Social Problems
Prevalent Social Problems That Impacts Society
What Are the Ethical and Social Issues of Genetic Engineering?
What Social Problems Occur in Substance Abuse?
What Are the Main Social Issues among the Youth in Malaysia?
What Are the Social Problems behind War Suicide?
What Are the Economic and Social Issues of Women Entrepreneurs in Turkey?
What Are the Incentives for Solving Social Problems?
What Business and Social Problems Does Data Center?
Why Do Poor Neighborhoods Give Rise to Social Problems?
What Are the Reasons for the Social Problems of Adolescents?
What Are the Economic and Social Issues of the Caribbean?
What Social Problems Arise Because of Society’s Tolerance for Immorality?
What Are the Various Social Issues Faced by Black Women in the American South?
How Social Problems Caused by the Elizabethan Poor Law of 1601?
What Are Pakistan’s Current Political and Social Problems?
What Are the Common Social Problems Affecting Society?
What Is the Influence of Literary Realism on Social Problems?
What Business and Social Problems Does Data Center Power Consumption Cause?
How Does the Media Impact Social Problems?
What Social Problems Are Revealed in the Great Gatsby?
What Are the Social Problems Associated with Interfaith Marriages?
Should the State Pay More Attention to Solving the Pressing Social Problems of Our Time?
What Is the Connection between Social Policy and Social Problems?
What Are the Social Problems Faced by Homeless Youth?
What Are the Physiological and Social Problems in the Middle East?
Online misinformation and its effects on society.
Racial bias and discrimination in policing.
The impact of populism on democracies.
Factors perpetuating the gender pay gap.
The influence of climate change on vulnerable populations.
The impact of automation on the job market.
The effects of cyberbullying on adolescents.
The social consequences of rapid urbanization.
Youth unemployment and social exclusion.
Social implications of genetic modification technologies.
Strategies to prevent cyberbullying and online harassment.
The impact of social media on youth.
Access to quality education for all.
The importance of safeguarding personal information online.
Encouraging youth to get involved in the democratic process.
The influence of technology on social interactions.
Ways to combat human trafficking.
Raising awareness of human rights violations in conflict zones.
The effects of social media on body image.
Why should guns be prohibited?

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StudyCorgi . "155 Social Problems Essay Topics & Research Questions to Write about." March 1, 2022. https://studycorgi.com/ideas/social-problems-essay-topics/.

StudyCorgi . 2022. "155 Social Problems Essay Topics & Research Questions to Write about." March 1, 2022. https://studycorgi.com/ideas/social-problems-essay-topics/.

These essay examples and topics on Social Problems were carefully selected by the StudyCorgi editorial team. They meet our highest standards in terms of grammar, punctuation, style, and fact accuracy. Please ensure you properly reference the materials if you’re using them to write your assignment.

This essay topic collection was updated on January 21, 2024 .

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Social Psychology Research Topics

Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book."

Emily is a board-certified science editor who has worked with top digital publishing brands like Voices for Biodiversity, Study.com, GoodTherapy, Vox, and Verywell.

Choosing topics for social psychology research papers or projects for class can be challenging. It is a broad and fascinating field, which can make it challenging to figure out what you want to investigate in your research.

Social psychology explores how individual thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are affected by social influences. It explores how each person's behavior is affected by their social environment.

This article explores a few different social psychology topics and research questions you might want to study in greater depth. It covers how to start your search for a topic as well as specific ideas you might choose to explore.

How to Find a Social Psychology Research Topic

As you begin your search, think about the questions that you have. What topics interest you? Following your own interests and curiosities can often inspire great research questions.

Choose a Sub-Topic

Social psychologists are interested in all aspects of social behavior. Some of the main areas of interest within the field include social cognition, social influence, and social relationships investigating subtopics such as conformity, groupthink, attitude formation, obedience, prejudice, and so on.

Social cognition : How do we process and use information about social experiences? What kinds of biases influence how we engage with other people?
Social influence: What are the key social factors that influence our attitudes and behavior? What are group dynamics and how do we understand patterns of behavior in groups?
Social relationships : What are the different types of social relationships? How do they develop and change over time?

To help ensure that you select a topic that is specific enough, it can be helpful to start by confining your search to one of these main areas.

Browse Through Past Research

After narrowing down your choices, consider what questions you might have. Are there questions that haven't been fully answered by previous studies? At this point, it can be helpful to spend some time browsing through journal articles or books to see some examples of past findings and identify gaps in the literature.

You can also find inspiration and learn more about a topic by searching for keywords related to your topic in psychological databases such as PsycINFO or browsing through some professional psychology journals.

Narrow Down Your Specific Topic

Once you have a general topic, you'll need to narrow down your research. The goal is to choose a research question that is specific, measurable, and testable. Let's say you want to study conformity; An example of a good research question might be, “Are people more likely to conform when they are in a small group or a large group?” In this case, the specific topic of your paper would be how group size influences social conformity .

Review the Literature on Your Chosen Topic

After choosing a specific social psychology topic to research, the next step is to do a literature review. A literature review involves reading through the existing research findings related to a specific topic.

You are likely to encounter a great deal of information on your topic, which can seem overwhelming at times. You may find it helpful to start by reading review articles or meta-analysis studies. These are summaries of previous research on your topic or studies that incorporate a large pool of past research on the topic.

Talk to Your Instructor

Even if you are really excited to dive right in and start working on your project, there are some important preliminary steps you need to take.

Before you decide to tackle a project for your social psychology class, you should always clear your idea with your instructor. This initial step can save you a lot of time and hassle later on.

Your instructor can offer clear feedback on things you should and should not do while conducting your research and might be able to offer some helpful tips. Also, if you plan to implement your own social experiment, your school might require you to present to and gain permission from an institutional review board.

Thinking about the questions you have about social psychology can be a great way to discover topics for your own research. Once you have a general idea, explore the literature and refine your research question to make sure it is specific enough.

Examples of Social Psychology Research Topics

The following are some specific examples of different subjects you might want to investigate further as part of a social psychology research paper, experiment, or project:

Implicit Attitudes

How do implicit attitudes influence how people respond to others? This can involve exploring how people's attitudes towards different groups of people (e.g., men, women, ethnic minorities) influence their interactions with those groups. For example, one study found that 75% of people perceive men to be more intelligent than women .

In your own project, you might explore how implicit attitudes impact perceptions of qualities such as kindness, intelligence, leadership skills, or attractiveness.

Prosocial Behavior

You might also choose to focus on prosocial behavior in your research. This can involve investigating the reasons why people help others. Some questions you could explore further include:

What motivates people to help others?
When are people most likely to help others?
How does helping others cause people to feel?
What are the benefits of helping other people?

How do people change their attitudes in response to persuasion? What are the different techniques that can be used to persuade someone? What factors make some people more susceptible to persuasion than others?

One way to investigate this could be through collecting a wide variety of print advertisements and analyzing how persuasion is used. What types of cognitive and affective techniques are utilized? Do certain types of advertisements tend to use specific kinds of persuasive techniques ?

Another area of social psychology that you might research is aggression and violence. This can involve exploring the factors that lead to aggression and violence and the consequences of these behaviors. Some questions you might explore further include:

When is violence most likely to occur?
What factors influence violent behavior?
Do traumatic experiences in childhood lead to more aggressive behavior in adulthood?
Does viewing violent media content contribute to increased aggressive behavior in real life?

Prejudice and discrimination are areas that present a range of research opportunities. This can involve studying the different forms that prejudice takes (e.g., sexism, racism, ageism ), as well as the psychological effects of prejudice and discrimination. You might also want to investigate topics related to how prejudices form or strategies that can be used to reduce such discrimination.

Nonverbal Behavior

How do people respond when nonverbal communication does not match up to verbal behavior (for example, saying you feel great when your facial expressions and tone of voice indicate otherwise). Which signal do people respond to most strongly?

How good are people at detecting lies ? Have participants tell a group of people about themselves, but make sure some of the things are true while others are not. Ask members of the group which statements they thought were true and which they thought were false.

Social Norms

How do people react when social norms are violated? This might involve acting in a way that is outside the norm in a particular situation or enlisting friends to act out the behaviors while you observe.

Some examples that you might try include wearing unusual clothing, applauding inappropriately at the end of a class lecture, cutting in line in front of other people, or some other mildly inappropriate behavior. Keep track of your own thoughts as you perform the experiment and observe how people around you respond.

Online Social Behavior

Does online social networking make people more or less likely to interact with people in face-to-face or other offline settings? To investigate this further, you could create a questionnaire to assess how often people participate in social networking versus how much time they spend interacting with their friends in real-world settings.

Social Perception

How does our appearance impact how people respond to us? Ask some friends to help you by having two people dress up in dramatically different ways, one in a professional manner and one in a less conventional manner. Have each person engage in a particular action, then observe how they are treated and how other people's responses differ.

Social psychologists have found that attractiveness can produce what is known as a halo effect . Essentially, we tend to assume that people who are physically attractive are also friendly, intelligent, pleasant, and likable.

To investigate this topic, you could set up an experiment where you have participants look at photographs of people of varying degrees of physical attractiveness, and then ask them to rate each person based on a variety of traits, including social competence, kindness, intellect, and overall likability.

Think about how this might affect a variety of social situations, including how employees are selected or how jurors in a criminal case might respond.

Social psychology is a broad field, so there are many different subtopics you might choose to explore in your research. Implicit attitudes, prosocial behavior, aggression, prejudice, and social perception are just a few areas you might want to consider.

A Word From Verywell

Social psychology topics can provide a great deal of inspiration for further research, whether you are writing a research paper or conducting your own experiment. In addition to some of the social psychology topics above, you can also draw inspiration from your own curiosity about social behavior or examine social issues that you see taking place in the world around you.

American Psychological Association. Frequently asked questions about institutional review boards .

Storage D, Charlesworth TES, Banaji M, Cimpian A. Adults and children implicitly associate brilliance with men more than women . J Exp Soc Psychol . 2012;90:104020. doi:10.1016/j.jesp.2020.104020

Talamas SN, Mavor KI, Perrett DI. Blinded by beauty: Attractiveness bias and accurate perceptions of academic performance . PLoS ONE . 2016;11(2):e0148284. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0148284

By Kendra Cherry, MSEd Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book."

149 Social Issues Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

🏆 best social issues topic ideas & essay examples, 👍 good essay topics on social issues, ⭐ simple & easy social issues essay titles, 💡 interesting topics to write about social issues, ❓ social issues questions examples.

Youth Unemployment as a Social Issue Different factors have led to the high levels of youth unemployment, with the most widely studied of them being the skills that are available to the unemployed youths.
Social Issues: Choosing a Life Partner This process involves the identification of a friend to determine if potential partners share some aspects in life before the friendship can grow to a relationship and if the relationship works for the partners, it […]
Social Issues in “Frankenstein” Film Frankenstein’s monster represents the mangled and depressed soldiers returning from the war only to find an economy in crisis, given that the Great Depression was in the offing after the war.
Social Issues in “Gattaca” by Andrew Niccoland In the movie, another family rivalry is witnessed in the case where Vincent was the main suspect in the killing of an administrator; and when Anton offered to help, Vincent asked him to stay away […]
Tragic Love and Social Issues in Giovanni Boccaccio’s Decameron In that regard, such distinction led to that love relationships were held in secret, and considering the origins of the lovers in both tales, it can be stated that the finale of these love stories […]
Social Issues in the Film “Grease” In the first instance, when Danny and Sandy meet for the first time in the school, Danny is compelled to play the bad boy character the group is identified with.
Social Issues Affecting Women Women and family Stability/Disintegration The role of women in family stability and disintegration is another social issue affecting women in society. Women are considered as the core managers of stability and security in the family.
Social Issues in the “Thelma and Louise” Movie The film focuses on the scenes and events that show the experience of females. In other words, “Thelma and Louise” ruined the stereotypical representation of women, which was revolutionary for that time.
Social Issues in Shakespeare’s “The Tragedy of Othello” The social environment of England at the end of the sixteenth and the beginning of the seventeenth century was characterized by great attention to social class, citizens’ jobs, and their reputation.
Homelessness as a Social Issue Research further indicates that the group is at a high risk of suffering from addiction in an effort to contain stress and ignominy associated with homelessness.
Homelessness as a Global Social Issue In the US, homelessness is on the increase because of economic melt- down and foreclosures. Moreover, differences in perception of homelessness by liberal and conservative on homeless have increased homelessness in the US.
Anthropology in Solving Global Social Issues Artists were moving in the same direction, which excluded the possibility to understand and assess other examples of the art of other nations.
What Defines Us as Human? – Social Issues Although the particular features of the people’s skeletal structure and other physical qualities cannot be discussed as determining to speak about persons as human, it is important to focus on differences in the mental and […]
Social Issues: Smartphones’ Positive Impacts In the past, it is expensive to make calls. In the past, it is not convenient to make calls using payphones.
Social Issues: Leisure Lifestyle Erickson confirmed through research that leisure activities originate from the mind, and an individual is motivated to engage in it whenever he or she feels that it would be beneficial.
Social Issues in “Be Right Back” Episode of “Black Mirror” Series In one of the scenes of the episodes, in her conversation with the copy of Ash, she says that the android does not have a history of its life; it is just an image without […]
Social Issues of Families in Poverty With the tightened budget, parents of the families living in poverty struggle to make ends meet, and in the course of their struggles, they experience many stresses and depressions.
Social Issues: Arranged Marriages Even though research has shown that some arranged marriages result in loving and stable relationships, I think it is important to give individuals the freedom to choose their partners and decide whether they are prepared […]
Social Issues; Crime and Poverty in Camden This has threatened the social security and peaceful coexistence of the people in the community. The larger the differences between the poor and the rich, the high are the chances of crime.
Moral, Ethical, and Social Issues However, the spectrum of their research is fundamentally different, and in the case of the Press, it concerns dirty work and society’s response to it.
Social Issues: Charitable Donations These factors include awareness of the need to contribute, solicitation, selflessness, cost of the benefit, status in the society, and personal values.
Communist Manifesto, Time and Social Issues The primary issue of the manifesto is the vagaries in which the bourgeoisie subject and subjugate the proletariat, all in the struggle for private property.
Social Issues in First-World Nations The third social issue that affects a large number of first-world countries is the quality and accessibility of healthcare. However, it is possible to make a gradual positive change through the cooperation of governments and […]
Philosophy and Perspective of Social Issues In addition, the critical thinking method can also be used to analyze the belief that the government is the cause of social issues. Philosophy is a discipline that can help us to think more critically […]
Social Issues: Freak Shows The shows gave audiences something they craved, and the audiences gladly paid the organizers for putting up the shows. The second reason for the popularity of freak shows is the financial returns associated with the […]
Education Establishments’ Role Regarding Social Issues However, the universal nature of these issues and their broad influence create an environment in which members of education establishments begin to question the extent of their involvement in them.
Social Issues Related to Detroit’s Demographics: The Urban Crisis This refutes the widespread knowledge that suggests racial divides and social initiatives in the 1960s were the cause of the urban decline.
Journal Editors’ Role Regarding Social Justice Issues Journal editors can involve professionals from social justice forums such as civil rights lawyers in their journals as well as reduce the complexity of the presentation of social justice article contents.
Social Issue Analysis: The Trauma Lens of Police Violence It is the most visible manifestation of the struggle for justice, and the police are usually expected to support the victims of injustice.
The Impact of Social Issues on the Development of Adolescence For example, boys have high esteem when they experience changes in their voices, while girls may feel shy due to the growth of their chest region.
Tobacco as a Social Injustice Issue African Americans are a minority population in the U.S.singled out to endure the health challenges related to tobacco use hence a social injustice.
Ageism and Financial Insecurity as Social Issues The two main social issues impacting the rights of older individuals are ageism and financial insecurity. Many older people are capable and eager to work beyond the standard set, but the chances are limited.
The Review of Social Issues Film One of the most important concerns for my future life is the ability to raise and care for children properly. The issue of elderly domestic abuse is considered to be one of the most serious […]
Race as a Social Construct: Issues of Barriers Since it occurs in the conditions of scarcity of resources essential for the survival of citizens, the varying degree of access to them can be determined on the basis of racial background.
Social Issues in the “In Plain Sight” Art Project The artists from the In Plain Sight project are united by the goal of raising public awareness about causes such as immigrant detention and the US culture of incarceration.
Immigration: Social Issue Feeling Analysis From the global perspective, the most influencing countries in the world use visa and other conditions of entering the country as a migration regulating tool.
International Social Welfare Issue Analysis That is why it is very important for social workers and all socially conscious people to promote the ideas of social welfare and make people understand why it matters. To conclude, the issue of social […]
Modern Healthcare Aspects in the United States: Managing Historical and Social Issues Today, the system is trying to manage various issues such as malnutrition among older adults that is increasing, the role of nurses and the importance of their diversity, and the growing costs of the services.
Whistleblowing as a Social Issue in the Workplace The only hindrance to whistleblowing in society or the public is the authenticity of the information and how it will be received generally.
Management of Obesity and Social Issues That Emerge With Its Development The article by Omole focuses on recent shift in the management of obesity and the social issues that emerge with its development, namely, the culture of fat-shaming, by considering some of the alternatives toward evaluating […]
Key Social Issues Affecting Criminal Justice Professionals The absence of a decline in this percentage suggests that the criminal justice system has not been effective in addressing this issue. The criminal justice system has failed to decrease crime rates due to the […]
Police Brutality: Social Issue This paper explores the issue of police brutality and seeks to shed light on the perceptions of the public, especially the black minority.
Domestic Terrorism: Burning Social Issue In my opinion, people could be driven by some factors or they could be conditioned throughout their lives to engage in domestic terrorism. They may also say that they feel unrecognized in the management of […]
Global Digital Divide as a Social Issue That is, if societies around the globe are able to bridge the gap between those who have and those who do not in relation to information technology, then the development problems would be minimized at […]
J.A. McPherson and G.G. Marquez Novel’s: Urgent Social Issues The black waiter Doc and the Colonel are forced to live in a cruel world and adapt to the dominant system.
Should Drugs Be a Health, Social Issue or a Legal, Criminal Issue? They are classified depending on the mode of action and the response induced in the body. In order to get information from the participants the following questions will be asked: What drug do you use?
Professors and Their Views on Political or Social Issues in the Classroom He analyzes the statement issued by the American Association of University Professors’ Committee A on Academic Freedom and Tenure, “Freedom in the Classroom,” which he says seems to defend professors against attacks by the right […]
Social Issues in Kuwait: Immigration Workforce Among the frequently highlighted issues in the country, one is the low productivity among the local workforce due to the high influence of favoritism and nepotism in promotions and merits.
S. Hay’s and Feagin’s Works on Social Issues The work of the Sharon Hay’s “Flat Broke with Children” was assembled in a milieu characterised by the decline of the widely hailed welfare reform policies which had seen the diminishing of welfare rolls from […]
Should Professors Be Allowed to Advocate Their Views on Political or Social Issues in the Classroom? In the recent past, professors have been accused of several faults, and it was because of these faults that it was deemed necessary to put a cap on the extent to which professors can excise […]
Marriage and Family Problems as Social Issues Sociology as a discipline has an extremely wide range of interests and it is next to impossible even to enumerate them, however the issue that has always been of the utmost importance for the sociological […]
Social Stratification Issues Solving If that is not the case, we meet different forms of institutional discrimination which can take different forms such as discrimination of children, gender discrimination, race and class discrimination.
Social Issues in Business I see housing as business and as quoted “business involves the exchange of services for money, making money, and dealing with other people’s needs and demands” in the book ‘A better way to think about […]
Social Inequality Issue Analysis Thesis Social inequality is a system and systematic worked as the framework of society and its functionality. What is acknowledged to be a hierarchical social structure are essentially confined to the primary units of economic […]
Gender Pay Gap as a Multifaceted Social Issue The gender pay gap is defined as the average gross hourly earnings of men and women who are working. Secondly, political and economic causes and outcomes of the issue have to be considered.
Identity and Social Class Issue A social class provides the child with a sense of identity, a set of values, and the motivational base for his later actions, while the school provides him with the knowledge and skills necessary to […]
Domestic Violence as a Social Issue It is one of the main factors which stimulate the study’s conduction, and among the rest, one can also mention the number of unexplored violence questions yet to be answered.
Masculinity as a Social Norms Issue However, the advancements that occurred with the rise of the LGBT movement and the empowerment of women now challenge established ideas.
Pollution as a Social Issue and Mass Media’s Role The reason why plastic pollution gained traction only during the 21st century is directly connected to the invention of the Internet and the technological advances in electronics.
Community Psychology in Addressing Social Issues Based on the lecture, we learned about the disparity between the rich and the poor, a domain that is associated with marginalization and stigmatization.
Social Issues in Education: Applying Theory In the year 2000, the Ministry of Education banned any form of corporal punishment in all schools in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Social Issues of the Immigration Journal The authors studied the impacts of multiculturalism of the period 1980s to 1990s on institutional forms of immigrants in the Netherlands.
Social Issues in Karl Marx’s Letter to John Mayer In your letter, it seems that those in power do not listen to you and your generation. This is one sure way of attaining power that is vital for you and your generation to change […]
Social Issues in McMinden, Fictional Town The concepts of social stratification, division of labor, and social distance discussed in the essay appear to be connected by cause-and-effect relation.
Socialist vs. Capitalist Approach to Social Issues Capitalism also refers to a system where the economy is independent of the state. In a Socialist economy, the intellectual property belongs to the government.
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.
Rhetoric: Social Issues’ Influences on US Children Such an approach does not allow the readers to be 100% sure that this information is true to life and makes the statement rather weak.
Economic and Social Issues in Japan The events of March 11 contributed to widespread changes in the Japanese society and government. In the midst of the March 11 disaster, a political reformation occurred.
Social Issues in “Born into Brothels” Film It is possible to apply the feminist theory to consider a family featured in the film. In Shanti’s family, this is also the case, and her mother is afraid of her daughter’s future as the […]
Alcoholism as a Social Issue and Its Effect on Families Such children tend to think that they are the causes of the problem, which would end up affecting them psychologically. Since children are not helped to get out of the horrifying scenarios, they end up […]
Workplace Gender Bias: Social Injustice Issues Such situations make companies to classify its workforce based on the class systems17 that involve a consideration of the individual’s achievement and performance at the workplace.
Social Issues in “Too Young to Wed” by Cynthia Gorney In the case of 10-year-old Ayesha who was married off to a 50-year old, the women in the family tried to stop the marriage.
The Social Cost Issue The concept of “social cost” is applied in the economic analysis and estimation of most impacts. The writer observes the economic implications of such impacts on the social realm.
Public Policies Addressing Social Issues in the USA The best form of policy that the US government uses to control lead poisoning in children is the increased awareness to prevent the use of lead in household paints.
Social Issues in Self Help in Hard Times by Zinn The following are the main points from the chapter 15 of the Self Help in Hard Times book that were determined as Zinn’s main points of interest: The first main point of Zinn in this […]
Social Issues in the “Leaving the Streets: Stories of Canadian Youth” The authors of the book are inclined to support the idea that to exit the street life successfully, the street youth should become oriented to the principles of the street disengagement and to breaking all […]
Natural Disasters and Global Social Issues The hurricane led to a major shift in the social arrangement of the populations in the worst affected areas. This led to a significant loss of jobs in the affected areas.
US Public Policies Social Issues In view of this, the article is useful since it provides readers with brief and structured information regarding the differences that The Affordable Care Act makes.
Social Issues of Genital Cosmetic Surgery for Women The labia minora is the main target, and it aims at reducing the size of these lips to avoid protruding beyond the labia majora.
Single Mothers’ Social Issues The little consideration given to single women living in poverty distorts the women and their families. The single mothers who have a heavy burden of caring for their children need help from the government.
Intercollegiate Sports: Social and Cultural Issues A primary goal of this essay is to evaluate the impact of social and cultural issues on the ability to handle stress in the future while being a contestant of one of the intercollegiate sports.
Social Issue of Sexual Assault: Definition and Forms Sometimes it’s not only the ordinary people that are in the dark, even the most important figures that are seen as the role models to the society happen to be in the dark about some […]
Social Issues: Monogamy in Our Life This sort of relations is considered to be the only legal type of bond in the majority of states all over the world.
Social Issues: Abortions Prohibition With this in mind, it is possible to say that the question of abortion is a very keen issue which sets the table for a great number of different debates. However, it is said that […]
Social Issues: Levels of Conversation Impact The results of a conversation depending on the levels of communication between the parties that are involved. In this level of conversation, a self-fulfilling relationship may be developed particularly if the people involved in the […]
Social Issues: Equity Among the African Demographics Combined with the problem of poverty and lack of educational resources, it takes a truly monstrous scale, affecting not only the lives of women in a number of regions of Africa, but also the entire […]
Social Issues: Science Versus Indigenous Ways of Living The opinion of science seems to have become the only credible source of knowledge in a contemporary world, and for a good reason with the recent technological breakthrough and the advent of the era of […]
Social Issues: “A critical Mess” by Scott Rowan In his argument, Rowan, the president of Sherpa Multimedia, explains the pains and frustrations that the Chicago community undergoes when the cyclists take to the streets demonstrating their riding skills and claiming that it is […]
Social Issues: Child Observation in Khalifa Park It was noticed that there was a marked difference in the games boys and girls play and their reactions to winning and losing the games.
Social Issues: Urban Livability and Sustainability In achieving this choice in the United States, for instance, the Federal and State governments should allocate resources according to the development index of the cities in the continent.
Social Issues: Non-Mainstream Body Modification The rise of many art styles and body modifiers, the increase in tattoo parlors dealing in non-mainstream art, and the emergence of websites, books, and magazines containing body art practices led to the rise of […]
Social Issues: Ethnicity-based Jury Nullification This was because most of the jurists were whites, and they believed that whites had the freedom to treat other races the way they pleased.
Social Issues: Hollywood Effects on Suburban Families The actions of the people who lived in the suburbs were largely influenced by the media. On the other hand, the suburban male was the provider and the protector of the house.
The Discussion of WikiLeaks as a Social Issue The circulation of information on the Internet with the help of the media is the characteristic feature of the developing globalization.
Social Issues: Demographic Transition Definition Phase two is considered to be the foundation of demographic transition, where there is a quick decrease in the mortality rate.
Social Issues: Corporal Punishment To begin with, people that support corporal punishment say they do so because they believe that a child needs spanking to learn a discipline.
Social Issues: Teen Pregnancy Lastly, there are no good role models to teach children the importance of abstinence, and this has led them to believe that they should engage in premarital sex to become famous.
Social Issues: Police Protection of the Ku Klux Klan The situation when the police protected the Ku Klux Klan while gassing and arresting the demonstrators can seem to be unexpected and controversial because people are often inclined to associate the Ku Klux Klan with […]
Social Issues: Rites and Ceremonies in People Life The life of a person as the member of the group or community is associated with definite rites and ceremonies which are followed to respond to the traditions, and cultural values developed during the centuries […]
Social Issues: The Art of Living in Solitude The status of a single person is part and parcel of the modern reality for an increasingly large number of people and at the same time the major cause for psychological and social problems for […]
Social Issues of Human Behavior: Nature and Nurture On the other hand, the nurture view asserts that behaviors are developed and persist according to the upbringing and the environment the individual grows up in.
Social Issues: Appropriateness of Affirmative Action Affirmative action in the sphere of education can be discussed as the appropriate approach to evaluate the admissions of college students because it can guarantee the equal access to the limited educational resources for students […]
Social Issues: Gentrification in Harlem Thus, gentrification in Harlem during the period of 2000-2012 is characterized by changes in the community’s demographics, household income, and economy connected with the arrival of wealthier residents, increased investment, promoted economic and business activities, […]
Social Issues: How Identities are Constructed? In modern times, many people identify themselves with their countries of birth, and this makes them eligible for citizenship rights and other social and economic privileges that are offered by their countries.
Social Issues: Game Theory in Daily Life In effect, game theory can be said to be a basis for making rational decisions whereby the given decisions create impacts on the decision making the ability of other entities in the group, while also […]
Social Issues: Common Sense and Intuition One of the most noteworthy ideas in the book was the suggestion that, in as much as people try to act or say otherwise, from a subconscious point of view, the majority is actually practicing […]
Social Issues: Gender Segregation The Code recognizes the “inherent dignity and worth of every person and to provide for equal rights and opportunities without discrimination”.
Social Issues in the Book “The Academic Illusion” by Ken Robinson In the introductory part of the article, the author focuses on how intelligence is measured. In the last part of the article, the author persuades human beings to change how they perceive education.
Social Issues: Property Ownership White views nature from a different standpoint to Forster’s; while he appreciates nature and the serenity of the place, Forster view of his wood is in terms of monetary value.
Social Issues: Alcoholism as a Mode of Addiction Every single case of alcoholic dependence described in the lecture is perfectly consistent with the existing model, each piece of evidence falling into its place and, therefore, allowing the audience to have an entire picture […]
Social Issues: Challenges Facing Young Immigrants It is against this backdrop that this essay seeks to explore the challenges facing young immigrants in the United States and the proactive measures that can be taken to rescue this vulnerable group in transiting […]
Social Issues: the Freak Shows Popularity This appetite is what drives freak show organizers to find persons with severe deformities to satisfy the curiosity of the public.
Social Issues: Muslim Immigrants in the UK Since the study aims at exploring Muslim immigrants in the UK, it will focus on the struggles of Muslim immigrants in the UK, the policies the UK government uses towards Muslim immigrants, and terrorism challenges […]
Immigration as Social Issue in Australia The research will explore the element of trans-nationalism that is likely to be the case with most of these immigrants and its impacts on their continued stay in Australia.
Native Americans: Social Issue In addition, the references of the natives by the mainstream society have led to the under development and have prevented the evolution of the Indian Americans.
Sufficient Justifications of the Legitimacy of Religious Positions on Social Issues Beale points towards the spiritual, historical and divine origins of the bible and utilizes this as the reinforcing factors behind his belief in the bible’s inerrancy and infallibility.
Social Issue: The Death of the Whitney Houston In addition to giving a precise of the aforementioned story, the next discussion also elaborates the story by relating it to sociological imagination and the concept of social perspectives.
Social Issue: Concepts of Sociological Imagination and Sociological Perspectives Sociology is a subject that offers insight into behavior of individuals and groups of people in a society and its scope covers established relationships between people in a society, the effects of such relationships on […]
White Privilege Social Issue Due to subtle nature of the racism in the modern society, the whites perceive it as just a social factor that differentiate people into privileged and unprivileged classes in the society.
Social and Political Issues The military has been used by the corporations and the wealthy individuals to protect the interests of the nation, which are actually the interests of the corporations and the wealthy.
Social Issues in the “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee The phrase ‘to kill a mocking bird’ stands out as a metaphor in the book To kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.
Gandhi’s contribution towards contemporary social issues Gandhi appreciates the existence of difference in the name of God amongst the Muslims, Hindus and Christians. In order for the concept of non-violence to be applicable, Gandhi is of the opinion that it is […]
Why Is It Important to Address Social Issues in the Classroom?
What Is a Social Issue Example?
What Are the Basic Social Issues?
What Is the Biggest Issue in the World Today?
Is Poverty a Social Issue?
Is Depression a Social Issue?
How Many Social Issues Are There?
Is Stress a Social Problem?
Is Mental Illness a Social Issue?
Is Social Anxiety a Social Issue?
What Are the Four Types of Social Problems?
What Is an Interesting Social Issue?
How Do You Talk About Social Issues?
Why Do We Need to Learn Social Issues?
What Is the Most Common Social Issue?
How Does Social Issues Affect Society?
What Social Issues Are Not Talked About?
What Are the Main Causes of Social Issues?
Is Mental Health a Social Issue?
What Is the Conclusion of Social Issues?
What Are the Current Social Issue?
How Do Social Issues Affect Students?
How Do Social Issues Affect Development?
What Will Happen if the Social Issues Are Not Controlled on Time?
Why Are Social Issues Difficult?
Why Should Social Issues Be Solved Socially?
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Social Issues Topics: Exploring the Challenges Shaping Our World

Did you know that social issues are not just distant problems affecting others? They are deeply intertwined with our lives and have a profound impact on our daily experiences, shaping the very fabric of our society. From systemic inequality to environmental degradation, these issues have the power to shape the course of history and determine the well-being of generations to come. Get ready to dive into the fascinating realm of social issues topics! In this article, we'll explore their complexities, understand why they matter, learn how to write compelling essays about them and discover a captivating list of the most important social issues examples of our time. This thought-provoking journey will challenge our beliefs and inspire us to take meaningful action for a better future. So, let's dive in and get started!

What Are Social Issues

Social issues are the threads that intricately weave through the fabric of our society, demanding our attention, empathy, and action. They are the challenges and complexities that affect individuals, communities, and even entire nations, often leaving a profound impact on people's lives. These issues stem from the interconnectedness of our world, where various factors like politics, economics, culture, and individual experiences intersect, creating a tapestry of social problems that need to be addressed.

Social issues encompass a wide range of concerns, encompassing everything from poverty and inequality to gender discrimination, environmental degradation, and access to healthcare and education. They represent the barriers that prevent individuals from thriving, the disparities that hinder progress, and the injustices that undermine equality and human rights.

Take poverty, for example. It is not merely a lack of financial resources; it is a pervasive condition that robs individuals of their dignity, opportunities, and hope for a better future. Poverty intertwines with education, as limited access to quality education perpetuates the cycle of disadvantage. It intersects with healthcare, as inadequate medical services disproportionately affect the most vulnerable members of society. And it connects with inequality as wealth disparities widen and prevents social mobility.

As per our essay writing service , to address social issues today, it is crucial to recognize that they are not isolated problems. They are intertwined and interdependent, requiring holistic solutions that encompass multiple dimensions. It takes collective efforts from individuals, communities, governments, and organizations to foster change. Raising awareness, advocating for policy reforms, and promoting equality are essential steps toward ensuring that marginalized groups benefit and creating a more just and equitable society.

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Understanding the Importance of Social Issues in Today's World

Social issues are not abstract concepts confined to textbooks or news headlines. They are pressing challenges that affect real people and demand our attention. By actively engaging with these issues, we have the opportunity to shape a more equitable and compassionate world for ourselves and future generations.

The importance of social issues in developing countries lies in their impact on human rights, well-being, and social progress. By addressing these issues, we strive to build inclusive societies where everyone has equal opportunities and can live a dignified life. It is not only a matter of justice and compassion but also essential for sustainable development and peaceful coexistence.

Moreover, social issues highlight the power of collective action and advocacy. They remind us that we have a shared responsibility to stand up for what is right and work towards positive change. Thanks to the advancements in technology and communication, it is now easier than ever to raise awareness, mobilize communities, and bring about transformative social movements. Social media platforms have become powerful tools for amplifying marginalized voices and shedding light on systemic injustices.

How to Write an Essay About Social Issues

So you've got an assignment on social issues essay topics, huh? Don't worry; we've got your back! Writing about social issues may seem like a tough nut to crack, but trust us; it's a crucial part of academic writing. Social issues are basically problems that affect a whole bunch of people in society. We're talking about everything from politics and economics to education and health and so much more. But hey, no need to stress! Our custom writing experts are here to give you some awesome tips to help you rock that essay and make it super interesting. Let's dive in, shall we?

Choose Your Topic Wisely

Let's begin by taking the first step, my friend! It's all about choosing a topic for research papers that resonates with your heart and feels like a natural fit for your mind. When you opt for a subject that genuinely sparks your personal interest, the research and essay writing process, complete with the proper format of academic paper , will become a delightful adventure.

Engage in brainstorming sessions to generate ideas and conduct thorough investigations to gather factual information. Now, here's a nifty trick: if the chosen issue seems a bit overwhelming with its multiple dimensions, no worries! Just narrow down your focus to a specific aspect. For example, if you're tackling poverty, you can zoom in on the causes, the consequences, or even strategies to alleviate it. The world is your oyster, so let's get cracking!

Support Your Opinion with Examples

When you're writing a research paper about examples of social issues, it's really important to include research and data that support your position. This helps the reader understand why your perspective is necessary and what evidence you have to back it up. For instance, if you're discussing the impact of poverty, you can provide statistics on the number of people in need, how poverty and health problems affect education, and the connection between poverty and crime. Including these kinds of details, just like in economics essay topics , will make your essay more persuasive and engaging.

Keep It Simple

Ensuring your essay is simple and easy to understand is crucial. Instead of using complex words, opt for simpler alternatives that convey the same meaning effectively. By keeping your essay readable, you make it more engaging and easier for the reader to follow. Avoid employing jargon or technical terms that might confuse your audience. Instead, use plain language and take the time to explain any intricate terms or concepts, making the essay accessible to all readers. Following these guidelines on how to write an essay on social issues will help you effectively communicate your ideas and engage your audience.

Revise and Edit

Before you submit your essay, it's important to take a few steps to ensure its quality. Start by checking its structure, making sure it flows smoothly and logically. Verify that your arguments are well-supported and presented in a cohesive manner. Give your essay a thorough review to catch any spelling or grammar mistakes. Additionally, pay attention to formatting, ensuring consistency throughout the entire piece. It can be beneficial to have someone else read your essay and provide feedback as well. Taking these precautions will help you present polished and well-crafted topics for essays .

Social Issues Essay Example

For students seeking a practical example of a well-structured and insightful social issues essay, the pursuit of global citizenship stands as a compelling topic to explore. Through this example, you can gain inspiration and guidance for your own social issues essays, understanding how to construct a compelling argument and convey the importance of promoting positive change in society.

5 Social Issues of Today

Today's society is facing a multitude of social issues that have a significant impact on people's lives. Here is a list of some of the most pressing social issues that affect people worldwide:

Climate change and global warming : The effects of climate change are already being felt around the world, with rising sea levels, more frequent natural disasters, and changes in weather patterns. The burning of fossil fuels, deforestation, and other human activities are contributing to this issue, and it is essential that we take action to reduce our carbon footprint.
Income inequality : The gap between the rich and the poor is widening, with the wealthiest 1% of the world's population owning more than half of the world's wealth. This inequality can lead to social unrest, and it is important that we address this issue by promoting fair wages, progressive taxation, and other policies that support economic equality.
War : Armed conflicts continue to plague different regions around the world, resulting in significant humanitarian crises. Wars not only cause immense suffering, displacement, and loss of life but also have far-reaching consequences on infrastructure, economies, and social stability.
Gender equality : Despite progress in recent years, gender inequality remains a significant issue in many parts of the world. Women still face discrimination in the workplace, unequal pay, and limited access to education and healthcare. It is crucial that we continue to work towards gender equality and empower women to achieve their full potential.
Mental health issues and addiction : Mental health issues and addiction are becoming increasingly prevalent in today's society, affecting people of all ages and backgrounds. The stigma surrounding mental health can prevent people from seeking help, and it is important that we raise awareness and provide access to affordable and effective treatment options.

Social Issues Essay Topics

Are you feeling stuck while searching for fascinating subjects or a comprehensive list of social issues that can also serve as perfect dissertation topics ? We understand the challenge you're facing, but don't worry! Selecting the right topic is crucial for crafting an exceptional essay and earning your degree from a reputable American college or university. To ignite your creativity, we've compiled a comprehensive list of captivating social issues for you to explore. Get ready to dive in and discover that perfect idea for your next academic project!

👀 Interesting Social Issues Essay Topics

Income inequality and its impact on modern society.
The role of social media in shaping public opinion and activism.
Mental health stigma and its effects on individuals and communities.
The challenges faced by refugees and their integration into new societies.
The impact of technology on interpersonal relationships.
Gender inequality and the fight for gender equity.
The effects of climate change on vulnerable communities.
The basic ethical principles of genetic engineering and human enhancement.
The impact of globalization on cultural identity.
The role of education in reducing poverty and social inequality.
The criminal justice system and its approach to rehabilitation versus punishment.
The implications of automation and artificial intelligence on employment.
The impact of media portrayal on body image and self-esteem.
The effects of racial discrimination and strategies for achieving racial equality.
The challenges and opportunities of multiculturalism in contemporary society.

🎲 Peace and War Topics

Causes and origins of the Russia-Ukraine war: Explore the underlying factors that led to the outbreak of the conflict, such as historical, political, and ethnic tensions.
International response to the Russia-Ukraine war: Analyze the reactions and actions taken by various countries, regional organizations, and global institutions in response to the conflict.
The conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the challenge of achieving lasting peace.
The Kashmir conflict between India and Pakistan: Historical context, current status, and potential solutions.
The ongoing tensions in the Korean Peninsula: Assessing the prospects for peace and denuclearization.
The Syrian Civil War and its Regional and global implications.
The Israel-Palestine conflict: Historical background, current dynamics, and prospects for peace.
The war in Afghanistan: Challenges, consequences, and prospects for stability.
The conflict in South Sudan and the impact on regional security.
The war on terror: Assessing the effectiveness of counterterrorism strategies and the implications for civil liberties.

🔬 Social Science Topics

The impact of microaggressions on marginalized communities and its implications for mental health.
Exploring the social and cultural factors that influence body image dissatisfaction among different ethnic groups.
The role of social capital in fostering community resilience and disaster preparedness.
Investigating the relationship between cultural heritage preservation and sustainable development.
Analyzing the influence of social networks on political participation and civic engagement.
Exploring the social implications of virtual reality technology on empathy and perspective-taking.
Investigating the role of humor and laughter in social interactions and psychological well-being.
Analyzing the effects of eco-anxiety on environmental attitudes and behavior.
The impact of social media accounts activism on social movements and policy change.
Exploring the cultural and societal implications of the sharing economy and collaborative consumption.

🏙 Migration and Immigration Topics

The experiences and challenges faced by LGBTQ+ migrants and refugees.
Analyzing the role of migrant remittances in economic development and poverty reduction in sending countries.
Exploring the impact of immigration policies on family dynamics and the well-being of immigrant families.
Investigating the role of social networks in facilitating successful integration of immigrants into host societies.
The effects of climate change-induced migration and its implications for global governance and social justice.
Analyzing the influence of cultural identity preservation among second-generation immigrants.
The impact of labor migration on gender roles and dynamics within migrant communities.
Exploring the role of language acquisition and proficiency in the social integration of immigrants.
Investigating the intersections of migration, health, and access to healthcare services.
Analyzing the economic, social, and cultural contributions of immigrant entrepreneurs to host countries.

🌳 Environmental Social Issues Essay Topics

The intersection of environmental justice and social equity: Analyzing the disproportionate impacts of environmental degradation on marginalized communities.
The role of indigenous knowledge and practices in sustainable resource management.
The impact of consumerism and overconsumption on the environment and social well-being.
Exploring the social and economic implications of climate-induced migration and displacement.
The influence of environmental education and awareness on individual and collective environmental behaviors.
Analyzing the relationship between environmental degradation and public health, focusing on air and water pollution.
The role of corporate social responsibility in promoting environmental sustainability and addressing social concerns.
Investigating the social implications of plastic waste and exploring strategies for reducing single-use plastics.
The impact of urbanization on ecosystems and the social well-being of urban communities.
Analyzing the social dimensions of renewable energy transitions and the equitable distribution of benefits.

💖 LGBT Topic Ideas

The historical evolution of LGBT rights movements: From Stonewall to present-day advocacy.
Exploring the experiences and challenges faced by transgender individuals in healthcare systems.
Analyzing the representation of LGBT characters in media and its impact on social perceptions.
The intersectionality of race, gender, and sexuality in the LGBT community.
Investigating the effects of conversion therapy on the mental health and well-being of LGBT individuals.
Exploring the experiences of LGBT youth in educational settings and the impact of supportive environments.
The role of LGBT support organizations and community centers in fostering social inclusion and well-being.
Analyzing the impact of religious beliefs and attitudes on the acceptance of same-sex marriage.
Exploring the experiences and challenges of older LGBT adults and the importance of inclusive care and support systems.
The impact of policies and legislation on LGBT rights and equality, both nationally and internationally.

🏛 Social Justice Essay Topics

Exploring the concept of reparations for historical injustices and its role in achieving social justice.
The impact of language and communication barriers on access to justice for marginalized communities.
Analyzing the social justice implications of algorithmic bias in artificial intelligence systems.
Examining the role of art and creative expression in advancing social justice movements.
The intersection of disability rights and social justice: Challenges and advancements.
Exploring the impact of gentrification on communities and strategies for promoting equitable development.
Analyzing the role of restorative justice in addressing harm within educational institutions.
The impact of colonialism on indigenous communities and the pursuit of social justice.
The role of community organizing in promoting grassroots social justice initiatives.
Examining the social justice implications of mass incarceration and advocating for criminal justice reform.

🔗 Discrimination and Prejudice Topics

The effects of racial profiling on marginalized communities and its implications for social justice.
Analyzing the psychological mechanisms underlying implicit bias and its impact on decision-making processes.
The intersectionality of discrimination: Exploring how multiple forms of discrimination (race, gender, sexuality, etc.) intersect and compound.
Discrimination and prejudice in the workplace: Examining challenges and strategies for promoting diversity and inclusion.
Exploring the effects of religious discrimination on individuals and communities.
The impact of ageism on older adults and strategies for combating age-related discrimination.
Analyzing the social and psychological consequences of fat shaming and weight-based discrimination.
Discrimination against individuals with disabilities and the importance of accessibility and inclusive practices.
The role of the media in perpetuating stereotypes and its influence on discrimination.
Examining the effects of prejudice and discrimination on mental health and well-being.

🔪 Violence Topics

The role of violence in sports: Examining the impact of aggression and its consequences in athletic competitions.
Violence against healthcare workers: Analyzing the prevalence, causes, and strategies for ensuring safety in healthcare settings.
The impact of violence on refugee and displaced populations: Exploring the challenges and interventions for addressing violence in these contexts.
Violence in the digital realm: Investigating online harassment, cyberbullying, and the psychological effects on victims.
The relationship between animal cruelty and violence towards humans: Exploring the link and implications for social well-being.
The effects of violence in video games: Analyzing the debate and research surrounding its potential influence on real-life aggression.
The role of violence in hazing rituals and initiation ceremonies: Understanding the dynamics and potential harm caused.
Exploring violence in marginalized communities: Addressing the underlying factors and strategies for promoting community safety.
Silent Suffering: Unmasking the Reality of Domestic Violence
Violence in the workplace: Examining the impact of bullying, harassment, and assault on employees and organizational well-being.

👩‍🦯 Humanity Topics

The power of empathy and compassion in fostering understanding and social harmony.
Exploring the ethics of artificial intelligence and its impact on human dignity and autonomy.
The role of forgiveness in healing personal and societal wounds.
Analyzing the concept of human rights and its universality across different cultures and contexts.
The pursuit of global citizenship and its potential for promoting peace and cooperation.
Exploring the intersection of technology and humanity: Examining the benefits and challenges of the digital age.
The impact of cultural diversity on societal progress and innovation.
Analyzing the concept of altruism and its role in creating a more compassionate world.
The importance of intergenerational connections and the wisdom of older generations in shaping our future.
Examining the concept of identity and the balance between individuality and collective belonging.

Wrapping Up

Social issues are like a cosmic web, connecting countless lives worldwide. This article has been your guide, exploring their intricacies and significance while equipping you to create a powerful social issues essay. Remember, every essay has the power to inspire change.

And here's a little nugget of wisdom: some of the most remarkable social movements in history were sparked by a single person's words on paper. Yes, you heard that right! So, my friend, now you know how to start an essay , so get ready to unleash the power of your pen and leave your mark on the world. Together, we can be the catalysts for a brighter tomorrow!

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Mental Health Research Topics: 200 Writing Ideas for You

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SOC 201: Contemporary Social Problems

Write Your Analysis Paper
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Select Your Sources
Use Your Sources
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Cite Your Sources

Behavioral Sciences and Women's & Gender Studies Librarian

Writing Your Analysis of A Social Problem Paper

Paper Structure

Your paper should be typed, double spaced, with a title and reference section . Cite your sources every time you use them in the paper.

Research papers should have an introduction, a body, and a conclusion :

1. Introduction : summarizes what you will write and puts it into context. Should consist of 3 parts:

"What You're Studying": start with a thesis statement about your social problem which includes background contextualizing it
"So What?": demonstrate why your social problem is important and why your reader should care about it
"Game Plan": outline the main points of your paper and the order in which you will address them

2. Body : presents the main points of the paper, with each paragraph representing one aspect of the paper's main focus. Prioritize and organize your main points and paragraphs to logically build your arguments to a compelling conclusion. Each paragraph should include a topic sentence, evidence, analysis, and a transition sentence:

The topic sentence summarizes the paragraph's main idea
Use evidence from your research sources to support or make the argument for your assertions about your main idea
Analyze your evidence to show how it links to your broader thesis
Include a transition sentence at the end of each paragraph to connect what you discussed in that paragraph with the main idea of the next paragraph

3. Conclusion : summarizes what you wrote and what you learned

Restate your thesis from the introduction in different words
Briefly summarize your main points or arguments and pull them together into the paper's main thesis
End with a strong, final statement that ties the whole paper together and makes it clear the paper has come to an end
No new ideas should be introduced in the conclusion, it should only review and analyze the main points from the body of the paper (with the exception of suggestions for further research)

4. References list : a list of the sources you cited

Cite your sources in APA or ASA Style
Format your References list in APA or ASA Style

For more writing help, contact the Writing Center and make an online appointment to meet with one of their consultants.

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1.4 Doing Research on Social Problems

Learning objectives.

List the major advantages and disadvantages of surveys, observational studies, and experiments.
Explain why scholars who study social problems often rely on existing data.

Sound research is an essential tool for understanding the sources, dynamics, and consequences of social problems and possible solutions to them. This section briefly describes the major ways in which sociologists gather information about social problems. Table 1.2 “Major Sociological Research Methods” summarizes the advantages and disadvantages of each method.

Table 1.2 Major Sociological Research Methods

The survey is the most common method by which sociologists gather their data. The Gallup poll is perhaps the most well-known example of a survey and, like all surveys, gathers its data with the help of a questionnaire that is given to a group of respondents . The Gallup poll is an example of a survey conducted by a private organization, but sociologists do their own surveys, as does the government and many organizations in addition to Gallup. Many surveys are administered to respondents who are randomly chosen and thus constitute a random sample . In a random sample, everyone in the population (whether it be the whole US population or just the population of a state or city, all the college students in a state or city or all the students at just one college, etc.) has the same chance of being included in the survey. The beauty of a random sample is that it allows us to generalize the results of the sample to the population from which the sample comes. This means that we can be fairly sure of the behavior and attitudes of the whole US population by knowing the behavior and attitudes of just four hundred people randomly chosen from that population.

Some surveys are face-to-face surveys, in which interviewers meet with respondents to ask them questions. This type of survey can yield much information, because interviewers typically will spend at least an hour asking their questions, and a high response rate (the percentage of all people in the sample who agree to be interviewed), which is important to be able to generalize the survey’s results to the entire population. On the downside, this type of survey can be very expensive and time consuming to conduct.

A call center with employees taking surveys over the phone

Surveys are very useful for gathering various kinds of information relevant to social problems. Advances in technology have made telephone surveys involving random-digit dialing perhaps the most popular way of conducting a survey.

plantronicsgermany – Encore520 call center man standing – CC BY-ND 2.0.

Because of these drawbacks, sociologists and other researchers have turned to telephone surveys. Most Gallup polls are conducted over the telephone. Computers do random-digit dialing, which results in a random sample of all telephone numbers being selected. Although the response rate and the number of questions asked are both lower than in face-to-face surveys (people can just hang up the phone at the outset or let their answering machine take the call), the ease and low expense of telephone surveys are making them increasingly popular. Surveys done over the Internet are also becoming more popular, as they can reach many people at very low expense. A major problem with web surveys is that their results cannot necessarily be generalized to the entire population because not everyone has access to the Internet.

Surveys are used in the study of social problems to gather information about the behavior and attitudes of people regarding one or more problems. For example, many surveys ask people about their use of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs or about their experiences of being unemployed or in poor health. Many of the chapters in this book will present evidence gathered by surveys carried out by sociologists and other social scientists, various governmental agencies, and private research and public interest firms.

Experiments

Experiments are the primary form of research in the natural and physical sciences, but in the social sciences they are for the most part found only in psychology. Some sociologists still use experiments, however, and they remain a powerful tool of social research.

The major advantage of experiments, whether they are done in the natural and physical sciences or in the social sciences, is that the researcher can be fairly sure of a cause-and-effect relationship because of the way the experiment is set up. Although many different experimental designs exist, the typical experiment consists of an experimental group and a control group , with subjects randomly assigned to either group. The researcher does something to the experimental group that is not done to the control group. If the two groups differ later in some variable, then it is safe to say that the condition to which the experimental group was subjected was responsible for the difference that resulted.

Most experiments take place in the laboratory, which for psychologists may be a room with a one-way mirror, but some experiments occur in the field, or in a natural setting ( field experiments ). In Minneapolis, Minnesota, in the early 1980s, sociologists were involved in a much-discussed field experiment sponsored by the federal government. The researchers wanted to see whether arresting men for domestic violence made it less likely that they would commit such violence again. To test this hypothesis, the researchers had police do one of the following after arriving at the scene of a domestic dispute: They either arrested the suspect, separated him from his wife or partner for several hours, or warned him to stop but did not arrest or separate him. The researchers then determined the percentage of men in each group who committed repeated domestic violence during the next six months and found that those who were arrested had the lowest rate of recidivism, or repeat offending (Sherman & Berk, 1984). This finding led many jurisdictions across the United States to adopt a policy of mandatory arrest for domestic violence suspects. However, replications of the Minneapolis experiment in other cities found that arrest sometimes reduced recidivism for domestic violence but also sometimes increased it, depending on which city was being studied and on certain characteristics of the suspects, including whether they were employed at the time of their arrest (Sherman, 1992).

As the Minneapolis study suggests, perhaps the most important problem with experiments is that their results are not generalizable beyond the specific subjects studied. The subjects in most psychology experiments, for example, are college students, who obviously are not typical of average Americans: They are younger, more educated, and more likely to be middle class. Despite this problem, experiments in psychology and other social sciences have given us very valuable insights into the sources of attitudes and behavior. Scholars of social problems are increasingly using field experiments to study the effectiveness of various policies and programs aimed at addressing social problems. We will examine the results of several such experiments in the chapters ahead.

Observational Studies

Observational research, also called field research , is a staple of sociology. Sociologists have long gone into the field to observe people and social settings, and the result has been many rich descriptions and analyses of behavior in juvenile gangs, bars, urban street corners, and even whole communities.

Observational studies consist of both participant observation and nonparticipant observation . Their names describe how they differ. In participant observation, the researcher is part of the group that she or he is studying, spends time with the group, and might even live with people in the group. Several classical social problems studies of this type exist, many of them involving people in urban neighborhoods (Liebow, 1967; Liebow, 1993; Whyte, 1943). In nonparticipant observation, the researcher observes a group of people but does not otherwise interact with them. If you went to your local shopping mall to observe, say, whether people walking with children looked happier than people without children, you would be engaging in nonparticipant observation.

Similar to experiments, observational studies cannot automatically be generalized to other settings or members of the population. But in many ways they provide a richer account of people’s lives than surveys do, and they remain an important method of research on social problems.

Existing Data

Sometimes sociologists do not gather their own data but instead analyze existing data that someone else has gathered. The US Census Bureau, for example, gathers data on all kinds of areas relevant to the lives of Americans, and many sociologists analyze census data on such social problems as poverty, unemployment, and illness. Sociologists interested in crime and the criminal justice system may analyze data from court records, while medical sociologists often analyze data from patient records at hospitals. Analysis of existing data such as these is called secondary data analysis . Its advantage to sociologists is that someone else has already spent the time and money to gather the data. A disadvantage is that the data set being analyzed may not contain data on all the topics in which a sociologist may be interested or may contain data on topics that are not measured in ways the sociologist might prefer.

The Scientific Method and Objectivity

This section began by stressing the need for sound research in the study of social problems. But what are the elements of sound research? At a minimum, such research should follow the rules of the scientific method . As you probably learned in high school and/or college science classes, these rules—formulating hypotheses, gathering and testing data, drawing conclusions, and so forth—help guarantee that research yields the most accurate and reliable conclusions possible.

An overriding principle of the scientific method is that research should be conducted as objectively as possible. Researchers are often passionate about their work, but they must take care not to let the findings they expect and even hope to uncover affect how they do their research. This in turn means that they must not conduct their research in a manner that helps achieve the results they expect to find. Such bias can happen unconsciously, and the scientific method helps reduce the potential for this bias as much as possible.

This potential is arguably greater in the social sciences than in the natural and physical sciences. The political views of chemists and physicists typically do not affect how an experiment is performed and how the outcome of the experiment is interpreted. In contrast, researchers in the social sciences, and perhaps particularly in sociology, often have strong feelings about the topics they are studying. Their social and political beliefs may thus influence how they perform their research on these topics and how they interpret the results of this research. Following the scientific method helps reduce this possible influence.

Key Takeaways

The major types of research on social problems include surveys, experiments, observational studies, and the use of existing data.
Surveys are the most common method, and the results of surveys of random samples may be generalized to the populations from which the samples come.
Observation studies and existing data are also common methods in social problems research. Observation studies enable the gathering of rich, detailed information, but their results cannot necessarily be generalized beyond the people studied.
Research on social problems should follow the scientific method to yield the most accurate and objective conclusions possible.

For Your Review

Have you ever been a respondent or subject in any type of sociological or psychological research project? If so, how did it feel to be studied?
Which type of social problems research method sounds most interesting to you? Why?

Liebow, E. (1967). Tally’s corner . Boston, MA: Little, Brown.

Liebow, E. (1993). Tell them who I am: The lives of homeless women . New York, NY: Free Press.

Sherman, L. W., & Berk, R. A. (1984). The specific deterrent effects of arrest for domestic assault. American Sociological Review, 49 , 261–272.

Sherman, L. W. (1992). Policing domestic violence: Experiments and dilemmas . New York, NY: Free Press.

Whyte, W. F. (1943). Street corner society: The social structure of an Italian slum . Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.

USC Libraries
Research Guides

Organizing Your Social Sciences Research Paper

1. Choosing a Research Problem
Purpose of Guide
Design Flaws to Avoid
Independent and Dependent Variables
Glossary of Research Terms
Reading Research Effectively
Narrowing a Topic Idea
Broadening a Topic Idea
Extending the Timeliness of a Topic Idea
Academic Writing Style
Applying Critical Thinking
Choosing a Title
Making an Outline
Paragraph Development
Research Process Video Series
Executive Summary
The C.A.R.S. Model
Background Information
The Research Problem/Question
Theoretical Framework
Citation Tracking
Content Alert Services
Evaluating Sources
Primary Sources
Secondary Sources
Tiertiary Sources
Scholarly vs. Popular Publications
Qualitative Methods
Quantitative Methods
Insiderness
Using Non-Textual Elements
Limitations of the Study
Common Grammar Mistakes
Writing Concisely
Avoiding Plagiarism
Footnotes or Endnotes?
Further Readings
Generative AI and Writing
USC Libraries Tutorials and Other Guides
Bibliography

In the social and behavioral sciences, the subject of analysis is most often framed as a problem that must be researched in order to obtain a greater understanding, formulate a set of solutions or recommended courses of action, and/or develop a better approach to practice. The research problem, therefore, is the main organizing principle guiding the analysis of your research. The problem under investigation establishes an occasion for writing and a focus that governs what you want to say. It represents the core subject matter of scholarly communication and the means by which scholars arrive at other topics of conversation and the discovery of new knowledge and understanding.

Alvesson, Mats and Jörgen Sandberg. Constructing Research Questions: Doing Interesting Research . London: Sage, 2013; Jacobs, Ronald L. “Developing a Dissertation Research Problem: A Guide for Doctoral Students in Human Resource Development and Adult Education.” New Horizons in Adult Education and Human Resource Development 25 (Summer 2013): 103-117; Chapter 1: Research and the Research Problem. Nicholas Walliman . Your Research Project: Designing and Planning Your Work . 3rd edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 2011.

Choosing a Research Problem / How to Begin

Do not assume that identifying a research problem to investigate will be a quick and easy task! You should be thinking about it during the beginning of the course. There are generally three ways you are asked to write about a research problem : 1) your professor provides you with a general topic from which you study a particular aspect; 2) your professor provides you with a list of possible topics to study and you choose a topic from that list; or, 3) your professor leaves it up to you to choose a topic and you only have to obtain permission to write about it before beginning your investigation. Here are some strategies for getting started for each scenario.

I. How To Begin: You are given the topic to write about

Step 1 : Identify concepts and terms that make up the topic statement . For example, your professor wants the class to focus on the following research problem: “Is the European Union a credible security actor with the capacity to contribute to confronting global terrorism?" The main concepts in this problem are: European Union, security, global terrorism, credibility [ hint : focus on identifying proper nouns, nouns or noun phrases, and action verbs in the assignment description]. Step 2 : Review related literature to help refine how you will approach examining the topic and finding a way to analyze it . You can begin by doing any or all of the following: reading through background information from materials listed in your course syllabus; searching the USC Libraries Catalog to find a recent book on the topic and, if appropriate, more specialized works about the topic; conducting a preliminary review of the research literature using multidisciplinary databases such as ProQuest or subject-specific databases from the " By Subject Area " drop down menu located above the list of databases.

Choose the advanced search option in the database and enter into each search box the main concept terms you developed in Step 1. Also consider using their synonyms to retrieve additional relevant records. This will help you refine and frame the scope of the research problem. You will likely need to do this several times before you can finalize how to approach writing about the topic. NOTE : Always review the references from your most relevant research results cited by the authors in footnotes, endnotes, or a bibliography to locate related research on your topic. This is a good strategy for identifying important prior research about the topic because titles that are repeatedly cited indicate their significance in laying a foundation for understanding the problem. However, if you’re having trouble at this point locating relevant research literature, ask a librarian for help!

ANOTHER NOTE : If you find an article from a database that's particularly helpful, paste it into Google Scholar , placing the title of the article in quotes. If the article record appears, look for a "cited by" reference followed by a number [e.g., C ited by 37] just below the record. This link indicates how many times other scholars have subsequently cited that article in their own research since it was first published. This is an effective strategy for identifying more current, related research on your topic. Finding additional cited by references from your original list of cited by references helps you navigate through the literature and, by so doing, understand the evolution of thought around a particular research problem. Step 3 : Since social science research papers are generally designed to encourage you to develop your own ideas and arguments, look for sources that can help broaden, modify, or strengthen your initial thoughts and arguments. For example, if you decide to argue that the European Union is inadequately prepared to take on responsibilities for broader global security because of the debt crisis in many EU countries, then focus on identifying sources that support as well as refute this position. From the advanced search option in ProQuest , a sample search would use "European Union" in one search box, "global security" in the second search box, and adding a third search box to include "debt crisis."

There are least four appropriate roles your related literature plays in helping you formulate how to begin your analysis :

Sources of criticism -- frequently, you'll find yourself reading materials that are relevant to your chosen topic, but you disagree with the author's position. Therefore, one way that you can use a source is to describe the counter-argument, provide evidence from your own review of the literature as to why the prevailing argument is unsatisfactory, and to discuss how your approach is more appropriate based upon your interpretation of the evidence.
Sources of new ideas -- while a general goal in writing college research papers in the social sciences is to examine a research problem with some basic idea of what position you'd like to take and on what basis you'd like to defend your position, it is certainly acceptable [and often encouraged] to read the literature and extend, modify, and refine your own position in light of the ideas proposed by others. Just make sure that you cite the sources !
Sources for historical context -- another role your related literature plays in formulating how to begin your analysis is to place issues and events in proper historical context. This can help to demonstrate familiarity with developments in relevant scholarship about your topic, provide a means of comparing historical versus contemporary issues and events, and identifying key people, places, and events that had an important role related to the research problem. Given its archival journal coverage, a good multidisciplnary database to use in this case is JSTOR .
Sources of interdisciplinary insight -- an advantage of using databases like ProQuest to begin exploring your topic is that it covers publications from a variety of different disciplines. Another way to formulate how to study the topic is to look at it from different disciplinary perspectives. If the topic concerns immigration reform, for example, ask yourself, how do studies from sociological journals found by searching ProQuest vary in their analysis from those in political science journals. A goal in reviewing related literature is to provide a means of approaching a topic from multiple perspectives rather than the perspective offered from just one discipline.

NOTE : Remember to keep careful notes at every stage or utilize a citation management system like EndNotes or RefWorks . You may think you'll remember what you have searched and where you found things, but it’s easy to forget or get confused. Most databases have a search history feature that allows you to go back and see what searches you conducted previously as long as you haven't closed your session. If you start over, that history could be deleted.

Step 4 : Assuming you have done an effective job of synthesizing and thinking about the results of your initial search for related literature, you're ready to prepare a detailed outline for your paper that lays the foundation for a more in-depth and focused review of relevant research literature [after consulting with a librarian, if needed!]. How will you know you haven't done an effective job of synthesizing and thinking about the results of our initial search for related literature? A good indication is that you start composing the outline and gaps appear in how you want to approach the study. This indicates the need to gather further background information and analysis about the research problem.

II. How To Begin: You are provided a list of possible topics to choose from Step 1 : I know what you’re thinking--which topic on this list will be the easiest to find the most information on? An effective instructor would never include a topic that is so obscure or complex that no research is available to examine and from which to design an effective study. Therefore, don't approach a list of possible topics to study from the perspective of trying to identify the path of least resistance; choose a topic that you find interesting in some way, that is controversial and that you have a strong opinion about, that has some personal meaning for you, or relates to your major or a minor. You're going to be working on the topic for quite some time, so choose one that you find interesting and engaging or that motivates you to take a position. Embrace the opportunity to learn something new! Once you’ve settled on a topic of interest from the list provided by your professor, follow Steps 1 - 4 listed above to further develop it into a research paper.

NOTE : It’s ok to review related literature to help refine how you will approach analyzing a topic, and then discover that the topic isn’t all that interesting to you. In that case, choose a different topic from the list. Just don’t wait too long to make a switch and, of course, be sure to inform your professor that you are changing your topic.

III. How To Begin: Your professor leaves it up to you to choose a topic

Step 1 : Under this scenario, the key process is turning an idea or general thought into a topic that can be configured into a research problem. When given an assignment where you choose the topic, don't begin by thinking about what to write about, but rather, ask yourself the question, "What do I want to understand or learn about?" Treat an open-ended research assignment as an opportunity to gain new knowledge about something that's important or exciting to you in the context of the overall subject of the course.

Step 2 : If you lack ideas, or wish to gain focus, try any or all of the following strategies:

Review your course readings, particularly the suggested readings, for topic ideas. Don't just review what you've already read, but jump ahead in the syllabus to readings that have not been covered yet.
Search the USC Libraries Catalog for a recently published book and, if appropriate, more specialized works related to the discipline area of the course [e.g., for the course SOCI 335: Society and Population, search for books on "population and society" or "population and social impact"]. Reviewing the contents of a book about your area of interest can give you insight into what conversations scholars are having about the topic and, thus, how you might want to contribute your own ideas to these conversations through the research paper you write for the class.
Browse through some current scholarly [a.k.a., academic, peer reviewed] journals in your subject discipline. Even if most of the articles are not relevant, you can skim through the contents quickly. You only need one to be the spark that begins the process of wanting to learn more about a topic. Consult with a librarian and/or your professor about what constitutes the core journals within the subject area of the writing assignment.
Think about essays you have written for other courses you have taken or academic lectures and programs you have attended outside of class. Thinking back, ask yourself why did you want to take this class or attend this event? What interested you the most? What would you like to know more about? Place this question in the context of the current course assignment. Note that this strategy also applies to anything you've watched on TV or has been shared on social media.
Search online news media sources, such as CNN , the Los Angeles Times , Huffington Post , MSNBC , Fox News , or Newsweek , to see if your idea has been covered by the media. Use this coverage to refine your idea into something that you'd like to investigate further, but in a more deliberate, scholarly way in relation to a particular problem that needs to be researched.

Step 3 : To build upon your initial idea, use the suggestions under this tab to help narrow , broaden , or increase the timeliness of your idea so you can write it out as a research problem.

Once you are comfortable with having turned your idea into a research problem, follow Steps 1 - 4 listed in Part I above to further develop it into an outline for a research paper.

Alderman, Jim. "Choosing a Research Topic." Beginning Library and Information Systems Strategies. Paper 17. Jacksonville, FL: University of North Florida Digital Commons, 2014; Alvesson, Mats and Jörgen Sandberg. Constructing Research Questions: Doing Interesting Research . London: Sage, 2013; Chapter 2: Choosing a Research Topic. Adrian R. Eley. Becoming a Successful Early Career Researcher . New York: Routledge, 2012; Answering the Question. Academic Skills Centre. University of Canberra; Brainstorming. Department of English Writing Guide. George Mason University; Brainstorming. The Writing Center. University of North Carolina; Chapter 1: Research and the Research Problem. Nicholas Walliman . Your Research Project: Designing and Planning Your Work . 3rd edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 2011; Choosing a Topic. The Writing Lab and The OWL. Purdue University; Mullaney, Thomas S. and Christopher Rea. Where Research Begins: Choosing a Research Project That Matters to You (and the World) . Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press, 2022; Coming Up With Your Topic. Institute for Writing Rhetoric. Dartmouth College; How To Write a Thesis Statement. Writing Tutorial Services, Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning. Indiana University; Identify Your Question. Start Your Research. University Library, University of California, Santa Cruz; The Process of Writing a Research Paper. Department of History. Trent University; Trochim, William M.K. Problem Formulation. Research Methods Knowledge Base. 2006.

Resources for Identifying a Topic

Resources for Identifying a Research Problem

If you are having difficulty identifying a topic to study or need basic background information, the following web resources and databases can be useful:

CQ Researcher -- a collection of single-themed public policy reports that provide an overview of an issue. Each report includes background information, an assessment of the current policy situation, statistical tables and maps, pro/con statements from representatives of opposing positions, and a bibliography of key sources.
New York Times Topics -- each topic page collects news articles, reference and archival information, photos, graphics, audio and video files. Content is available without charge on articles going back to 1981.
Opposing Viewpoints In Context -- an online resource covering a wide range of social issues from a variety of perspectives. The database contains a media-rich collection of materials, including pro/con viewpoint essays, topic overviews, primary source materials, biographies of social activists and reformers, journal articles, statistical tables, charts and graphs, images, videos, and podcasts.
Policy Commons -- platform for objective, fact-based research from the world’s leading policy experts, nonpartisan think tanks, and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations. The database provides advanced searching across millions of pages of books, articles, working papers, reports, policy briefs, data sets, tables, charts, media, case studies, and statistical publications, including archived reports from more than 200 defunct think tanks. Coverage is international in scope.

Descriptions of resources are adapted or quoted from vendor websites.

Writing Tip

Not Finding Anything on Your Topic? Ask a Librarian!

Don't assume or jump to the conclusion that your topic is too narrowly defined or obscure just because your initial search has failed to identify relevant research. Librarians are experts in locating and critically assessing information and how it is organized. This knowledge will help you develop strategies for analyzing existing knowledge in new ways. Therefore, always consult with a librarian before you consider giving up on finding information about the topic you want to investigate. If there isn't a lot of information about your topic, a librarian can help you identify a closely related topic that you can study. Use the Ask-A-Librarian link above to identify a librarian in your subject area.

Another Writing Tip

Don't be a Martyr!

In thinking about what to study, don't adopt the mindset of pursuing an esoteric or overly complicated topic just to impress your professor but that, in reality, does not have any real interest to you. Choose a topic that is challenging but that has at least some interest to you or that you care about. Obviously, this is easier for courses within your major, but even for those nasty prerequisite classes that you must take in order to graduate [and that provide an additional tuition revenue for the university], try to apply issues associated with your major to the general topic given to you. For example, if you are an international relations major taking a GE philosophy class where the assignment asks you to apply the question of "what is truth" to some aspect of life, you could choose to study how government leaders attempt to shape truth through the use of nationalistic propaganda.

Still Another Writing Tip

A Research Problem is Not a Thesis Statement

A thesis statement and a research problem are two different parts of the introduction section of your paper. The thesis statement succinctly describes in one or two sentences, usually in the last paragraph of the introduction, what position you have reached about a topic. It includes an assertion that requires evidence and support along with your opinion or argument about what you are researching. There are three general types of thesis statements: analytical statements that break down and evaluate the topic; argumentative statements that make a claim about the topic and defend that claim; and, expository statements that present facts and research about the topic. Each are intended to set forth a claim that you will seek to validate through the research you describe in your paper.

Before the thesis statement, your introduction must include a description of a problem that describes either a key area of concern, a condition to be improved upon, a difficulty to be eliminated, or a troubling issue that exists . The research problem describes something that can be empirically verified and measured; it is often followed by a set of questions that underpin how you plan to approach investigating that problem. In short, the thesis statement states your opinion or argument about the research problem and summarizes how you plan to address it.

Tips and Examples for Writing Thesis Statements. The Writing Lab and The OWL. Purdue University; Write a Strong Thesis Statement! The Writing Center, University of Evansville; Thesis Statements. The Writing Center. University of North Carolina; Tutorial #26: Thesis Statements and Topic Sentences. Writing Center, College of San Mateo; Creswell, John W. and J. David Creswell. Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches . 5th edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, 2017.

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Last Updated: May 9, 2024 11:05 AM
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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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Organizing Your Social Sciences Research Paper: The Research Problem/Question

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A research problem is a definite or clear expression [statement] about an area of concern, a condition to be improved upon, a difficulty to be eliminated, or a troubling question that exists in scholarly literature, in theory, or within existing practice that points to a need for meaningful understanding and deliberate investigation. A research problem does not state how to do something, offer a vague or broad proposition, or present a value question.

Bryman, Alan. “The Research Question in Social Research: What is its Role?” International Journal of Social Research Methodology 10 (2007): 5-20; Guba, Egon G., and Yvonna S. Lincoln. “Competing Paradigms in Qualitative Research.” In Handbook of Qualitative Research . Norman K. Denzin and Yvonna S. Lincoln, editors. (Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 1994), pp. 105-117.

Importance of...

The purpose of a problem statement is to:

Introduce the reader to the importance of the topic being studied . The reader is oriented to the significance of the study.
Anchors the research questions, hypotheses, or assumptions to follow . It offers a concise statement about the purpose of your paper.
Place the topic into a particular context that defines the parameters of what is to be investigated.
Provide the framework for reporting the results and indicates what is probably necessary to conduct the study and explain how the findings will present this information.

In the social sciences, the research problem establishes the means by which you must answer the "So What?" question. This question refers to a research problem surviving the relevancy test [the quality of a measurement procedure that provides repeatability and accuracy]. Note that answering the "So What?" question requires a commitment on your part to not only show that you have reviewed the literature, but that you have thoroughly considered its significance and its implications applied to obtaining new knowledge or understanding.

To survive the "So What" question, problem statements should possess the following attributes:

Clarity and precision [a well-written statement does not make sweeping generalizations and irresponsible pronouncements; it also does include unspecific determinates like "very" or "giant"],
Demonstrate a researchable topic or issue [i.e., feasibility of conducting the study is based upon access to information that can be effectively acquired, gathered, interpreted, synthesized, and understood],
Identification of what would be studied, while avoiding the use of value-laden words and terms,
Identification of an overarching question or small set of questions accompanied by key factors or variables,
Identification of key concepts and terms,
Articulation of the study's boundaries or parameters or limitations,
Some generalizability in regards to applicability and bringing results into general use,
Conveyance of the study's importance, benefits, and justification [i.e., regardless of the type of research, it is important to demonstrate that the research is not trivial],
Does not have unnecessary jargon or overly complex sentence constructions; and,
Conveyance of more than the mere gathering of descriptive data providing only a snapshot of the issue or phenomenon under investigation.

Bryman, Alan. “The Research Question in Social Research: What is its Role?” International Journal of Social Research Methodology 10 (2007): 5-20; Castellanos, Susie. Critical Writing and Thinking . The Writing Center. Dean of the College. Brown University; Ellis, Timothy J. and Yair Levy Nova Framework of Problem-Based Research: A Guide for Novice Researchers on the Development of a Research-Worthy Problem. Informing Science: the International Journal of an Emerging Transdiscipline 11 (2008); Thesis and Purpose Statements . The Writer’s Handbook. Writing Center. University of Wisconsin, Madison; Thesis Statements . The Writing Center. University of North Carolina; Tips and Examples for Writing Thesis Statements . The Writing Lab and The OWL. Purdue University.

Structure and Writing Style

Sources of Problems for Investigation

The identification of a problem to study can be challenging, not because there's a lack of issues that could be investigated, but due to the challenge of formulating an academically relevant and researchable problem which is unique and does not simply duplicate the work of others. To facilitate how you might select a problem from which to build a research study, consider these sources of inspiration:

Deductions from Theory This relates to deductions made from social philosophy or generalizations embodied in life and in society that the researcher is familiar with. These deductions from human behavior are then placed within an empirical frame of reference through research. From a theory, the researcher can formulate a research problem or hypothesis stating the expected findings in certain empirical situations. The research asks the question: “What relationship between variables will be observed if theory aptly summarizes the state of affairs?” One can then design and carry out a systematic investigation to assess whether empirical data confirm or reject the hypothesis, and hence, the theory.

Interdisciplinary Perspectives Identifying a problem that forms the basis for a research study can come from academic movements and scholarship originating in disciplines outside of your primary area of study. This can be an intellectually stimulating exercise. A review of pertinent literature should include examining research from related disciplines that can reveal new avenues of exploration and analysis. An interdisciplinary approach to selecting a research problem offers an opportunity to construct a more comprehensive understanding of a very complex issue that any single discipline may be able to provide.

Interviewing Practitioners The identification of research problems about particular topics can arise from formal interviews or informal discussions with practitioners who provide insight into new directions for future research and how to make research findings more relevant to practice. Discussions with experts in the field, such as, teachers, social workers, health care providers, lawyers, business leaders, etc., offers the chance to identify practical, “real world” problems that may be understudied or ignored within academic circles. This approach also provides some practical knowledge which may help in the process of designing and conducting your study.

Personal Experience Don't undervalue your everyday experiences or encounters as worthwhile problems for investigation. Think critically about your own experiences and/or frustrations with an issue facing society, your community, your neighborhood, your family, or your personal life. This can be derived, for example, from deliberate observations of certain relationships for which there is no clear explanation or witnessing an event that appears harmful to a person or group or that is out of the ordinary.

Relevant Literature The selection of a research problem can be derived from a thorough review of pertinent research associated with your overall area of interest. This may reveal where gaps exist in understanding a topic or where an issue has been understudied. Research may be conducted to: 1) fill such gaps in knowledge; 2) evaluate if the methodologies employed in prior studies can be adapted to solve other problems; or, 3) determine if a similar study could be conducted in a different subject area or applied in a different context or to different study sample [i.e., different setting or different group of people].Also, authors frequently conclude their studies by noting implications for further research; read the conclusion of pertinent studies because statements about further research can be a valuable source for identifying new problems to investigate. The fact that a researcher has identified a topic worthy of further exploration validates the fact it is worth pursuing.

What Makes a Good Research Statement?

A good problem statement begins by introducing the broad area in which your research is centered, gradually leading the reader to the more specific issues you are investigating. The statement need not be lengthy, but a good research problem should incorporate the following features:

1. Compelling Topic The problem chosen should be one that motivates you to address it but simple curiosity is not a good enough reason to pursue a research study because this does not indicate significance. The problem that you choose to explore must be important to you, but it must also be viewed as important by your readers and to a the larger academic and/or social community that could be impacted by the results of your study. 2. Supports Multiple Perspectives The problem must be phrased in a way that avoids dichotomies and instead supports the generation and exploration of multiple perspectives. A general rule of thumb in the social sciences is that a good research problem is one that would generate a variety of viewpoints from a composite audience made up of reasonable people. 3. Researchability This isn't a real word but it represents an important aspect of creating a good research statement. It seems a bit obvious, but you don't want to find yourself in the midst of investigating a complex research project and realize that you don't have enough prior research to draw from for your analysis. There's nothing inherently wrong with original research, but you must choose research problems that can be supported, in some way, by the resources available to you. If you are not sure if something is researchable, don't assume that it isn't if you don't find information right away--seek help from a librarian !

NOTE: Do not confuse a research problem with a research topic. A topic is something to read and obtain information about, whereas a problem is something to be solved or framed as a question raised for inquiry, consideration, or solution, or explained as a source of perplexity, distress, or vexation. In short, a research topic is something to be understood; a research problem is something that needs to be investigated.

Asking Analytical Questions about the Research Problem

Research problems in the social and behavioral sciences are often analyzed around critical questions that must be investigated. These questions can be explicitly listed in the introduction [i.e., "This study addresses three research questions about women's psychological recovery from domestic abuse in multi-generational home settings..."], or, the questions are implied in the text as specific areas of study related to the research problem. Explicitly listing your research questions at the end of your introduction can help in designing a clear roadmap of what you plan to address in your study, whereas, implicitly integrating them into the text of the introduction allows you to create a more compelling narrative around the key issues under investigation. Either approach is appropriate.

The number of questions you attempt to address should be based on the complexity of the problem you are investigating and what areas of inquiry you find most critical to study. Practical considerations, such as, the length of the paper you are writing or the availability of resources to analyze the issue can also factor in how many questions to ask. In general, however, there should be no more than four research questions underpinning a single research problem.

Given this, well-developed analytical questions can focus on any of the following:

Highlights a genuine dilemma, area of ambiguity, or point of confusion about a topic open to interpretation by your readers;
Yields an answer that is unexpected and not obvious rather than inevitable and self-evident;
Provokes meaningful thought or discussion;
Raises the visibility of the key ideas or concepts that may be understudied or hidden;
Suggests the need for complex analysis or argument rather than a basic description or summary; and,
Offers a specific path of inquiry that avoids eliciting generalizations about the problem.

NOTE: Questions of how and why concerning a research problem often require more analysis than questions about who, what, where, and when. You should still ask yourself these latter questions, however. Thinking introspectively about the who, what, where, and when of a research problem can help ensure that you have thoroughly considered all aspects of the problem under investigation and help define the scope of the study in relation to the problem.

Mistakes to Avoid

Beware of circular reasoning! Do not state that the research problem as simply the absence of the thing you are suggesting. For example, if you propose the following, "The problem in this community is that there is no hospital," this only leads to a research problem where:

The need is for a hospital
The objective is to create a hospital
The method is to plan for building a hospital, and
The evaluation is to measure if there is a hospital or not.

This is an example of a research problem that fails the "So What?" test . In this example, the problem does not reveal the relevance of why you are investigating the fact there is no hospital in the community [e.g., there's a hospital in the community ten miles away]; it does not elucidate the significance of why one should study the fact there is no hospital in the community [e.g., that hospital in the community ten miles away has no emergency room]; the research problem does not offer an intellectual pathway towards adding new knowledge or clarifying prior knowledge [e.g., the county in which there is no hospital already conducted a study about the need for a hospital]; and, the problem does not offer meaningful outcomes that lead to recommendations that can be generalized for other situations or that could suggest areas for further research [e.g., the challenges of building a new hospital serves as a case study for other communities].

Alvesson, Mats and Jörgen Sandberg. “Generating Research Questions Through Problematization.” Academy of Management Review 36 (April 2011): 247-271 ; Choosing and Refining Topics . Writing@CSU. Colorado State University; Ellis, Timothy J. and Yair Levy Nova. "Framework of Problem-Based Research: A Guide for Novice Researchers on the Development of a Research-Worthy Problem." Informing Science: the International Journal of an Emerging Transdiscipline 11 (2008); How to Write a Research Question . The Writing Center. George Mason University; Invention: Developing a Thesis Statement . The Reading/Writing Center. Hunter College; Problem Statements PowerPoint Presentation . The Writing Lab and The OWL. Purdue University; Procter, Margaret. Using Thesis Statements . University College Writing Centre. University of Toronto; Trochim, William M.K. Problem Formulation . Research Methods Knowledge Base. 2006; Thesis and Purpose Statements . The Writer’s Handbook. Writing Center. University of Wisconsin, Madison; Thesis Statements . The Writing Center. University of North Carolina; Tips and Examples for Writing Thesis Statements . The Writing Lab and The OWL. Purdue University; Walk, Kerry. Asking an Analytical Question . [Class handout or worksheet]. Princeton University; White, Patrick. Developing Research Questions: A Guide for Social Scientists . New York: Palgrave McMillan, 2009.

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Social Problems Research Paper

This sample social problems research paper features: 7000 words (approx. 23 pages), an outline, and a bibliography with 40 sources. Browse other research paper examples for more inspiration. If you need a thorough research paper written according to all the academic standards, you can always turn to our experienced writers for help. This is how your paper can get an A! Feel free to contact our writing service for professional assistance. We offer high-quality assignments for reasonable rates.

Introduction

Social problems of natural disasters and erosion of the earth, social problems of poverty, inequality, and racism, social problems related to the family, social problems related to crime.

Bibliography

Social problems are relevant to all of us, and it is no coincidence that scholars from many different disciplines—including anthropology, sociology, psychology, and criminology—have systematically studied this area. Unlike natural scientists, social scientists often employ moral judgments during the course of their research. If, for example, an anthropologist wanted to study the effects of Hurricane Katrina, then he would face different obstacles than if a meteorologist were to study the same phenomenon. Most people would agree that it would be unethical for an anthropologist to passively sit by and take notes, rather than offer assistance to victims while conducting fieldwork in the aftermath of a devastating storm. A natural scientist, on the other hand, would probably not experience the moral dilemmas that would be faced by social scientists. Because anthropologists often are in the unique position of studying other human beings, the potential for bias is not surprising, and they may often face difficulties in remaining neutral and objective during the course of a particular study (Newman, 1999).

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Because there is no broad consensus as to which type of social problems are the most worthy of our attention, social scientists may show their biases merely by the topics that they choose to study (Mooney, Knox, & Schacht, 2009). By choosing which issues are the most worthy of investigation, anthropologists are employing their own personal discretion. This makes the systematic study of social problems somewhat subjective. For example, one researcher may identify racism as the most important social problem plaguing society, whereas another researcher may avoid this issue altogether. Because anthropologists are humans studying other human beings, anthropology will never be as scientific as disciplines in the natural sciences. Nevertheless, in spite of this caveat, anthropologists can add much to the discussion of social problems. They employ a unique set of methodologies, such as ethnography, which provide valuable insights into various problems (Newman, 1999; Malinowski, 1941). Additionally, an anthropological perspective is important to our understanding of social problems because it examines factors, such as culture and power dynamics (Bodley, 2008). As it will later be shown, powerful institutions, including the media, have largely shaped and defined society’s conception of what is and is not a social problem.

There is no question that the 21st century has seen its share of natural disasters, especially when one considers that we have not been in this new millennium for even a decade. Perhaps, at least for Americans, the most recognizable instance of a recent natural disaster occurred in 2005 when Hurricane Katrina devastated the city of New Orleans. Hurricane Katrina is considered to be one of the deadliest and costliest natural disasters in American history. It may have been responsible for taking the lives of as many as 1,836 people and causing upwards of $81.2 billion worth of damage (Mooney et al., 2009). Hurricane Katrina shall be referred to periodically throughout this research paper because it represents numerous types of social problems in addition to being a problem associated with the environment. For example, Hurricane Katrina illustrates problems related to inequality, racism, and sexism. African Americans, Latinos, women, and children tended to be disproportionately affected by this natural disaster and were the most likely to be among the dead in the aftermath of the storm (Kornblum & Julian, 2009).

According to anthropologists, ethnocentrism is when an individual believes that her culture is superior to other cultures (Malinowski, 1941). When discussing these and other social problems, social scientists strive to adopt a global perspective, rather than to engage in ethnocentric thinking. It is particularly important, then, not to focus solely on natural disasters that have occurred in the United States. In addition to Hurricane Katrina, there have been other natural disasters that have occurred throughout other parts of the world during the 21st century. While there is no question that Hurricane Katrina may be one of the most frequently cited natural disasters, it pales in comparison with the destruction caused by the Asian tsunami of 2004. It is likely that this disaster claimed the lives of more than 150,000 people (Mooney et al., 2009). As in the case of Hurricane Katrina, most of the victims of the Asian tsunami were poor. These individuals had substandard homes that could not withstand any type of resistance force, and most did not have insurance policies or savings accounts to help them get on their feet in the aftermath of the disaster. It is safe to speculate that the poor are usually more vulnerable to natural disasters than other members of society.

It is a cruel irony that while the poorest segments of society often suffer the worst from natural disasters, in many ways it is wealthy and privileged individuals who bear the most responsibility in destroying the earth. Corporate greed and consumption have led to global warming and climate change, which may contribute to an increase in natural disasters of a magnitude similar to that of Hurricane Katrina and the Asian tsunami in the future. Relative to its population, the United States emits the highest amount of carbons. For example, in 2005, less than 5% of the world’s population lived in the United States, yet it still produced 21% of the world’s carbon emissions from burning fossil fuels (Energy Information Administration, 2007). These gas pollutants from automobiles and factories produce a “greenhouse effect,” which could have catastrophic consequences if this goes unchecked (Heiner, 2006). As the temperature increases, some areas of the world may experience heavier rains, and at the same time others may become drier (Bodley, 2008). A temperature increase of only a few degrees has the potential to drastically change life on this planet. In addition to emitting the highest carbons, citizens in the United States also generate a disproportionate amount of solid waste relative to other countries. For example, according to Cheeseman (2007), more than 380 billion plastic shopping bags are used in the United States every year. These bags are particularly bad for the environment and may take up to 1,000 years to decompose. Countries such as Taiwan, Singapore, South Africa, and Bangladesh have restricted or outright banned these harmful products, yet the United States refuses to follow this example (Cheeseman, 2007). In addition to this, a recent study conducted by the Environmental Protection Agency (2009) found that Americans dispose of approximately 4.54 pounds of garbage every day. Also, citizens in the United States and other industrialized countries are likely to dispose of large amounts of electronic equipment. This phenomenon, which has been referred to as “e-waste,” is very devastating to the environment (Mooney et al., 2009). When disposed of in a careless manner, electronic equipment has the potential to contaminate our water supply and soil.

Anthropologist Richard H. Robbins (1999) contends that capitalistic societies, such as the United States, are responsible for elevating human consumption levels which in turn leads to the depletion of natural resources and the destruction of the environment. He argues that our culture encourages laborers to accumulate wages, capitalists to accumulate profits, and consumers to hoard goods. Robbins also suggests that a handful of powerful elitists reap the benefits from being involved in a culture dedicated to consumption. In fact, these individuals often are responsible for using the media to create consumerism in order to advance their own interests. It is a well-known fact that capitalists in the United States rely heavily on advertising in order to sell commodities. Even when a commodity is frivolous, clever advertising often has the ability to present the product as a necessity and make consumers feel compelled to rush out to the stores. This has devastating consequences for the environment and often results in pollution, resource depletion, and waste.

Generally speaking, capitalists and corporations have been highly resistant to the idea of allowing the government to regulate businesses in order to preserve the environment. In fact, beginning in the late 1970s, U.S. businesses began spending billions of dollars a year to convince the American public that there was too much environmental regulation (Beder, 1997). This intense lobbying proved to be very effective because many environmental regulations that were passed in the seventies were either repealed or simply unenforced during the 1980s (Bodley, 2008). The fact that corporations have been so resistant to environmental regulation illustrates how a small number of powerful people are benefiting from the destruction and pillaging of the earth’s resources. The forces of capitalism not only have depleted valuable natural resources but also have produced a highly stratified and nonequalitarian social system. Social problems related to poverty and inequality are of considerable concern to anthropologists and shall be discussed in the following section.

In addition to exemplifying a recent and horrific natural disaster, Hurricane Katrina also represents social problems related to poverty and inequality. It is very plausible, for example, that before the storm hit New Orleans, wealthy residents and visitors were given priority over poorer residents and bused out first. In fact, one account suggests that 700 guests and employees of a Hyatt Hotel were given the first opportunity to leave, while lower-class individuals were relegated to the end of the evacuation line (Dowd, 2005). It is true that low-income African Americans were the most likely to remain in the city during Hurricane Katrina (Dyson, 2006; Elliot & Pais, 2006). It also may come as no surprise that during the Asian tsunami of 2004, foreign tourists also received substantially more aid during the storm than the thousands of impoverished villagers who were more or less left to fend for themselves (Mooney et al., 2009).

Almost without exception, whenever a natural disaster strikes, those who are poor or are considered to be on the fringes of society tend to be victimized the most. It may be no coincidence that in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, women, children, and racial minorities were very likely to be among the dead that were found scattered throughout the streets of New Orleans. Dyson (2006) argues these groups were unable to evacuate the city prior to the storm due to financial constraints. Many low-income New Orleanians may have simply not had access to reliable transportation. Even if some of these individuals were fortunate enough to have personal vehicles, evacuating may have been seen as a considerable expense. Some residents may have opted instead to take their chances, only to realize later that they had made a monumental mistake.

While racial minorities were disproportionately the victims of Hurricane Katrina, the media also victimized them throughout this natural disaster (Brezina & Kaufman, 2008). During the storm, for example, there were media reports that grossly exaggerated the levels of violence among New Orleanians. According to Brezina (2008), many of these stories stereotyped the urban poor as prone to violence and extreme forms of criminal behavior. Other scholars suggest that a few of the media depictions were outright racist. For example, Tierney and colleagues (2006) contend that the news media coverage following Hurricane Katrina portrayed New Orleans as a “snake pit of anarchy, a violent place where armed gangs of black men took advantage of the disaster not only to loot but also to commit capital crimes” (p. 68). Stories were also published with alleged incidents of child rape and mass murder among evacuees who were in the New Orleans Superdome.

It is astonishing that major news outlets published the bogus stories described here without any meaningful attempt to check for accuracy. It is even more disconcerting that most of the general public seemed willing to accept these stories without question. Perhaps for a few individuals, these horrific tales even confirmed a few privately held beliefs regarding the poor and people of color. Even in spite of overwhelming evidence to the contrary, some white Americans still regard racial minorities as being culturally or intellectually inferior to themselves. It does not help that the media often exacerbate these misperceptions by frequently publishing stories that depict racial minorities, particularly members of the African American community, in a negative light. One does not have to look very hard to find stories that portray African Americans as either welfare recipients or criminals.

Fortunately, many anthropologists have dedicated their careers to speaking out against racial stereotypes. One relatively recent example is illustrated in the work of the late Eugenia Shanklin. In perhaps her best-known work, Anthropology and Race, Shanklin (1993) advances the notion that race is socially constructed. She also argues against the notion that race is a valid scientific concept. In many respects, Shanklin’s argument builds upon the classic work of renowned anthropologist Franz Boas. Boas wrote extensively about race during the beginning of the 20th century, and he too concluded that this was a social, rather than a biological, concept (as cited in Williams, 1996). In retrospect, his writings against the evils of racism were quite ahead of their time. This is especially true when one considers that these were written during a period when social Darwinism and eugenics were at the height of their popularity (Williams, 1996).

In addition to writing about race, other scholars have also examined the processes by which members of racial minorities become disenfranchised. For example, in his classic article, “The Culture of Poverty,” anthropologist Oscar Lewis (1966) argues that for some people poverty is a way of life. Often this may be due largely to structural barriers, such as a lack of jobs and inadequate educational systems. Lewis contends that at an early age, children living in urban slums begin to subscribe to a set of values and beliefs that are conducive to poverty. It is not uncommon for many of these children to be racial minorities. Children who are assimilated into this culture have problems deferring gratification and avoid participating in society’s major institutions (Lewis, 1966). This culture is also characterized by a high concentration of single-parent households that are usually headed by females. Over time, children who are socialized in these environments begin to adopt self-defeating attitudes that can make them less competitive in the marketplace when they enter adulthood. Even today, more than 40 years since it was published, Lewis’s study still has relevance. African Americans and Hispanics are among the poorest people in the nation. In fact, year after year, the rates of poverty among these minority groups are 2 to 3 times higher than the poverty found among Caucasians. Sadly, many of those who are impoverished in this country are children. For example, Conley (1999) writes that “over half of African American children under the age of 6 are living in poverty” (p. 10).

It can often be very challenging for individuals who are raised in poverty to overcome obstacles in order to obtain even the most menial types of employment. According to Princeton anthropologist Katherine S. Newman (1999), even minimum-wage jobs at fast-food restaurants are extremely competitive, and there are usually more applications than there are positions. She contends that often African Americans are excluded from these jobs, even if the restaurant is in a predominantly African American neighborhood. Individuals who are fortunate enough to obtain jobs as “burger flippers” must still compete with other employees for hours and often suffer incivilities from supervisors and customers. During the course of her research, Newman (1999) conducted countless interviews with low-income fast-food workers and observed them in their natural environment. She argues that many of America’s poor are working in dead-end jobs, such as the fast-food industry, with little hope of advancement.

While the United States certainly has problems of inequality and poverty, it is currently the richest and most powerful nation and does not suffer from the same level of poverty as many third-world and developing countries. As mentioned previously, it is important for anthropologists to adopt a global perspective when studying various problems. Regardless of where someone lives, we are all members of the human race, and therefore a problem experienced by one culture inevitably affects us all. Consider that throughout the world more than one fourth of the earth’s population (roughly 2.5 billion people) subsist on less than $2 a day, and approximately 1 billion people (or 1 in 6 individuals) live on less than $1 a day (World Bank, 2007). The planet has more than enough resources, yet millions of people throughout the world currently lack access to food, durable shelter, and clean drinking water.

Anthropologists such as Bodley (2008) argue that these are the consequences of living in the contemporary commercial world. Unlike small tribal societies that were prevalent thousands of years ago, the contemporary commercial world prevents some individuals from obtaining basic necessities. Today, levels of global inequality are at an all-time high. As power elites race toward accumulating capital, this has produced enormous wealth and power differentials. Bodley (2008) writes:

The daily lives and future prospects of virtually all of the world’s 6 billion people are shaped by the political and economic decisions made by a relative handful of people who command trillions of dollars in financial capital and overwhelmingly powerful armed forces. (p. 17)

Given this statement, it may come as no surprise that currently the wealthiest 10% of adults own 85% of the world’s total wealth, while the poorest half of the adult global population holds slightly more than 1% of the world’s wealth (Davies, Sandstrom, Shorrocks, & Wolff, 2006).

Clearly inequality, poverty, and racism are problems not only in this country but also throughout the world. Bodley (2008) contends that many of these problems stem from global competition. In the name of competition, corporate executives in the United States hold back wages from their employees and deny benefits that are standard in other industrialized countries (Gray, 2000). There is no question that workers in European nations enjoy far more rights than workers in America. In Western European countries, for example, it is much more difficult to fire an employee, and it is virtually unheard of for companies to “downsize” merely to add to the overall profit margin. Also, workers in France enjoy a shorter workweek and more paid time off compared with their United States counterparts (Heiner, 2006).

While it seems as though European nations have the most humane system, there is at least some indication that a few of these countries are beginning to imitate the U.S. model in order to gain a competitive edge (Heiner, 2006). Currently, the United States is considered to be the most capitalistic society in the world because it has the least amount of governmental regulations. This lack of regulations has resulted in gross disparities and outright discrimination (Bodley, 2008; Kornblum & Julian, 2009; Mooney et al., 2009). Global competition has also led to the exploitation of third-world countries. According to Heiner (2006), this has been going on for several hundred years. He contends that there is a long history of powerful nations establishing colonies throughout the third world in order to plunder and export valuable natural resources such as gold, silver, silks, and other items. Also, even though some corporations have recently relocated from the first world to the third world, Heiner (2006) suggests that poverty has actually been on the rise in underdeveloped countries since the arrival of these new companies. Standards of living have also been on the decline in the third world and are likely to continue (Mooney et al., 2009). It seems that extreme forms of capitalism exacerbate inequalities in poor countries just as they do in wealthy ones, such as the United States.

While it may seem obvious to many of us that unbridled economic pursuits have created enormous inequalities throughout the world, the media have done much to shape the way we think about capitalism. By and large, in the United States, capitalism is held as one of the highest virtues. This is in great part due to the media-constructed image of the “American Dream,” where anyone can achieve wealth and success with enough hard work (Messner & Rosenfeld, 2007). Even though extreme forms of capitalism have resulted in gross inequalities, Americans are socialized to believe that it is the best system. Ironically, this also applies to poor people. Newman (1999) suggests that even the poor tend to embrace the notion of the American Dream, in the hope that they may one day achieve success and accumulate wealth.

The media, owned in the United States by the power elite, bears a large responsibility in generating the idea that anyone can be successful in a capitalistic society (Heiner, 2006). This has dire consequences. When individuals in the United States fail to move from rags to riches, they often blame themselves. In this country, perhaps more than anywhere else in the world, there is a tendency to blame the poor whenever they fail to be successful or provide for their families. It is no surprise that in this country, in order to be considered successful and good providers, many workers are spending more time at the office and less time with their families. While some individuals have been able to accumulate more possessions and increase their purchasing power by working longer hours, sadly this has come at a considerable expense to their families (Mooney et al., 2009). In fact, one of the greatest social problems facing Americans today involves problems related to the family. This deserves a considerable amount of attention and shall be discussed in depth in the following section.

In the United States and elsewhere throughout the world, there are many different varieties and types of families. The U.S. Census defines a family as a group of two or more people who are bonded by marriage, adoption, or blood. Mooney and colleagues (2009) contend that the above definition is somewhat restrictive because it does not take into account foster families and unmarried same-sex and opposite-sex couples. The official definition of a family also fails to consider those relationships that function and feel like a family. For example, college students living together and sharing expenses and household chores might be considered a family in the broadest sense of the word. As we begin to examine the various social problems that plague the family, it is necessary to understand that today’s family knows virtually no bounds. In fact, the traditional conception of the family, with a father who is the breadwinner and a mother who stays at home with the children, is probably one of the least typical types of families in the United States.

According to Skolnick (1991), throughout history people have warned that the family was on the verge of becoming extinct. During political campaigns, social conservatives tend to be the most vocal about the decay of the traditional family unit. For instance, it is not uncommon for conservative candidates to attack liberals for their tolerance of gay marriage and single parenthood (Kornblum & Julian, 2009). It is also not unusual for some traditionalists to blame problems of the family on working mothers. Many social conservatives argue that in order to solve many of society’s problems, families should return to the breadwinner-housewife model that was popular in the United States during the 1950s (Heiner, 2006; Hewlett & West, 1998). Some scholars claim, however, that these are merely tactics to divert attention from the low levels of government funding given to families that are struggling financially.

Conservatives, who ardently favor independence and self-sufficiency, often fail to remember that their idealized conception of the 1950s family was possible only because of unprecedented amounts of governmental assistance, such as low-interest housing loans and educational subsidies (Hewlett & West, 1998). During the 1950s, the federal government spent billions of dollars on public transportation, sewage systems, parks, and other projects designed to help families (Hewlett & West, 1998; Kornblum & Julian, 2009). From past experience, it would seem that a similar use of public subsidies would be an effective way to help facilitate families in the new millennium. It is ironic, however, that many traditionalists tend to be against this idea. Of all the industrialized countries in the world, the United States has the fewest governmental policies and programs designed to support the family. Given this, perhaps it should come as no surprise that the United States also has one of the highest divorce rates and is willing to tolerate levels of child poverty that would be unconscionable in other countries. These are current issues that plague the family and will be discussed later in more detail.

In his classic ethnographic study of familial relations among natives of the Trobriand Islands, anthropologist Bronislaw Malinowski (1941) argues that even in the most primitive societies, there is an expectation that “every family must have a father,” and “a woman must marry before she may have children” (p. 202). Currently, while it is true that premarital pregnancy in the United States is frowned upon, unmarried mothers are generally not as stigmatized as they have been in past history (Kornblum & Julian, 2009). In fact, today approximately one out of three children in the United States is born out of wedlock (Mooney et al., 2009). While this may seem high to some people, it is important to note that countries such as Norway, Sweden, Iceland, Denmark, the United Kingdom, and France have even higher rates of nonmarital births than the United States. In Iceland, as many as 2 out of 3 children are born out of wedlock, and in approximately half of the births in Norway and Sweden, the mother and father are not legally married (Money et al., 2009).

In addition to the above countries, there are also parts of West Africa where unmarried women may have children without being ostracized or punished. This is especially true if the mother is not considered to be promiscuous. According to Kornblum and Julian (2009), as long at the identity of the child’s father is known, an unwed mother will experience very little, if any, stigmatization. While some social conservatives have expressed moral outrage at the rise in the rate of nonmarital births, many children both in this country and in other cultures throughout the world have been able to find love and acceptance in family structures that may not be considered traditional by American standards. It is also important to mention that children who are raised in nontraditional families may be provided with a higher level of care and nurturing than those whose father is present but struggling with a problem such as substance abuse or unemployment (Kornblum & Julian, 2009).

The family is very important to our understanding of social problems because it is often identified as being either the solution to or the source of societal ills, such as alcoholism, crime, and poverty (Heiner, 2006). If children come from a “good” family, for example, then it is commonly believed that they will avoid engaging in deviant or pathological behavior. Most traditionalists assume that children who are adequately socialized will ultimately receive a good education, raise families of their own, pay taxes, and more or less be productive citizens. On the other hand, if a child is delinquent, turns to drugs, or has problems in school, the family is often singled out as being the source of the problem. Given the importance that we place on the family, it is no surprise that this has been an important research topic for many social scientists.

Recently, there have been numerous studies examining whether or not—and to what extent—financial problems plague the family. Most of the current literature indicates that a tough U.S. economy has led women to largely abandon the role of solely being a homemaker (Jacobs & Gerson, 2004). Today, approximately 71% of women with children under the age of 18 are employed outside the home (U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2007). Also, ever since the 1970s, both men and women have consistently been working longer hours. In the United States, it is not unusual for many individuals to work more than 50 hours a week (Jacobs & Gerson, 2004). In fact, a recent study conducted by the Economic Policy Institute (as cited in Bernstein, Mishel, & Schmitt, 2000) found that, on average, married working couples with children spent 256 more hours at their jobs in 1997 than they did in 1989. This is roughly the equivalent of an extra month and a half of time spent at the office rather than at home.

Not surprisingly, family members today are more stressed out than ever before as they try to juggle domestic and work responsibilities. Sadly, children often have the most difficulty in adjusting to the pressures of living in a dual-income family. Occasionally, some may even become “latchkey children,” who are largely responsible for their own care, since both of their parents are working. If this is true in two-parent households, then it is especially the case for children who live in families with only one parent. In this country, 49% of non-Hispanic white single-mother households are due to divorce, in contrast to 62% of African American single-mother families, where the mother never married (Fields, 2004).

Currently, the United States has the highest rate of divorce among Western nations. According to Kimmel (2004), 40% of marriages in this country end in divorce.

The rate of divorce rate is even higher when one looks at couples who have already been married at least once. Also, children are involved in 60% of divorce cases. In other words, when a marriage dissolves, more often than not, children will be affected by this decision.

Divorce represents perhaps one of the most serious problems plaguing the family because it has the potential to result in many devastating consequences. First, divorce is likely to create significant economic hardships for mothers and their children. Many women, who might have been unpaid homemakers or part-time employees during their marriage, are not fully prepared to enter the workplace in the aftermath of a divorce (Amato, 2003). Usually, following a divorce, they must go back to school and at the same time find a way to increase their income. Often, this entails getting a job (or a second job), putting in more overtime, and finding other means to make money. At the same time, they often have to take on new financial responsibilities, such as balancing the family budget. On top of this, women are disproportionately likely to assume many (if not all) of the child-rearing duties following a divorce (Amato, 2003). To make matters worse, it is not uncommon for fathers to offer little or no economic support.

In addition to the adverse economic impact that it has on families, divorce also places children at a higher risk of developing psychological and emotional problems. Some children with divorced parents may become extremely sensitive or overly aggressive and develop serious self-esteem issues. If this behavior goes unchecked, it can lower a child’s performance in school and have serious long-term effects on his or her future. Amato and Cheadle (2005) contend that the repercussions of divorce are so powerful that even future children, who have not even been born, have the potential to be affected. For example, a divorce that occurs in the first generation of a family may be associated with lower education, more divorce, and greater familial tensions in the second generation, which then may in turn contribute to similar problems in the third generation. While there are some situations where divorce may be the only option, there is no question that it can result in many negative consequences for a family’s well-being.

Finally, there is some relatively new literature indicating that natural disasters can affect a family’s well-being. While these events can result in the loss of lives and financial ruin, it appears that events such as floods, hurricanes, and tornados can also impact families. In one recent study, for example, it was estimated that approximately 1 in 4 (22%) of New Orleanians indicated that they had experienced marital discord as a result of Hurricane Katrina (Kaiser Family Foundation, 2007). In this study, 10% of the subjects even admitted to throwing things at their partner, yelling, and losing control. Other studies have confirmed the above finding that natural disasters, such as Katrina, can lead to domestic violence and various other forms of familial abuse (Brezina & Kaufman, 2008; Enarson, 1999). While domestic violence clearly is an issue that is related to the family, it is also one of many social problems that are related to crime. Problems related to crime shall be discussed in more detail in the following section.

Of all the various social problems, perhaps those related to crime tend to receive the most attention. According to Mooney and colleagues (2009), a crime is considered to be an act or omission of an act that is punishable by either federal, state, or local law. In other words, in order for there to be a crime, the state must be able to impose a punishment. Also, someone who commits a crime must be acting willfully and voluntarily. An action is also likely to be seen as a crime if there is no legitimate excuse as to why the actor engaged in a particular proscribed act (Mooney et al., 2009). Interestingly, in spite of clear-cut legal definitions of crime, the popular media have influenced our conception of crime and criminals. Television shows such as CSI, COPS, and Law & Order, for example, have provided distortions about the criminal justice system. The media, then, often take an active role in shaping and defining the types of acts that we as a society should consider to be crimes, as well as the types of people who are likely to be perceived as criminals.

In order to illustrate the above point, one only needs to tune in to an episode of COPS, a reality television show that enables viewers to follow police officers during the course of their 8-hour shifts. The viewer, from the comfort of home, sees life from the inside of a patrol car. One of the more controversial aspects of this program is that it features a distorted view of criminals. For example, usually, but not always, the perpetrator on the show is a minority male. The suspect is often intoxicated and portrayed as a burden to society. The officers, on the other hand, are seen as the heroes who quell the disturbance and dispense justice within the confines of the law. Almost always, the officers are depicted as being fair, calm, and highly professional. They are very seldom, if ever, shown to be aggressive, hostile, or downright abusive. While some television viewers may find crime shows such as COPS to be extremely entertaining, these programs nevertheless have the potential to be very misleading and can even generate negative stereotypes about racial minorities. As Heiner (2006) argues, much of the reality of crime is edited out of “reality-based” crime shows. In writing about these shows, he contends that they “depend upon the cooperation of the authorities, and their producers must keep in mind that if the police are not presented in a positive light, then they will not get their cooperation for future broadcasts” (Heiner, 2006, p. 115).

As a result of being exposed to a heavy regimen of cop and reality crime shows, some members of the public may be left with an impression that most racial minorities use drugs and are an overall menace to society (Heiner, 2006).

These shows rarely, if ever, portray offenses that are committed by law enforcement agents, though certainly these do exist. Also, they say very little about white-collar offenses, though these have the potential to be much more costly to society than traditional street crimes (Messner & Rosenfeld, 2007).

The images of crime that are perpetuated by the media also have a high likelihood to create a sense of fear and anxiety. Every year, Americans spend billions of dollars on safes and home-security devices. One can only wonder how many of these expenditures are related to the distorted images that are routinely shown on reality cop shows and the nightly news (Beirne & Messerschmidt, 2000). Many television programs are notorious for portraying criminals as disproportionately likely to be members of racial minorities who offend against Caucasians. Sadly, this does little to further race relations in this country.

Even though there is absolutely no evidence that members of racial minorities are more likely to be criminal by nature, African American and Hispanic males are disproportionately overrepresented at virtually every stage in the criminal justice system (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2006; Steffensmeier & Demuth, 2000). This may be due in large part to an institutional bias against minorities. Police officers, for example, may engage in racial profiling where they target suspects solely based on their race. This practice amounts to little more than outright discrimination and may be just one example of the racial bias that is inherent in the criminal justice system. African American males are particularly likely to be the recipients of institutional racism. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics (2006), it is estimated that 12% of all African American males in their late 20s are in some type of correctional facility compared with only 1.7% of white males in this same age range. African American males are also more than 8 times as likely as Caucasians to be sent to prison for drug offenses (Mooney et al., 2009). In fact, 1 out of every 8 African American males can be found serving time in some type of correctional facility on any given day (Kornblum & Julian, 2009). It would be naive to think that members of racial minorities are not discriminated against at every checkpoint on the criminal justice assembly line.

Perhaps one of the greatest problems plaguing the criminal justice system today is the current incarceration binge in the United States. As of this writing, the United States has one of the highest rates of incarceration in the world, with approximately 702 out of every 100,000 of its citizens incarcerated (International Centre for Prison Studies, 2005). Also, Americans are more likely to be incarcerated than individuals living in less democratic countries, such as Russia or South Africa. The United States, without question, has the highest incarceration rate of all other industrialized democracies. Yet many Americans tend to believe that we are “soft” on crime (Mooney et al., 2009). This is in spite of the fact that between 1975 and 2002, the prison population increased from 204,593 to 2,033,331 (Heiner, 2006). In other words, in slightly over 25 years, it increased almost tenfold.

The costs of America’s obsession with punishment should be enough to scare any fiscal conservative, yet often these are the very individuals who are lobbying to build more prisons. Perhaps the most frightening fact of all is that this recent preoccupation with imprisonment has not corresponded with an increase in crime. In other words, even as the crime rate in the United States has decreased, the incarceration rate has nevertheless continued to increase (Kornblum & Julian, 2009). Again, it cannot be understated that the current incarceration binge is extremely expensive. Today, American taxpayers spend approximately $60 billion a year to maintain the prison system. This is quite astounding when one considers that the cost was $9 billion only two decades ago. Perhaps if the United States was not so preoccupied with punishment, this money could be utilized for education, health care, and public transportation. Society’s response to crime has in and of itself become an enormous social problem and is currently depleting valuable tax dollars.

One does not need to look very far to see that there are numerous social problems currently plaguing the world. Though this research paper has discussed a variety of different types of problems, this in no way implies that the list is exhaustive. In addition to the social problems mentioned in this paper, anthropologists also study problems related to health and the health care system, population and immigration, alcohol and drug use, gender and sexuality, mental illness, and terrorism. Unfortunately, there are a variety of problems that the world is currently facing. It would be beyond the scope of this research paper and quite impossible to discuss them all.

One major theme of this research paper is that the media play a vital role in defining and constructing various types of problems. Often, the information that the media present has the potential to be biased. Contrary to popular opinion, most news organizations are a far cry from being radical, left-wing institutions. Instead, many tend to be tainted by corporate influences and sponsors who buy advertisements (Heiner, 2006). This inevitably affects the way we as a society view social problems. To make matters worse, many citizens in the United States seldom go to the polls to cast their votes. If policymakers perceive the public as being largely apathetic and uninformed, then there is a high likelihood that little action will be taken to alleviate social problems. Therefore, it is crucial for Americans not only to vote but also to stay informed.

Admittedly, it can be difficult to keep abreast of the latest news, given that many media outlets have been co-opted by powerful corporations. Nevertheless, there are at least a few Web sites that provide insights into different social problems throughout the world. Heiner (2006), for example, points to the following sites: factcheck.org, truthout.org, alternet.org, corpwatch.org, and projectcensored.org (a site that is maintained by students). Perhaps through open communication and the dissemination of information, individuals can work together and begin to find ways to solve today’s problems. Anthropologists and other social scientists have a special responsibility to educate and empower the people of the world. Though there is undoubtedly a great deal of work to be done, this is not an undertaking that is altogether impossible. In order to be successful, everyone must do their part to make the world a better place. This can start on a small, individual level and can include activities such as volunteering and recycling. If everyone is willing to contribute, there is great hope.

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30 April 2024

Why doing social science research is difficult in India today

Yamini Aiyar 0

Yamini Aiyar is the former president and chief executive of the Centre for Policy Research, based in New Delhi.

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India’s academic freedom has been in steady decline for a decade. This is well documented: in the 2024 Academic Freedom Index update produced by V-Dem, a project on democracy based in Gothenburg, Sweden, India is ranked in the bottom 20% of a list of 179 countries and territories on metrics such as ‘institutional autonomy’ and ‘freedom to research and teach’.

Historically, academic freedoms were certainly not perfect in India. Yet even a cursory glance at the evidence reveals that the scale of restrictions and the misuse of laws to curb academic freedom has increased. In the interests of preserving India’s global competitiveness, whoever wins the election should seek to reverse this trend.

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The documented drop in academic freedom is part of a broader decline in India’s vibrant culture of public debate. I have personally witnessed the growing restrictions during my 15 years as a researcher at the New Delhi-based Centre for Policy Research (CPR), where I served as president for 7 years until I stepped down in March.

My own research community — think tanks that aim to support evidence-based policies — engages deeply with the global academic and policy ecosystem. Given that public funds have many competing priorities, much of our research relies on international philanthropic funding. That is becoming increasingly difficult to come by, owing to a tightening of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA), which controls licences to access foreign funding.

For instance, after amendments to this law in 2020, recipients of foreign funding cannot give subgrants to other organizations, making collaborative research impossible. And since 2014, nearly 17,000 civil-society organizations have lost their FCRA licences altogether . For those that still have a licence, the renewal process is onerous. Many organizations receive temporary extensions of three to six months, rather than the full period of five years allowed under law.

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It seems that tax laws are also increasingly being used against institutions. Some research organizations are facing penalties and, in extreme cases, the loss of their tax-exempt status, which is required for accessing charitable donations. In September 2022, six institutions, including the CPR, were subject to tax ‘surveys’ that eventually resulted in them having both their FCRA licences and their tax-exempt statuses revoked . This has left them mired in legal minutiae and struggling to fund their work.

Similar challenges to the freedom to pursue independent research are visible on university campuses. In 2022, the India Academic Freedom Network (IAFN) prepared a status report for the United Nations special rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression. It lists 78 instances in which seminars, lectures or talks at public universities were disrupted by politically aligned groups or the permission to organize such events was denied. It also lists 25 cases of faculty arrests, including some under anti-terror and sedition laws — mostly for speaking on issues of public interest, on campus or in social-media posts. A further 37 incidents pertain to the arrest of students. The IAFN report also points to difficulties associated with foreign researchers obtaining visas and entering India — even for people who hold Overseas Citizenship of India cards.

All this comes at a juncture when critical feedback and effective consultation are required to secure the country’s long-term growth and prosperity. But rather than engage with ideas and challenge them in the spirit of inquiry and public debate, in my view, it has now become increasingly common for technocrats in government to seek to discredit researchers and suppress research. In late 2023, for instance, the World Bank removed from its website an important study that highlighted reversals of progress recorded under a flagship sanitation programme. The bank cited procedural issues , but was presumably under government pressure.

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Even crucial government data are now hard to obtain. The decennial census, for example, was last conducted in 2010–11; the public report on the 2017–18 household consumption expenditure survey was junked and only partial data have been released from the 2022–23 survey. The consequences of this are significant. In my field, development and social policy, the data gaps make it harder to measure changes in well-being. The debate on poverty reduction is bogged down in estimates, leaving the public with relatively little objective analysis on the reach and effectiveness of economic policies.

To reverse these trends, researchers must make their voices heard and be willing to defend the principle and value of academic freedom in the public domain. Research bodies should engage more effectively with philanthropists in India and find ways to preserve the space for civil discourse. An alliance with broader civil society is also required to push back against draconian regulations that undermine scientific freedoms.

India’s experience is not unique, but a reflection of a broader malaise. The V-Dem report makes it clear that several countries — including the United States, where university campuses are in turmoil — have witnessed a deterioration in the space available to pursue independent research. Researchers in India and elsewhere should fight to retain that space. It will be a long and difficult battle. But it is an essential one.

Nature 629 , 9 (2024)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-024-01214-1

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