What are the major social issues
The “biggest social issues” in society have been discussed
by sociologists for many years. They include a myriad of societal issues such
as poverty, unemployment, inequality, and environmental problems. Sociological
theories can also be used to study human behavior, and it is important if
societies are to address these issues. Most importantly, they also help us
understand human behavior and how we interact in various environments. As far
back into history as the 18th century, there has been concern over women,
children, and slaves. More recently, however, social issues have become a focal
point of most studies regarding human behavior.
The top five social issues that are currently on the rise
include; climate change, population growth, rapid income inequalities,
immigration, and xenophobia. Some of these issues will only go away in the
future; the others might end up having an influence on our modern-day society
and need to be addressed right now. There are several ways that we could
address these issues and make them more positive and better than they already
are. These are just some of the issues that I am going to be discussing in my
paper. I hope that you enjoyed reading my article and take away something new
for your own self-esteem.
- Climate Change
Climate change is an issue that all humans have to face at
one time or another. It affects every sector of life, whether it’s the natural
environment, human, animal, or industrial sector. In recent times this issue has
received worldwide attention from politicians and environmentalists. To further
drive home the message of global warming was done through numerous campaigns
which were very well attended. Over 70 countries signed a pledge in 2016 while
56 countries pledged to cut their carbon emissions by 2025, which is 1/3 of
what the UN climate change process set out. This is an issue that should be
dealt with soon and we need to do so before changes are made through political
means and not simply through government policy, but with our own action. If
there is no collective action then there will be no consequences and the whole
planet will suffer.
- Global average temperatures rising
The main focus of climate action now is on reducing global
average temperatures, which would include addressing human-induced greenhouse
gas emissions. One of the key tools that are necessary for accomplishing this task.
The Earth is already heating up and people need to reduce the amount of heat
produced by cars and buildings. Cars and other forms of transportation are the
number one cause of air pollution and therefore we need to start using
alternative sources of energy. We need to get rid of the combustion engines and instead use EVs, biofuels, and gas. Using solar panels is also very effective
and efficient. Another useful tool is wind turbines, although they need
maintenance and cost money, the savings it makes on electricity and even
maintenance costs cannot be ignored. Solar power is also not without its
drawbacks. Although this can be installed on rooftops easily and doesn’t
require any huge investment, the initial investment can run out quickly. Also,
when you have access to water and a lot of lands, it gets really expensive and
difficult to provide enough land, which would lead to poor land usage. It is
hard to see the benefits that come with changing industries because we need to
deal with issues like oil and natural gas. Many people believe that the
solutions are easy but this isn’t always the case. A large part of this can be
handled through switching industries and using less energy. When it comes to
the problem of climate change, anything and everything would be best, but if
everyone stopped polluting the earth, it wouldn’t be very difficult to fix.
- Immigration
Immigration is another topic that has received increased
focus recently due to the influx of wealthy immigrants, especially those who
came to third world countries rather than the first world and developed nations.
For example, South Korea has seen a significant increase in rich immigrant
numbers coming to their country for work. This is mainly a result of
globalization and trade, but it can also be caused by war or conflict.
Immigration in South Korea is not something that can be completely prevented in
the near future, so we need to plan ahead and look into alternatives. Firstly,
we need to find ways to reduce immigration and try to avoid conflicts. Secondly,
it would require more effort than any single person. As a nation, we need to
learn to work together, work smarter and work harder so that we could manage
high numbers of immigrants and encourage more economic opportunities in the
country. Not everyone understands the challenges immigrants face, so let’s try
to put ourselves in their shoes. Immigrants want a secure job and good chances
for advancement, they need to be educated and provided with health care. They
need to feel safe and comfortable in their surroundings, even though a bit
difficult at times. Understanding immigrants are key to addressing their
needs, one way would be to take them through courses. There is an abundance of
information available and there should be training and education programs
available to teach immigrants about the country they are coming to and the
skills needed for employment.
Immigrants also face difficulties in communicating with the natives of their new homes or even finding jobs. So in order to help immigrants
by offering support and training, many people offer scholarships at the university
level, helping students move to higher levels of knowledge. However, the rate
of immigrants that come over and want to stay is nothing compared to that of
native residents. Since this tends to happen during the summer, it becomes a
major challenge as there are only 3–4 months left in the year. This situation could possibly be resolved if there were more time to make sure that immigrants
understand the challenges and their opportunities.
Immigrants often feel unsafe and isolated within the
country they are moving to. People tend to think they are doing great things
and don’t feel like sharing what they have. Being stuck together in small
groups is sometimes worse than being alone. Therefore, it is a necessity to
provide asylum seekers with proper transport, food, and other necessities.
Moreover, the idea of working in isolation is terrifying and therefore is not
welcomed because we need to stop making excuses for the immigrants. If you are
going to move to the United States, you need to be able to fit in and form
friendships. That means that you need to work and spend time with friends and
family just like everyone else. On the other hand, immigrants need to be taught
English and they need to develop a sense of community because it is usually
easier for them to fit into their new lives without learning their native language.
Nowadays, almost 95% of migrants across America come from Latin American
countries, Europe, Asia, and Africa. So why aren’t they given English lessons
for beginners? Furthermore, it is essential to give them proper housing along
with adequate medical care and education. A country is known by its people and
they are also known by its immigrants. Just because someone is a foreigner doesn’t
mean they don’t know their culture and customs. After all, many people from
different areas migrated here for jobs, they come to the city for
entertainment, they come here for work, and most certainly, looking for a stable
job. They are also more inclined to live near beaches and parks. All these
points are very important, especially when it comes to developing a
relationship with the locals. Immigrants need to be assisted, if not offered
help, then they need to understand the difficulties immigrants face. In
addition, this type of migration should not be encouraged due to the fact that
it is unfair to offer aid only to those immigrants that can afford it.
Immigrants have lots of skills that are invaluable to the
economy of our nation. For instance, many immigrants come with valuable
experience that has already been built by years of development work. For
example, if a Mexican immigrant was to join a company in New York City would he
need to gain his previous knowledge to do so? Sure, the answer would be yes to
that question, but why shouldn’t people gain such knowledge as long as they can
afford it? Maybe, it’s not true that immigrants are successful with their
knowledge, but at least they have the ability. This implies that employers
could hire them more easily if they had valuable education. Similarly,
employers could recruit immigrants who come from developing countries because
their ability to do the same work would be a big advantage. Another aspect that
requires a high skill would be engineering or technical skills. Without such
skills, immigrants might be forced out of businesses which could affect the
economy in more ways than one. It may also be difficult for them to integrate
into our society, not to mention that they might be subject to discrimination.
Our country is suffering from an increasing gap between rich and poor. But it
is also possible that the immigrants who do not possess the traditional
cultural background could contribute to our nation’s progress or even take it
forward. Having skills and qualifications is essential for success. Immigrants
are in the majority of the workforce, with nearly half the total workers being
immigrants. This is the reason why having appropriate skills such as
communication, knowledge, technology, and negotiation with natives is crucial.
In the beginning, immigrants will have difficulty adjusting to any kind of
work, but they should try to establish themselves in places that they like to
be. Immigrants are not the only ones struggling in front of trying times, it is
common for anyone to struggle. Even though immigrants might be aware of the
hardships they are facing, they should be careful with whatever they do.
Helping immigrants with this is important, not just giving them financial
assistance, immigrants need to help each other and feel safe, that is why
communities of immigrants need to work together. Not everyone wants to help the
needy, that is understandable, but it would also mean a loss of control over
money.
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