THE SOCIAL PROBLEMS OF USA

A social problem is any condition or behavior that has negative consequences for large numbers of people and that is generally recognized as a condition or behavior that needs to be addressed. Social problems are always brought by the social changes. It means that the society is disturbed by external or internal forces of social change, which is related to a country’s culture (the norms, values, customs, traditions, mores etc.). Through the social problems in one country, we can get the idea of what the people in this country care about and why they think that are problems. Combining the knowledges we have learnt before, we can use them to analyze a country’s values and traditions. Understanding social problems is an internal way to get a glimpse of culture.

Here are a couple of social problems in USA

● Poverty

Around 13-17% American population lives below the federal poverty line. The US government does not have an absolute definition for poverty, but it describes the same phenomenon as relative poverty, that is, how income relates to median income. The number of people living under poverty line is increasing at an alarming rate. More Americans are living in poverty than any time since the early 1990s.

● Unequal Distribution of Wealth

Privatization is increasing in America, which provides opportunities only to those who can afford. The efforts of socialists to distribute wealth equally are also been opposed by the ruling government. Due to this, rich people are becoming richer and poor becoming poor.

● Crime and Incarceration

Due to increased unequal opportunities, the crime rate is also increasing in the US. Prison population in America is growing every day. Most of the prisoners are drug offenders who use or sell recreational drugs. Incarceration of criminals for long sentences has led to three strikes laws and ultimately to incarceration for life after three felonies.

So how do these problems help us understand USA?

Poverty and unequal distribution of wealth problems becoming severe helps us know that there do exist common problems which happen in other countries. The gap between the rich and the poor is becoming larger, this can also lead to robbery or other crimes in this country. Those people who can afford not only the merchandise but also the opportunities can have better standards of living. On the contrary, the poors can only live tough lives due to these problems. What’s more, crime and incarceration leads to the instability of society in the US, citizens may not feel safe enough to lead a life. But all these social problems showed can also help to realize the reality of the society and give leaders such as the president or some other institutions suggestions about how to make the coin better.