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Unlock This CourseSocial issues are problems that affect many people in society. They're the challenges that make life harder for certain groups and can cause conflict or suffering. Understanding social issues helps us see how society works and how we might make it better for everyone.
Key Definitions:
Studying social issues helps us understand why some people struggle more than others. It shows us that many problems aren't just about individual choices but are shaped by how society is organised. By learning about social issues, we can think of better ways to create a fairer world where everyone has a chance to succeed.
Sociologists look at social issues differently from most people. Instead of just blaming individuals, they examine the social structures and patterns that create problems. They ask questions like: "Why are some groups more likely to be poor?" and "How do our institutions (like schools or the legal system) sometimes make inequality worse?"
Poverty is one of the most serious social issues affecting millions of people in the UK and around the world. It's not just about not having money – it affects health, education, housing and life chances.
Sociologists distinguish between different types of poverty:
When people don't have enough resources to meet their basic physical needs for survival (food, shelter, clothing). This is most common in developing countries but exists in the UK too.
When people have much less than what's considered normal in their society. In the UK, households with less than 60% of median income are considered in relative poverty.
The way poverty can be passed from one generation to the next, as children growing up in poverty face barriers to education and opportunities.
According to the Child Poverty Action Group, 4.3 million children in the UK (31% of children) were living in poverty in 2019-20. Children from certain groups are at higher risk: 46% of children in single-parent families and 47% of children in Black and minority ethnic families live in poverty. This affects their health, education and future prospects.
Social inequality refers to the uneven distribution of resources, opportunities and rewards in society. It exists in many forms and affects people's life chances in significant ways.
This refers to differences in income and wealth. In the UK, the richest 10% of households hold 44% of all wealth, while the poorest 50% own just 9%. Economic inequality affects access to housing, education, healthcare and other resources.
Children from disadvantaged backgrounds often achieve lower grades and are less likely to go to university. In 2019, only 26% of pupils eligible for free school meals progressed to higher education compared to 45% of those not eligible.
Discrimination and prejudice are key social issues that create and maintain inequality between different groups.
Discrimination can take many forms and affect people based on various characteristics:
Discrimination can be:
When someone is treated worse than others because of who they are. For example, not hiring someone because of their ethnicity.
When organisations' policies or practices disadvantage certain groups, even unintentionally. For example, when a workplace culture makes it harder for women to get promoted.
In the UK, women earn on average 15.5% less than men (2020 figures). This gap exists for many reasons: women are more likely to work part-time, take career breaks for childcare and work in lower-paid sectors. Even in the same jobs, women often earn less. This shows how gender discrimination can be built into our economic system.
Sociologists use various methods to understand and address social issues:
Using statistics and surveys to measure the scale of social issues. For example, counting how many people live in poverty or measuring the gender pay gap.
Using interviews and observations to understand people's experiences of social issues. This helps researchers understand what it feels like to face discrimination or live in poverty.
Combining both approaches to get a fuller picture. Numbers tell us how widespread a problem is, while interviews tell us how it affects real people's lives.
Different sociological perspectives suggest different ways to address social issues:
Functionalists believe social problems can be fixed through gradual reform. They support policies like better education, welfare systems and community programmes to help disadvantaged groups.
Marxists argue that many social issues stem from capitalism itself. They believe more radical change is needed to create a society where resources are shared more equally.
Today's society faces both traditional and new social issues:
During the COVID-19 pandemic, digital exclusion became a serious social issue. When schools closed, children without computers or internet access at home couldn't participate in online learning. According to Ofcom, about 9% of children in the UK (between 1.1 and 1.8 million) had no access to a laptop, desktop or tablet at home. This shows how new technologies can create new forms of inequality.
Social issues are complex problems that affect many people in society. By studying them through a sociological lens, we can understand their root causes and think about effective solutions. Whether it's poverty, inequality, or discrimination, these issues remind us that personal troubles are often connected to wider social structures. Understanding social issues is the first step toward creating a fairer society where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.