Category: social problems

Immigrants in the American society

It is estimated by the United States Census Bureau that most of the immigrants in the United States (almost half of them) reside in big cities like Los Angeles, New York, Miami, or Chicago (United States Population Clock, par. 1). The large amounts of people in these areas put enormous pressure on the social and natural environment surrounding them and on the economic income distribution. This is because immigrants and illegal aliens put pressure on the market by influencing the rise of education and health care costs. Another effect is the influencing of the pay-per-hour amount in the job market (of course by decreasing it) and so competing with citizens. But by doing so immigrants themselves have low-income earnings and thus having difficulties in fulfilling their needs. They do not have the same consuming power as the rest of the people living in the United States. So immigrants are more endangered by poverty as a category than the other part of our society. In the United States, the Census Bureau (part of the U.S. Department of Commerce) in the 2008 release of Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2007 report acknowledges that:

In 2007, the family poverty rate and the number of families in poverty were 9.8 percent and 7.6 million. (U.S. Census Bureau Press Release, par. 6).

And from these people that were in poverty, the rate of non-US citizens, which means immigrants, in poverty is:

Among the foreign-born population, the poverty rate and the number in poverty increased to 16.5 percent and 6.2 million, respectively, in 2007, from 15.2 percent and 5.7 million, respectively, in 2006. An increase in poverty for U.S. noncitizens (from 19.0 percent in 2006 to 21.3 percent in 2007) accounted for the rise in poverty for the foreign-born population overall. U.S. Census Bureau Press Release, par. 12)

Relation between business, technology, and the people

Every company, corporate, or even small firm, has as its objective to increase earnings. One way of doing this is by cutting costs. The other is by gaining a large share of the market and by doing so appealing to more consumers. Most businesses have developed a research & development sector. For example, the alliance with technology with businesses that manufacture goods and/or offer services can lead to large margins for corporations if they are successful in bringing new products to market, and can serve as a source of strong competitive advantage for the best practitioners of research & development. These businesses use the technology to maximize their use and utilization of the natural resources, basically needed to manufacture goods and even offer services. The other factor businesses are using to cut costs is by employing large numbers of the immigrant workforce. This helps businesses lower salaries. Here the profit is for both parts. Immigrants find work and have a source of income; business finds a cheap working force and by doing so cuts its costs. But as you can see from the statistics given above the profit on the part of the immigrants is not that effective. They gain not enough to help them fulfill all of their needs so still considerable parts of the immigrant communities are in poverty. Another problem relating to communities, business, and technology is that by trying to maximize the utilization of natural resources we are putting ever-rising pressure on the environment. Thus we cause environmental stress. It is the interaction between technology, social systems, and the environment. From this interaction air and water pollution are produced, along with problems of solid-waste disposal and other hazards (Business failure pathways: environmental stress and organizational response, par. 4).

Cultural lag

These relations between different institutions of society (being social or economic) and technology have been studied by many scholars. One scholar, William F. Ogburn, advanced a theory in which he tries to explain the relationship between different institutions in society and technological advancements. He called it the cultural lag theory:

It suggests that there is a gap between the technical development of a society and its moral and legal institutions. The failure of the latter to keep pace with the former is said, in certain societies, to explain (at least some) social conflict and problems. (Marshall, 1998: pg. 14).

This theory suggests that social institutions and technology keep adjusting and readjusting to each other but there are times that one (mostly technology) changes radically and a lag develops. This lag is the cause of tensions between these parts of the culture. In our case, it can be seen as the cause of the lack of social responsibility by businesses in the last century. It can be argued that business keeps up with technology improvements faster than other social institutions by providing financing for new inventions that provide ways of cost cuts or profit increase. But nowadays the rising awareness of the population has forced businesses to invest in more socially responsible technology. That is the technology that does as little harm to the environment as possible. There are trends in researching and developing alternative fuel efficiencies for example. Some businesses are committed to social responsibility as much as profit increases. Ben & jerrys Homemade Inc. is an example of this (our Mission Statement, par. 1 & 3). So, the interrelation between people, technology, and business is a dynamic one. I think that these days it is changing in favor of the people than of business. Technology that once was used primarily to increase the profits of businesses now is used in a more respectable way toward the environment. Unfortunately, the immigrant part of the society still is being marginalized and it is used by businesses to lower wages and so cut businesses costs. Lets hope this will also change in the future.

References

1. Marshall, Gordon. (1998). A Dictionary of Sociology. Oxford, Oxford University Press.
2. (2008). Population Clocks. U.S. Census Bureau.
3. (2008). U.S. Census Bureau Press Release. U.S. Census Bureau.
4. Moulton, Wilbur. Thomas, Howard. Pruett, Mark. (1996). Business failure pathways: environmental stress and organizational response. Journal of Management.
5. (2008). Our Mission Statement. Ben & Jerrys Homemade Inc.

Introduction

Social life is a complicated process that is connected with a lot of relationships between the representatives of different classes into which the society is divided. It is not surprising, therefore, that these classes are in constant struggle with each other for power and wealth. However, such members of each of the social classes as women and elderly people are subject to various oppressions and multiple-jeopardy more than other representatives of such classes as bourgeoisie, working class, etc. This can be explained from various perspectives of social life, especially from the point of view of the conflict and functional perspectives. Consequently, this paper will focus on the issues that place women and elderly people in the American society under multiple-jeopardy through the perspectives of conflict and functional relations of these social groups with the whole society.

Functional Perspective

The issues that women face in the modern society are rather various but their essence is limited to oppression and discrimination based on the sexual, social or racial principles. Consequently, if a functional perspective is taken into consideration, these discriminations of women can be viewed as the misinterpretations between the functions that women are expected to fulfill in the society, i. e. be housekeepers, mothers and wives, and the functions they actually fulfill nowadays, i. e. being successful careerists, business people and entrepreneurs. Accordingly, the social attitude towards such changes is dual for some people understand the necessity of change, while others still struggle against them causing women discrimination. Consequently, poverty and unemployment are the results of the misinterpretation of the functional perspective of the social life (Kornblum, W. & Julian, J., 2008).

The same can be said about the situation with elderly people in the society. The only difference between the issues women and elderly people face in this respect is the expectations of the society towards them. If women are viewed as the social group breaking the traditional boundaries of their functions in the society, elderly people is viewed as the ones that can not fulfill any useful function in the society, and therefore they are discriminated. In other words, traditional public opinion can not find any application of the functions that elderly people can fulfill in the society, and due to this discriminated these groups of people providing them with less means for existence, wealthy living, means for health care, social services, etc. These are the major factors that cause social problems of those who constitute the groups of women and elderly people in the society (Kornblum, W. & Julian, J., 2008).

Conflict Perspective

Moreover, if viewed from the point of the second most important social perspective, conflict, the social problems and multiple-jeopardy of women and elderly people can be explained by other arguments. First of all, the conflict perspective of social science claims that different social groups and classes are in a constant fight between each other for power, wealth and domination in the society. Thus, the oppression and discrimination of women, according to this point of view, can be considered as the attempt of men directed at preserving their dominant position in the society. In other words, males dominate in the society since ancient times, and the modern trend towards emancipation of women and their access to the functions that were formerly fulfilled exclusively by men, is perceived hostilely by men. Accordingly, men controlling the major spheres of human activity and profit earning in the society, create for women worse working and living conditions artificially. For example, this is manifested in the lower wages offered by male employers to their female employees, rejection of female applicant for some positions, etc (Kornblum, W. & Julian, J., 2008).

For the elderly people, the conflict perspective is also applicable. First of all, the conflict between the elderly population that occupies the most important and powerful positions in the society and the younger people willing to substitute them on those positions is evident. Secondly, the inner family conflicts based on the struggle of the elderly and younger generation are often as far as the elderly people are willing to have care while youngsters are busy with building their own careers and have no time and desire to care for their elderly family members. Thus, from the point of view of the conflict perspective, the social problems and especially the multiple-jeopardy experienced by elderly people are viewed as the natural consequences of the conflict of interests which accompanies the existence of every two social groups when one of the possesses social influence and another one is eager of obtaining that influence (Kornblum, W. & Julian, J., 2008).

Conclusions

To conclude, the issues of social discrimination and multiple-jeopardy experienced by women and elderly people have their roots in two fundamental perspectives of social life  functional and conflict perspectives. Nowadays, aging of population is viewed as one of the most serious social problems and the understanding of the above considered perspectives should add to creation of the ways for its solution.

References

Kornblum, W. & Julian, J. (2008). Social Problems: (13^th edition). Prentice Hall.

Introduction

A social problem is a condition considered by some members who live in a particular community as being undesirable. The big population generally agrees about some social problems, such as murders and robbery. Other social problems are viewed differently, dependent on the different groups of people in a society (Chiricos, 2006). An example is; teenagers who play loud music at home, their parents and other people (especially the more advanced in age) may consider it an undesirable social condition.

A construct in the context of social problems can hence be a social issue that is a direct or indirect result of social human activity, either individual or group work. There are four main social problems; crime, violence, drug abuse, and environmental problems. The other social problems are very closely related to the above.

Crime

A crime is the deviant breach of rules and laws for which some governing authority (through institutions like the police power) ultimately prescribes a conviction and some form of punishment (Chiricos, 2006, p. 6). All societies have there different ways of describing crime in diverse ways. Whilst every offense violates the law, not every offense is considered a crime. For instance, violation of civil laws is seen as an infraction or as an offense.

Crime can be classified into two categories; violent and non-violent.

Non-violent crime does not involve the use of force or violence to achieve the intended results. Most of these crimes are hence categorized as offenses or infractions. Common amongst non-violent crimes are; cybercrime and fraud.

Cybercrime is also called computer crime. In this case, the offender uses computers and the internet as his or her means to steal money or a persons identity. Cybercrimes comprise rather prestigious violations, especially those surrounding hacking, official document violation, and infant pornography. Confidential information and data can be lost or intercepted, lawfully or otherwise, using the internet, this is identity theft.

Computer felony comprises a wide variety of potentially unlawful actions. Generally, it is divided into two categories: crimes that directly target computer networks or devices and crimes facilitated by computer networks or devices, the primary target here is independent of the computer network or device (Chiricos, 2006). Cybercriminals are undeterred by the prospects of arrest and prosecution; they lurk on the Net as an ever-present menace to the financial health of businesses, customers trust, and an emerging threat to nations security.

When it comes to violent crime, this is very diverse; robbery and rape are the most common. Rape is when the victim is forced to has involuntary sexual intercourse and has happened to both men and women of any age. In most cases, rape is not sex but power. Mainly, a rapist uses verbal intimidation, violent force or a combination of both to have mental and physical control over his or her victim. Rape is a crime, as long as it is forced and involuntary. It does not matter if the person who committed it is known to the victim (a family member a date, or an acquaintance), or a stranger (McConnell International LLC, 2000). Women and children are most vulnerable and are often endangered in the places where or with people whom they should be safest with: within their families. Most of these victims are faced with terror at a place they should be assured of their own security, home. The victims of rape suffer both body and mental torture. Usually, the victims do not speak out about the attacks because they are often facing threats. This is a denial of human rights and their lives endangered by the ever-present threat of violence (McConnell International LLC, 2000).

Robbery is seen as a crime, the violent taking of ones property, through intimidation, violently or the use of both, as compared to fraud often considered as theft, which is more acceptable. Robbery is dissimilar from easy theft since the criminal uses aggression and bullying. In most countries, robbery with violence is considered a capital offense and its punishment severe. Even though the death sentence has been abolished in many countries, capital offenders are faced with another form of maximum sentence, life imprisonment

Violence

Violence is the expression of physical or verbal force against self or another. Violence is used world-over as a means to manipulate. This makes it a source of concern for both state laws and societal cultures that make efforts to either suppress or stop it. It differs from being a physical assault amid two inhabitants where a minor wound may direct to the conflict that may to genocides where millions pass away as the end result. Violence is classified into three categories; Self-directed violence, Interpersonal violence and Collective violence (World Health Organization, 2010). Self-directed violence is popular among adolescents but not restricted to this age group. A variety of stressful events or circumstances can put people at increased risk of harming themselves including the loss of loved ones, interpersonal conflicts with family or friends and legal or work-related problems (p. 4)

Interpersonal violence is inclusive of child abuse, violence between intimate partners and sexual violence. It occurs in our homes and places often considered public (on the streets, in the workplace and in learning institutions). In 2000, homicides as a result of interpersonal violence totaled a staggering 520 000 deaths (World Health Organization, 2009). Interpersonal violence victims mostly think and feel they deserve this kind of treatment because the abusers brainwash them too, often verbally. In reaction to this, non-governmental organizations, governments and communities are vigorously attempting to avoid interpersonal aggression, by providing monetary, mechanical and policy support to the victims.

Collective violence in most cases manifests as wars. When two or more separate socio-political entities engage in organized violent conflict, it is said that they have declared war on each other. This is an intentional and widespread-armed conflict between social communities (World Report on Violence and Health, 2009). The impact of combined aggression on health in terms of deaths, physical illnesses, disabilities and mental suffering, is enormous.

Drug abuse

This can be defined as the excessive in-take or reliance on a psychoactive drug that has a non-therapeutic non-medical effect. Alcohol is the most abused drug. Most drug abusers quickly evolve into drug addicts, often characterized by unemployment, poor hygiene, and lack of motivation in life and petty theft to sustain their addictions.

Teenagers are more easily addicted to drugs than grown-ups are. Adult family members are often unaware of drug abuse in the family (McConnell International LLC, 2000). Teenage drug abuse has become a rather thorny issue for many families, due to the high number of teenagers who are abusing drugs and the severity of drug abuse-related consequences. Understanding addiction as a problem that needs medical advice is the most important step towards beating the problem. Rehabilitation is, therefore, a lifelong commitment and is vital to be supported by ones family.

Drug abuse and addiction are often viewed as the abusers problem to deal with solely. This is mainly because most cultures worldwide place a high value on individuality.

Environmental problems

Environmental problems are a direct result of irresponsible social practices targeted towards the environment. It is the direct consequence of the interaction between socio-economic and institutional technological activities. Economic growth, rising energy use, population growth, agriculture intensification, transportation and urbanization are the main factors that are directly contributing to environmental problems that the earth faces (McConnell International LLC, 2000).

Yearly, the leader of the United States of America lectures the United States Congress outlining the annual governmental plan in the State of the Union. The address information on the state of the nation and allows the leader to sketch his lawmaking schedule and nationwide priorities to the legislature.

United States Capitol is the venue for the annual address. Obama, been the United States of Americas president gave his speech on January 27, 2010, to a joint session of Congress. In his speech, the president pointed the need to build clean energy facilities. This is aimed at cutting back on environmental pollution.

He outlined that this would be achieved by building nuclear power plants, exploring off-shore areas for oil and gas, investing in advanced biofuels and clean coal technologies, comprehensive energy and climate bill to make clean energy profitable.

The president also proposed tackling childhood obesity; this is to be headed by the first lady, Michelle Obama. Health professionals have described obesity as a nationwide pandemic. About nine million kids are affected (Chiricos, 2006). Lifestyle factors and a childs eating habits determine if a child is obese or not. Children who are not supervised by adults at mealtime are subjected to take foods that are high in fats and sugar levels. This will most likely lead to obesity if the childs lifestyle includes watching TV, playing computer games and chatting online, instead of outdoor activities and games.

Conclusion

So as to reach maximum numbers of young people, school-based interventions are important. School staff cannot replace mental health professionals, but they can be trained to identify the signs and symptoms of self-directed violence and offer appropriate guidance and counseling (Chiricos, 2006). Victims of interpersonal violence must not suffer in silence but instead reach to the various organizations ready and willing to help them. They should also encourage their perpetrators to seek help. This in turn will save so many lives.

To minimize victims and casualties of collective violence, governments should seek to address socio-political issues and problems before they escalate out of control.

Humankind must practice responsible behavior towards one another and the environment.

In his speech, the president acknowledges the need for behavioral, attitude and practices change by the American government towards the environment. Governments should hence reinforce and encourage their citizenry to observe the rules and regulations that govern crime, violence, drug abuse and environmental problems. Individuals should also strive to be responsible citizens, looking out for each other through community crime security watch, refrain from violence, and avoid drug abuse and responsible environmental practices. With most areas of the planet under threat from global warming, individuals and governments alike should practice eco-friendly mass of production goods.

Reference

Chiricos, T. (2006). What is a social problem? Project legals public policy analyst. Web.

McConnell International LLC (2000). Cyber Crime and Punishment. Archaic Laws Threaten Global Information. Web.

World Health Organization. (2010). Types of Violence, Web.

World Report on Violence and Health. (2009).Collective violence. Web.

Summary

Hunger problem, income gap, race discrimination, poverty in rural regions, and COVID-19 outbreak have severe effects on the hunger problem. For instance, the income gap directly impacts the hunger problem through citizens wealth-income ability. Additionally, race discrimination also significantly affects the issue, leading to most territories comprising African Americans and Hispanics experiencing poverty and food insecurity (Galer-Unti, 2019).

Furthermore, poverty in rural regions such as Mississippi and Alabama reduce the individuals access to food near the United States urban areas. Moreover, the COVID-19 outbreak similarly impacted famished actions due to the loss of job opportunity. Therefore, the ravenous issue affects the industrial macro-operations at large. The hunger problem exists comprising theoretical perspective escalating the consequences. However, there are possible solutions to alleviate the problem, including proper use of government revenue to feed the people and eradicate racial segregation.

How Hunger Problem Emerged

The hunger problem arose when the food shortage crisis progressed continuously in the United States. For instance, Mississippi and Alabamas highest food insecurity rates proved the hunger conflict as the arising issue (Wolfson & Lueng, 2020). These areas are densely populated and since there is little food to share, food scarcity is experienced. Numerous factors have contributed to the current hunger problem in the United States. Among them are the income gap, race discrimination, poverty in rural regions, and COVID-19 outbreak. As a result, the economy has been left devastated and unstable. Firstly, the income gap has widely contributed to the phenomenon.

The difference in individuals wages is significant, rendering the low-income citizens poor and unable to afford a decent living. Secondly, racial discrimination has also played a significant part in the current food situation. Citizens are racially segregated during food distribution and economic development (United States Department of Agriculture, 2020). Furthermore, poverty in rural regions of Mississippi and Alabama affects an individuals access to food from a grocery store near the United States urban centers. The COVID-19 outbreak similarly facilitates the conflict due to the loss of job opportunity it induced.

Understanding of the Theoretical Perspectives

After reading several materials and conducted studies on the theoretical perspectives surrounding this phenomenon, I have understood that sometimes the hunger levels are not only based on the income levels, but racial discrimination or poverty levels, on the biological, psychological and political perspectives. Hunger strikes have recently increased as it has been utilized to effect social change or further an agenda.

For instance, by examining the current hunger strikes from a comparative perspective, they have been tactically used to seek change against the state by citizens, especially, from the low-income category. Moreover, several themes and explanations have surfaced regarding hunger strikes, including appeal to the individual with absolutely no power, especially when political opportunities are few. Additionally, the information has helped me understand the significance of hunger strikes for low-class struggles and its importance in national protests dynamics.

Furthermore, the government must realize which theoretical perspective to work with to achieve food security fully. Going by the socialist perspective of famines current state, all human needs satisfaction is not easy to achieve. On the one hand, since socialism focusses on economic provision and satisfaction of human wants, it is incapable of fully providing food security. As much as capitalism results in irrationality and injustices, its feasibility can clearly be understood from a productive perspective. Therefore, the government should tax those individuals that can afford to pay and wisely use the revenue to provide for its citizens.

How to Alleviate Hunger

Creation of more job opportunities for unemployed citizens in the United States alleviates hunger. All the qualified and trained individuals from various institutions should be offered jobs to earn for a leaving. Vacancy should be created to enable every citizen to get an income (Galer-Unti, 2019). The money acquired will enable them to buy enough food, thus eradicating hunger. The entrepreneurs should also develop more business ideas to get a source of income to survive. Apart from creating job opportunities, the COVID-19 ailment should be controlled and prevented to eliminate its spread leading to inadequate nutrition.

Its continuous spread leads to more money used for treatment at the medication center than using the same money to buy food (Food Security, 2019). Preventing COVID-19 would portray good use of money to treat the disease and use it for food purchase purposes.

Development of infrastructure in the rural areas eliminates hunger. The ministry should construct roads and railways in remote areas to stimulate the grocery products transportation from the urban areas to rural areas for use (Wolfson & Lueng, 2020). The vehicles and trains can transport the fruits and vegetables, dairy products; as proteins should be moved to the remote areas in Alabama to help feed the starving individuals.

Thus, proper transportation methods would promote less expense in petrol utilization, reducing the cost while eradicating poverty. Additionally, the agriculturalists should promote activities such as farming and irrigation to ensure hunger alleviation. These agricultural projects would lead to large scale farming for home consumption and sales marketing (Feeding America, 2020). The practice would improve the living standards of individuals, leading to a better socio-economic status. Similarly, the activities will eliminate food insecurity since all grocery products and nutrients will be made available.

Furthermore, Community action programs run by respective location authorities would create awareness to all individuals on the importance of a healthy diet. It also improves the efficiency and effectiveness of promoting better coordination to various authorized programs to help the poor. The authorities present would ensure that all are educated on the consequences of lack of enough food in the body enabling personnel to strive harder to avoid food insecurity (Wolfson & Lueng, 2020). Rural societies will apply high specialized assistance procedures and entrepreneurship practices to avoid hunger in the United States. The banks offering loans application opportunities to agriculturalists and savings would decrease hunger in the United States.

Possible Solutions

One major possible solution to alleviate hunger is healthy lifestyle promotion. Individuals should strive harder to improve their health status ensuring proper food intake to avoid starving at all costs (Galer-Unti, 2019). Another possible solution is to provide agricultural education through training and technical skill development to engage them in better leisure practices and implications (Institute for Policy Research, 2020). Moreover, effective financial means reducing expenses at the initial stages of production, proper storage, and product and services transportation eliminates hunger. It leads to efficient distribution and selling, and marketing of particular food items.

Conclusion

To sum up, hunger has been a major problem in the U.S. However, there are possible causes to alleviate: the income gap, poverty in rural areas, the outbreak of COVID-19, and racial discrimination. The theoretical perspectives study leads to the assumptions of the hunger existence continuity fostered by the COVID-19 pandemic issues. The pandemic spreads at a high rate; hence most people experience food purchase uncertainty due to unemployment. Creating more job opportunities for unemployed citizens in the United States is the critical solution that eliminates hunger pangs. One of the possible solutions includes healthy food promotion.

References

Feeding America (2020). The impact of the coronavirus on food insecurity. Web.

Galer-Unti, R. (2019). Hunger and food assistance policy in the United States. Routledge.

Institute for Policy Research (2020). COVID-19 Impact Survey. Web.

United States Department of Agriculture (2020). Food Security Status of U.S. Households in 2019. Web.

Wolfson, J. A., & Leung, C. W. (2020). Food Insecurity During COVID-19: An acute crisis with long-term health implications. American Journal of Public Health, 110(12), 17631765. Web.

Introduction

TED Talks are extremely popular nowadays. The purpose of this essay is to analyze the Ted Talk of Sendhil Mullainathan, titled Solving social problems with a nudge, where he describes the issues of the last mile (Mullainathan, 2009). The essay will thoroughly discuss the particular Ted Talk by inspecting whether the author made a strong argument for his claim and whether his examples are relevant to the question under discussion. The speaker describes the last mile in medicine, science, and other topics being the human minds difficulties. He presents the subject from a distant perspective and tries to appear as a non-biased person. However, as a behavioral economist, he cannot be utterly non-partial since he tries to persuade the audience to comply with his worldview. The speakers perspective is on the human minds diversity and complexity that makes people manufacture irrational behavior, perpetuating poverty, corruption, and discrimination. However, despite the speakers arguments overall correctness, its quality is not as good and useful as it could be.

Rhetorical Situations

The speakers target audience is people of 30+, who are looking for some answers in life, so they tend to absorb new information presented in a fun and entertaining way better. The lecturers purpose is to explain the concept of the last mile and define how difficult it is to fight this mile since it is essentially a fight with windmills, metaphorically speaking. The speaker aims to describe simple concepts and thoughts to an audience. He showcases the apparent problem, presents rather obvious examples, and expects people to change their worldview and the set of beliefs they grew up with just after 17 minutes of Ted Talk.

Furthermore, this particular Ted Talk was recorded in 2009, a relatively calm period in the Earths history, which is why it was shocking to hear what he presented as evidence. The speaker bestowed the cases of death from diarrhea in India, which are unfortunate and entirely preventable. The information that Sendhil deliberately chose to avoid is human behavioral psychology. He mentioned the consequences of peoples prejudice but did not say anything about the root cause of the problem. The main reason that humans are irrational is in their upbringing: family, friends, exposure to the relevant data, and the information that comes from school.

Therefore, by concentrating on the consequence, his ideas sounded vague and not valid enough. He failed to mention that the set of beliefs present in the family is likely to pass to the next generation and, therefore, the issue of the last mile will stay. The problem of the last mile stems from peoples lack of education levels and the reluctance to understand something new. For this reason, the argument felt unmotivated, confusing, and unfinished. Although the speaker uses relevant rhetorical appeals (emotion and logic), it does not help strengthen his statement. It is more likely to confuse the audience even more since it is hard to understand his purpose until the end of his speech.

Evidence

The speaker uses a plethora of proof, such as anecdotal, testimonial, textual, and analogical evidence, hoping it would strengthen his argument. His primary example was about the causes of diarrhea deaths in India, especially in children. This arguments problem was that Indian women did not know that the diarrhea was curable and that their kids die from the curable disease. However, Sendhil Mullainathan completely dismisses the problem of education, stating that Indian people are educated enough. Nonetheless, as he said, almost 50% of questioned Indian females did not know how to treat an infant with diarrhea.

First, as of 2009, it was harder for females to get proper education since they were considered not fit for an educational field. Therefore, a significant percentage of Indian females were homeschooled and hardly passed pre-school education. Before marriage, their primary source of information is their family, where the father is most likely not involved in the childrens education. As a consequence, everything falls onto the mother or sisters and brothers. Therefore, diarrhea is tied to the lack of education among Indian females, which increases the death rates of infants. The speaker was correct when he stated that it is a problem of the human mind and perception, but he missed several important points, making his evidence weak. As an audience member, I would also like to learn how I can contribute to the solution of the given problem and what was the root cause of the issue instead of its consequences.

Presentation

The main strength of his speech is in his presentation and the way he interacts with the audience. The speaker represents everything he states through several slides to connect with the audience and make his arguments more believable. Moreover, he plays with an audience by asking them questions and engaging them in tasks. However, again, he tries to empower his evidence by making irrelevant examples, which weaken his argument. The speaker also fails to end his talk effectively and memorably. Nevertheless, despite these apparent setbacks, Sendhil Mullainathan is still relatively good with presentational skills; his humor, body language, and other visual aids are impressive.

Conclusion

To conclude, this TED Talk is excellent from a presentational point of view because from this perspective, his work was almost flawless. However, his argument was weak for the reason that he used irrelevant examples and failed to mention the root cause of the problem. The lack of good examples leaves the audience confused and disoriented, although, as he stated, he achieved the effect of feeling dumber when waking up.

Reference

Mullainathan, S. (2009). Solving social problems with a nudge [Video]. TED. Web.

Introduction

The definition and understanding of contemporary social problems since the 1950s are not complete without understanding the concept of the sociological imagination. For a proper discernment of this term, it is necessary to support it with other theoretical ideas that best reveal the causes and consequences of both personal and social problems.

It will be apparent that every person in this or that society is faced with one or more social problems, either reinforced by personal problems or explained just by the sociological imagination. From the point of view of a personal character, it is easy to assume that, for example, criminals or inveterate alcoholics are themselves guilty of their situation. However, sociology is not so primitive and often tells us that individual and personal problems are a circumstance or a consequence of more significant problems in society and the state. Both the correct statement of the problem and the range of possible solutions require any of us to consider the economic and political institutions of the society, and not merely the personal situation and character of a scatter of individuals (Mills, 2000, p. 15).

Personal Issues and Public Issues

In the classification of personal problems, one can clearly distinguish crucial features, namely, that a person who has suffered from such conflicts blames himself and his shortcomings for their cause. There are many examples of related problems, each of us is exposed to them daily or knows someone who had similar issues and experience in analogous cases. Public or social problems are already complex, as they affect part or all of society living under one culture in any specific state. Therefore, Mills, in his reports, often considers personal problems from the point of view of the sociological imagination. Similarly, he tries to assess the structural features of some personal issues in people in the community.

To better understand such an explanation, one can use the concepts of class and classism and evaluate in detail why certain people are more likely to be unemployed and not adequately educated. If the number of jobless people in population of 1000 can be counted on the fingers of one hand, then in most cases, this will be their problem, which their characteristics and abilities could explain. Nevertheless, in the history of humankind and modern society, unemployment, and as a result, poverty is presented as a social problem, as the cause of the collapse of the state system. Therefore, according to other sociologists, solving such problems requires the intervention of many other factors, such as socio-economic indicators and the work of state institutions (Mills, 2000). This exact statement allows a deeper look at the social construct of society.

Recent studies conducted in the UK have adequately shed light on this concept. According to Savage et al., their comprehensive and numerical analysis, proposing a new model of social classes in the United Kingdom, confirmed the presence of social inequality, which explains the reasons for the low level of education and high unemployment (2013, p. 245). As figures and maps show, the precariat mostly lives in old industrialized regions with few opportunities for quality education. In addition, their national gross income does not exceed 8,000 pounds sterling per capita, affecting their living standard and often determining their future career prospects (Savage et al, 2013, p. 243). Another thing is already with the highest representatives of the social class. Despite their condition and opportunities, they do not try to solve or at least understand the essence of the problem that arises among the lower classes.

Classism in turn, perfectly intersects with the concept that continues the idea of Mills, namely in words of W. Ryan: to blame the victim, but not the system. That is, in his opinion, people themselves tend to blame the victims of specific problems without trying to understand other factors that can be decisive (Brott et al., 2018). Another problem can be considered, which in peoples opinion, is often caused by personal reasons rather than social ones. Eating disorders, and as a result, anorexia or obesity, are personal problems in terms of their formation. However, the sociological imagination can also explain the problem in terms of cultural and social factors. The data show that there are many more women than men among people with eating disorders in the United States, and according to healthcare experts, this is due to beauty standards (Assari & DeFreitas, 2018). The media often force the ideal of female beauty and harmony, which is why a culture of striving for thinness appears. Social classes also confirm this statement, referring to the low earnings of the female part of the population concerning men, who can more often maintain and monitor their health (Kent, Ricketts, 2022). Hence the assumption that this societal standard imposed by the media and mainstream platforms can be resolved through organic change.

Continuing the idea of social class and its connection with the sociological imagination, one can consider such a social problem as the level of education among poor children. The absence in this case of the sociological imagination and the concept of blaming the victim would mean that most people blame parents for their children learning so little and suffering from it in the future. However, such rhetoric ignores that education, as a large cluster, does not work effectively. Lack of funding, lack of qualified teachers, outdated data and textbooks, and outdated technical devices can play a significant role in childrens education level, rather than the reluctance of parents to study their child (Holmqvist, 2019). The social class of the elite or middle class allows parents of such children to cover expensive primary education in private schools, when, as in public schools, childrens knowledge level will be markedly lower.

Conclusion

In conclusion, according to the concept of Wright Mills, any personal problems should be considered not only from the individuals approach but also from the point of view of social order, social class, income level, and cultural characteristics. Often, structural problems in society are the primary cause of personal problems not only in individuals but in the whole society, as can be seen from the unemployment rate or the population suffering from various eating disorders. That is not an absolute rule that can be applied to each person in any particular situation. Instead, such a method of determining social and personal problems allows us to take a broader look at certain structural features of the institution, ranging from the family to the economy of the entire state. Understanding and considering the idea of social classes and sociological characteristics makes it possible to resolve such conflicts in society.

References

Assari, S., & DeFreitas, M. (2018). Ethnic variations in psychosocial and health correlates of eating disorders. Healthcare, 6(2), 38. doi:10.3390/healthcare6020038

Brott, H., Kornbluh, M., Incaudo, G., Banks, L., & Reece, J. (2018). Placing a spotlight on rural homelessness: Identifying the barriers and facilitators to successfully supporting homeless families within rural communities. Journal of Poverty, 23(3), 179-201. doi:10.1080/10875549.2018.1549184

Holmqvist, M. (2019). Lack of qualified teachers: A global challenge for future knowledge development. Teacher Education in the 21st Century. doi:10.5772/intechopen.83417

Kent, A., & Ricketts, L. (2022). Gender wealth gap: Families headed by women have lower wealth: St. Louis Fed.

Mills, C. W., & Gitlin, T. (2000). The sociological imagination. Oxford University Press.

Savage, M., Devine, F., Cunningham, N., Taylor, M., Li, Y., Hjellbrekke, J., Le Roux, B., Friedman, S., & Miles, A. (2013). A new model of social class? findings from the BBCs Great British Class Survey Experiment. Sociology, 47(2), 219250.

Introduction

Following the news in the media, people acknowledge the prevalence of violence in society. In addition to violence depiction in various films, shows, and video games, news outlets are filled with reports on cases of violence as well. It should be noted in such matters that there are no layers in the society, which are free from violent influences in one way or another. Violence not only affects individuals, families, and ethnic and religious groups, but also whole nations are affected with violence. In that regard, it can be stated that violence is an important problem in the society in which community violence can be seen as one of the most common types, which raises major concerns.

The present paper provides extensive research on the problem of violence in communities, in terms of its significance in the society, the different perspectives, its position in literature and the potential means for intervention.

Problem Statement

Violence is defined as the use of force to injure people or to destroy their property, and which can be divided into individual and group violence (Henslin, 2008, p. 132). The violence in communities can be defined through indicating the community context for violence. Thus, community violence can be defined as events in the local neighborhood involving crime, weapons use, and violence or potential violence perpetrated by people outside of the immediate family (Horowitz & McKay, 2005, p. 356). With violence in general being divided into main categories, violence in communities is often categorized into violence direct exposure, or victimization, and indirect exposure, or witnessing violence (Buka, Stichick, Birdthistle, & Earls, 2001, p. 298).

Additionally, the definition of community violence might consider several variables, which accordingly might refine the definition into being more specific. Such variables were identified in Rosenthal and Wilson (2003) as the location in which violence is taking place, i.e. inside or outside the home, sexual or non-sexual in nature, singular or more commonplace events, direct or indirect exposure, and being the victim or witnessing violence (Rosenthal & Wilson, 2003, p. 461).

With the definition clarified, the scale of the problem can be seen through governmental figures and statistics, according to which the problem can be assessed and evaluated. Such statistics include such facts as homicide as the leading cause of death among black males and females 15-34 years of age and the second leading cause of death all 10-19 -year-olds, by 1992 (Buka, et al., 2001, p. 298). Other statistics include domestic violence as the leading cause of injury related deaths among pregnant women in the 1990s (Englander, 2007, p. 16). In terms of child abuse, such facts are even more serious, where the results of 1996 study indicates that for children 18 years of younger approximately 1,554,000, children were found to be victims of maltreatment, 734,000 were found to be victims physical, emotional or sexual abuse, and 879,000 were victims of neglect (Margolin & Gordis, 2000, p. 447).

In that regard, it can be seen that the scale of the problem of community violence poses a real problem to the society, which is shaped through by many realities, such as cultural, social and economical. Additionally, the problem of community violence has been numerously discussed in scholarly literature, in order to identify the causes and the direct and indirect t consequences of such phenomenon. In such a context, a specific focus was directed toward children and adolescents as the victims of community crimes as well as offenders.

Literature Review

Causes

There are numerous causes linked to the occurrence of violence in communities. One perspective on the causes of community violence can be seen through psychological theories. Such theories emphasize learning as one of the causes of violence, i.e. rewarding or reinforcing violence can cause the person to be violent again (Henslin, 2008, p. 138). Another view on such cause can be seen through emphasizing modeling and copying as one of the causes of violence. Such theories can be supported through the model proposed in Miller and Knudsen (2007), reviewed in Temple (2009), which suggests an inter- and intra-generational approach that assumes the existence of potential of violence in a family. Accordingly, the modeling and the copying factor, explained in psychological theorists, can be seen in particular cycle of violence, the initial causes of which can be substance abuse, self-harm, and mental health (Temple, 2009, p. 386). The latter can be also linked to the sub-cultural theory, which states that growing in a subculture approving violence can be influential in learning to be violent (Henslin, 2008, p. 139). In terms of the mental health factor, it was also supported in Silver, Felson, and Vaneseltine (2008), a study in which it was found that a history of mental health treatment is more strongly associated with assaultive violence and sexual offenses than with other types of crimes (Silver, Felson, & Vaneseltine, 2008, p. 405).

The sociological approach, on the other hand, can be seen through emphasizing external risk factors, rather than causes within the people. Rather than looking for violence-inducing characteristics within people, such as chromosomes and inhibitory mechanisms, sociologists focus on matters outside people (Henslin, 2008, p. 138). Such risk factors can be divided into several contexts, where for example the neighborhood context implies such factors as deficits in institutional resources, collective efficiency, social cohesion and informal social control (Aisenberg & Herrenkohl, 2008, p. 298). The family context, on the other hand, implies other factors, the absence of the occurrence of which influences violence in communities. Such factors might include family living arrangements, living with biological parents, the degree of parent-child conflict, and others (Buka, et al., 2001, p. 302). While not being perceived as causes in themselves, such factors can be seen as predictors increasing the possibility of being victimized or witnessing violence. Other social community risk factors might include economic and demographic variables that correlate with violence. Such variables include poverty rates, gender characteristics, and racial/ethnic compositions (Buka, et al., 2001, p. 302).

Consequences

The consequences of community violence can be assessed in terms of violence exposure. In such context, violence exposure was found to be linked to such aspects as morbidity and mortality of adolescents. Additionally, exposure to violence was identified as a risk factor for the development of emotional and behavioral problems (Aisenberg & Herrenkohl, 2008, p. 297). The community violence was also found responsible for a pattern of trauma exposure, defined as compounded community trauma: multiple traumatic events both in the home and outside of the home (on the streets and at school) throughout development (Horowitz & McKay, 2005, p. 356). Such exposure was studied in Horowitz et al. (1995), cited in Horowitz and McKay (2005), and was believed to lead to mental health consequences, reporting a pattern of high rates of symptoms in all three of Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom clusters (Horowitz & McKay, 2005, p. 357). PTSD symptom clusters include re-experiencing, avoidance, and hyperarousal, according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder, cited in (Horowitz & McKay, 2005). The occurrence of such consequences can be explained in that community violence creates an environment of constant danger, more similar to a war without an end (Horowitz & McKay, 2005, p. 357). In a study by Guterman, Hahm, and Cameron (2002), the relation between community violence and mental health was investigated. The study analyzed 4590 adolescents attending school in grades 7 through 12 and found that 19.6% experienced at least one form of personal victimization, 11% of which stated that they used mental health services at 1-year follow up (Guterman, Hahm, & Cameron, 2002).

In addition to consequences related to mental health, other outcomes might occur as well, specifically for witnessing violence. Substance abuse can be seen as one of such consequences, where Kilpatrick et al. (2000), cited in Buka, Stichick, Birdthistle, and Earls (2001), found that witnessing violence was one of the strongest factors for disorders related to substance abuse. Exposure to violence (ETV) triples the risk of abuse or dependency for all substances (Buka, et al., 2001, p. 304). Additionally, a correlation was found between witnessing violence, as one of community violence categories, and physiological outcomes. Stressors, including those caused by ETV, might result in physiological alterations, such as the timing or rate of physical development as well as the timing and progression of physical growth, timing of puberty, and cognitive, social and emotional development (Buka, et al., 2001, p. 305).

Potential Intervention Approaches

It can be stated that intervention approaches toward community violence share several common characteristics. Such characteristics can be generally divided between protective and preventive measures. Protective measures can be seen through providing solutions that will improve the experiences of growing up in the community. Such measures can be seen as efforts to break the violence cycle, focusing on children and adolescents growing up in violent communities. Programs related to such an approach usually focus on improving the educational experience and environment, e.g. supplies, extracurricular activities, teacher retention, increased school safety, and health promotion (Horowitz & McKay, 2005). Accordingly, various counseling services, in which children would be able to talk about their experiences, provide and receive support, and focusing on confidentiality as the main priority, can be seen as examples of protective measures (Horowitz & McKay, 2005, p. 363).

If the protective measures main concern is in dealing with the consequences of community violence, preventive measures aim at reducing crime rates in communities. Among the examples of such preventive approaches, the framework developed by Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families is a good demonstration of the roles of research, communication and collaboration. The main essential elements of such framework include identifying the criminal and delinquent activities, prevalent in the community, as well as the associated risk factors, and assess the available capacities for the community, in terms of resources and services offered by schools, churches, businesses, nonprofit organizations, parks and recreation departments, police, hospitals, and the state serving a communitys children and families (Arkansas Advocates for Children & Families, 2002, p. 10).

According to the gathered data, a clear and effective message would be developed, whose aims will include: 1) motivating community members to join the program, and 2) communicate the objectives of the programs to the community. With such message communicated to the public, their awareness will be increased regarding existent problems and violence, where the result of such awareness can be providing funding for the intervention programs, and the initiation of collaborative efforts between the community and the government for the development of interventions. A program exemplary of the latter can be seen in Little Rocks Prevention, Intervention and Treatment (PIT) Initiative, the result of which were interventions such as local provision of drug-and-alcohol treatment to children and adults, summer youth programs, and others (Arkansas Advocates for Children & Families, 2002, p. 16). The results of such program were self-speaking, where the number of youth arrested for violent crimes during the summer months dropped 81 percent between 1996 and 2000 (Arkansas Advocates for Children & Families, 2002, p. 16).

In a different approach, key elements for a successful violence prevention program were identified through a literature review and interview with experts in Dusenbury, Falco, Lake, Brannigan, and Bosworth (1997). Those key elements were derived considering the effectiveness of the reviewed programs, identifying strategies or components of programs that were effective in reducing aggression and violence (Dusenbury, Falco, Lake, Brannigan, & Bosworth, 1997). The identified elements included the following:

• A multifaceted approach, including family, peer, media and community components.
• Early start in the primary grades and reinforcement across grade levels.
• Tailoring the interventions developmentally.
• The promotion of personal and social competencies.
• The inclusion of interactive techniques such as group work, cooperative learning, discussions, role plays, and others.
• Matching the interventions material with the ethnic/cultural characteristics of the target population.
• Training and development for the programs staff.
• The promotion of positive school culture or climate.
• Providing activities that were designed to foster norms against violence, aggression, and bullying (Dusenbury, et al., 1997).

In that regard, it should be noted that the inclusion of essential components and strategies that ensure success implies eliminating the components which will not work. Such components include scare tactics, the use of instructional programs, solely focusing on self-esteem, and leaving control after the end of the intervention period (Dusenbury, et al., 1997).

Recommendations

It can be stated that a combination of both preventive and protective measures will be more beneficial to reducing community violence, than the reliance on a single approach only. Among the intervention approaches discussed in this paper, it can be stated that a general framework that would be tailored to the needs of a specific population can be more feasible as an intervention, as compared to the inclusion of all nine components of successful intervention. In that regard, it is recommended that each of the proposed components should be analyzed and investigated in terms of applicability and feasibility individually, in the context of specific community and specific violence problems.

Conclusion

The present paper provided an extensive analysis of the social problem of community violence. The paper researched community violence in terms of the problems significance, causes, consequences, and interventions. Additionally, the paper concluded with a brief recommendation on the feasibility of selecting and implementing interventions. It can be concluded that the community violence is a major concern to the society, and accordingly, the results of social research and the advancements of social sciences should be directed toward solving such problems in the society.

References

1. Aisenberg, E., & Herrenkohl, T. (2008). Community Violence in Context: Risk and Resilience in Children and Families. J Interpers Violence, 23(3), 296-315. doi: 10.1177/0886260507312287
2. Arkansas Advocates for Children & Families. (2002). Reducing Juvenile Violence in CommunitiesN
3. Buka, S. L., Stichick, T. L., Birdthistle, I., & Earls, F. J. (2001). Youth exposure to violence: Prevalence, risks and consequences. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 71(3), 298-310. doi: 10.1037/0002-9432.71.3.298
4. Dusenbury, L., Falco, M., Lake, A., Brannigan, R., & Bosworth, K. (1997). Nine critical elements of promising violence prevention programs. Journal of School Health, 67(10), 409.
5. Englander, E. K. (2007). The Numbers: How Common is Violent Behavior Today? In E. K. Englander (Ed.), Understanding violence: Routledge.
6. Guterman, N. B., Hahm, H. C., & Cameron, M. (2002). Adolescent victimization and subsequent use of mental health counseling services. Journal of Adolescent Health, 30(5), 336-345.
7. Henslin, J. M. (2008). Social problems : a down-to-earth approach (8th ed.). Boston: Pearson Allyn & Bacon.
8. Horowitz, K., & McKay, M. (2005). Community Violence and Urban Families: Experiences, Effects, and Directions for Intervention. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 75(3), 356368. doi: 10.1037/0002-9432.75.3.356
9. Margolin, G., & Gordis, E. B. (2000). The Effects of Family and Community Violence on Children Annual Review of Psychology, 51, 445-479.
10. Rosenthal, B. S., & Wilson, W. C. (2003). The association of ecological Variables and Psychological Distress with Exposure to Community Violence among Adolescents. Adolescence 38(151), 459-479.
11. Silver, E., Felson, R. B., & Vaneseltine, M. (2008). The Relationship Between Mental Health Problems and Violence Among Criminal Offenders. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 35(4), 405-426. doi: 10.1177/0093854807312851
12. Temple, J. R. (2009). Book Review: Miller, J., & Knudsen, D. D. (2007). Family Abuse and Violence: A Social Problems Perspective. Lanham, MD: AltaMira Press. Violence Against Women, 15(3), 385-388. doi: 10.1177/1077801208330746

Introduction

Despite the intention to create a positive and supportive environment, there are many conditions under which people continue experiencing social pressure, violence, and irrational biases and prejudices. It is not enough to find support but to ensure a better future, addressing available sources and knowledge. In the United States, gang affiliation remains one of the ways to escape routine problems, achieve some portion of prestige, and gain protection. However, today, not much attention is paid to the impact of gangs on social development, human health, and overall violent behaviors.

According to the National Gang Center, large cities report long-standing gang problems among such populations as Hispanics (46%), African-Americans (35%), and White Americans (11%). Thus, the U.S. government takes multiple steps to prevent the progress of gang relationships and involve schools and other influential facilities to solve the problem. Gang affiliation is a serious societal issue of concern due to the existing direct and indirect outcomes on interpersonal relationships and order, and the solution to this problem depends solely on local populations.

Definition of the Problem

One of the most critical aspects of discussing the impact of gang affiliation is the impossibility of hiding this problem in society. People are properly aware of gang violence as a means to strengthen their reputation and status in the local neighborhood, reify territorial borders, intimate community residents, and exhibit dominance over rival gangs (Brantingham et al., qtd. in Valasik and Reid 4). Some young individuals believe that gang affiliation is a good way to obtain social justice and solve problems. The reasons for them to join a gang vary, including peer pressure, boredom, poverty, and the desire to obtain a sense of belonging to something.

The outcomes are even more dangerous because gangs may change not only human behavior and attitudes toward the world but their mental health and emotional or financial stability (Rima et al.). Besides, there are many controversies about how people join and leave street gangs, and the media continues ambiguously covering this issue on different communication platforms (Fernández-Planells et al. 2100). Thus, gangs introduce not only a serious criminal challenge but a social concern.

Background

In the United States, street gangs are currently associated with aggressive and violent young people who are united for unspecific purposes. However, the history of American gang growth is longer than it might seem, and the first official gangs appear at the end of the 18th and the beginning of the 19th centuries. When immigrants came to the United States from different parts of the world, they wanted to create stable and reliable relationships with native populations. However, it was hard to achieve the desired goal without certain sacrifices, and they decided to create groups, following their interests and needs.

In the 1820s, the Forty Thieves was one of the first street gangs made up of pickpockets and thugs (Howell and Griffiths 32). They preferred criminal steps to survive when honest earnings and living were not impossible for them. Similar methods were applied by other immigrant gangs like Kerryonians, the Five Points, and the Bowery to protect their rights and gain their regional freedoms (Howell and Griffiths 32). Gang affiliation turned out to be a privilege during the war periods because of the already-gained relationships.

With time, understanding gangs, their structures, and their affiliation has become a critical criminal and social element. The government needed to manage security in all American regions and ensure that migration did not contribute to gang violence (Paarlberg). The National Gang Center revealed that racial characteristics might not be as important as age ones: more than 35% of juvenile individuals and about 65% of adults comprise modern gangs in the United States. According to Howell and Griffiths, a prison is a place where most gangs are created, and their activities are expanded on the streets with time (36).

Chicago, New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles are common cities where gang members prefer to develop their activities due to access to the required resources and the possibility of hiding. Although the conditions under which modern people could be accepted into a gang differ from those of the 18th and 19th centuries, the main idea remains the same  gang violence and affiliation challenge American society.

Literature Review

The issue of gang affiliation is regularly discussed by modern researchers and policy-makers to understand the problem and find the most effective solutions. For example, Fernández-Planells et al. admit the role of social media in gang affiliation and the lifestyles young people prefer (2099). There are many online gang activities that do not require many external resources, just their desire to communicate and discuss urgent topics. In addition to media associations, researchers identify the connection between gangs and human health, using depression and anxiety as the causes and outcomes of a persons desire to join a gang (Rima et al.).

Valasik and Reid contribute to evaluating the conditions under which young individuals prefer gang lifestyles over healthy and non-criminal relationships by stating that gangs are never hidden from the public (4). Finally, Paarlberg mentions political mistakes in classifying gang structures and origins, which results in poor management and prevention interventions. This review of findings proves that gang affiliation is not thoroughly covered in modern media because of the existing biases and wrong interpretations.

Recommendations for Change

Gang affiliation does not have a specific solution, and many profit and non-profit organizations, the government, and experts should be involved. The Biden administration has already implemented changes to its predecessors approach to migrant deportation to prevent gang progress (Paarlberg). The government does not define immigrants as a core reason for gang affiliation in American society but focuses on local drug trafficking activities and money laundering (Paarlberg). Fernández-Planells et al. underline gang sociability by creating social media research protocols and thematic journals to cover the chosen problem (2121).

The main opinion is that preventive strategies should address the quality of education and search for alternatives to replace violent behaviors with positive relationships. Current programs enhance community mobilization, offer equal access to education and employment, and improve the community space (Mallion and Wood). The Gang Resistance and Education Training Program (GREAT) was introduced at the beginning of the 2000s to identify individuals with low self-esteem and risk-taking behaviors (Mallion and Wood). The Criminal History Information Sharing Program improves law enforcement activities and strengthen criminal investigations (Paarlberg). All these steps are necessary to change the populations attitude toward gang affiliation and violence.

Conclusion

In general, gang affiliation remains a serious topic for consideration in American society and requires the participation of different organizations in its solution and prevention. In addition to evident social and behavioral changes related to gang activities, people have to understand that this type of relationship affects human mental health and a future understanding of ethical and moral living principles. The opinions of different researchers and stakeholders prove that gang affiliation can be predicted, but it is important not just to identify the problem but enhance individual participation at different ages. Gangs have a long history in the United States, and vivid examples and reports help identify the already taken steps, their outcomes, and further changes in this sphere.

Works Cited

Fernández-Planells, et al. Gangs and Social Media: A Systematic Literature Review and an Identification of Future Challenges, Risks and Recommendations. New Media & Society, vol. 23, no. 7, 2021, pp. 2099-2124.

Howell, James C., and Elizabeth Griffiths. Gangs in Americas Communities. 3rd ed., SAGE, 2019.

Mallion, Jaimee, and Jane Wood. Street Gang Intervention: Review and Good Lives Extension. Social Sciences, vol. 9, no. 9, 2020. MDPI. Web.

National Gang Center. National Youth Gang Survey Analysis: Demographics. NGC, 2021. Web.

Paarlberg, Michael. Gang Membership in Central America: More Complex than Meets the Eye. Migration Policy Institute. 2021. Web.

Rima, Dzhansarayeva, et al. Exploring the Potential Association Between Gang Membership and Health Outcomes in a Longitudinal Sample of Youth and Young Adults. Journal of Criminal Justice, vol. 66, 2020. Science Direct. Web.

Valasik, Matthew, and Shannon E. Reid. Taking Stock of Gang Violence: An Overview of the Literature. Handbook of Interpersonal Violence and Abuse Across the Lifespan: A Project of the National Partnership to End Interpersonal Violence Across the Lifespan (NPEIV), edited by Robert Geffner, Jacquelyn W. White et al., Springer, 2021, pp. 1-21.

Introduction

The U.S. is the 3^rd largest nation in the world next to Russia and Canada. The total population of the United States is approximately to be 294 million people. The United States has a number of both publicly and privately financed insurance plan whose purpose is the provision of health care services to the citizens, (Aaron A., 2004). This nation spends the largest percentage of its GDP in the provision of health care in comparison to other countries, this is the highest.

The United States, however, is the only industrialized, wealthy country that does not provide a universal system of health. Eighty-four percent of the citizens in the States have been covered by health insurance which is purchased by the individuals, granted by the government, or provided by their employer. The number of American citizens who live without this insurance is approximately to be 15.3% or 45.7 million people.

Analysis of Health Care in the United States

The United States is not renowned for 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 advanced medical technology in the United States has not transformed into better care for the citizens of the U.S., rather the States is ranked close to the bottom of the list when compared internationally. Partly, in the United States, its more profitable to cure diseases than prevent them. In addition, America is well known for its inequality levels in income and poverty among all the developed nations.

The quality of care in u. s raises concern among many people. Any patient who has adequate insurance cover and patients who reside at appropriate locations have access to the best care there is in the world. The patients are able to access tertiary care hospitals that are fully equipped with modern facilities for the purposes of diagnosis as well as treatment. This system unfortunately is not uniform in regard to the quality of health care. It highly varies depending on the location, insurance type, and quality.

The patients who come from the rural parts of the United States experience serious problems, (Grzeskowiak M. 2008). For one, they lack adequate personnel to provide health care, they do not have medical insurance cover, and where they do it is not adequate. The unfortunate patients who are not insured can access ER but they thereafter receive little follow-up care or no care at all.

The cost of health in the United States has been rising over the years. The government allocates the largest part of its health care budget to hospitals. In comparison to other services provided by these hospitals, the amount of money spent on drugs prescription has been increasing by the day.

The quality of the care is however notably good. On the other hand, there is a variation in the quality of health care in the countrys urban cities and the remote and rural. There have been concerns about the intensity of funding by the government as well as on the overall quality of the services provided. The provision of health care in the U.S. is facing imminent challenges like extended delays in the seeking of health care, sharing the cost of uninsured patients, poor coordination in health care, and parity in mental health among other issues.

Factors that make health care a significant social problem

Parity in mental health: Despite the fact that the highest cause of disability in the U. S. is mental illness, America lacks a system that covers mental health. Over the years, it has been feared that approximately less than a half of patients with mental illnesses are able to receive treatment as a result of eminent factors like the inability to access the much-needed care and stigma.

The uninsurable and medical underwriting: To purchase a medical cover in the states, people are often required to undergo underwriting. The insurance companies before taking the risk screen the residents for any pre-existing conditions, (Aaron A., 2004). Consequently, some of the people with such conditions fail to get the much-needed cover. Citizens with conditions like heart diseases, cancer, and arthritis.

Health inequality among the minority groups: People from the minority communities like Native Americans, Hispanics, African Americans, and Asian Americans are affected by disparities in care. In comparison to the white people, these groups are more prone to poorer outcomes in health, chronic diseases as well as higher mortality rates.

Poorly coordinated care: Doctors in primary care are supposed to be the entry point for the majority of the patients who require care. This is however not the case in the United States, due to the fragmented system of health care. In addition, it has been noted that there has been deterioration in the doctor-patient relationship.

Concepts that are currently looking promising at addressing the problems

1. The establishment of a benefit plan for Medicare
2. Approval of drugs for efficacy and safety
3. High salaries for clinical staff and other health professionals
4. The use of professionals at a lesser cost
5. Potential unforeseen social problems that may arise with the solutions under consideration

Potential unforeseen social problems that may arise with the solutions under consideration

The cost of health care may rise even more than it is presently. The cost of drugs is already an issue, particularly to old people. If the benefit plan for Medicare is affected, it will only have some limited benefits since it is not widely accepted, ( Krugman P., Wells R., 2006). The approval of drugs for efficacy and safety will not regulate their price or even the therapeutic duplication. The distributors of such approved drugs in the U. S. have the full discretion of the prices to be charged.

Conclusion

The issues raised about the system of health care in the U.S affect the access of care by the citizens. Though the country has been rated among the most developed countries of the world, its system needs to be addressed such that the citizens have equal access to medical care.

References

Aaron A., (2004); Class and a Chance for Life in Inequality and Justice, Aldine Publishing Company, Chicago.

Grzeskowiak M. (2008); Health care in Canada. Web.

Krugman P., Wells R., (2006); The Health Care Crisis and What to Do About It, New York Review of Books.

Sociologists have over a long time studied tribulations of migration and its consequences across and within cultures. Migration is defined in a number of ways but for this paper, it shall be used to refer to the movement of persons from one country or locality to another as defined by the free online Dictionary. Other words that are closely related to migration are immigration (migration into a place) and emigration (migrating from a place) over the years migration has brought with it mixed reactions and results; it, therefore, becomes difficult to conclude whether it brings problems or blessings. New immigration laws are set up to stabilize the general living conditions of migrants and immigrants.

The tradition of migration has continued over time and now it is time to examine the new and changing faces of it. Usually, the main supposition in studying migrants is that the central culture into which they migrate wields pressure to change through culture, organizations, and personal relations; however, incoming migrants resist the pressure to change. Therefore the most common model is whereby the migrants are marginalized socially, politically, and even economically, in addition to the conflict that the immigrants face. The migration phenomenon also tries to point out that when the four estates of society (government, military, church, and media) fail to function then the citizen is left with no option but to move to another place. It is at this time that the basic needs of that individual cannot be met by the structure of the society he/she belongs (Pugad ng Muharlika, 2008).

As identified by some readings, there are only two main things that make a citizen of a country migrate; the threat to peace and order in a region which may, in turn, endanger human life, and when one is unable to make both ends meet. However, these causes have been reviewed and amplified such that what we have today is many factors depending on where the individual comes from and where he is destined for, the reasons for leaving his homeland, and so on. The most common sources of migration include famine, unemployment, wars, and political persecution. These factors therefore will assist the receiving government to help the immigrants accordingly. For example, in a case where the immigrants are refugees of war, the government will need more than just humanitarian but also psychological assistance. On the other hand, if the immigrants have gone to pursue further education, their requirements from the government will not be as much as their refugee counterparts.

As an issue of social, economic, and political issues, migration has attracted a lot of responses from different people, individuals, and groups. The most dominant social problems result from the place of destination to within the place of destination. This implies migration within and outside the country. The major problems of migration include poverty, acculturation, education, social adjustment, employment, housing, and family difficulties. These problems are understood in different ways; how they affect the migrants, immigrants, their origin, and destination. Family problems that affect the immigrants include departing from the support system of the extended family. Suppose one goes away from his/her home, it is quite automatic that at one time that particular individual will feel homesick and miss the company of the immediate relatives. In case the migrants main aim was to look for a job in his destination then he misses it, he undergoes stress and financial difficulties in such events. There is also the problem of differing awareness about the concepts of basic human rights. Poverty among immigrants in the US continues to take an ascending motion because of the rapid increase in the numbers of these groups of people.

Solutions

It is of great significance to incorporate other policies with the government policy to have a better way of solving this problem. There are policies designed to express the needs of migrants and immigrants even though they are heavily inclined towards the support of the smooth operation of local control and administration. Providing direct services by offering education to migrants and immigrants is a sure way of solving the problems of this group of people. This is because; amongst the critical issues that affect the migrants and immigrants are is basic literacy and an effective way of achieving this goal in a population that is always on the move.

Countries that experience a high number of refugees, for example, the US, should allow a flexible quota system that would be responsive to the variations in labor needs. The government should look more closely at the various migrant groups; their needs and how to advance them the required aid accordingly. The government should also attend to the social welfare issues of the immigrants (Dail P.W. 1988).

In cases where there exist cases of migration in nations that are close to one another, for example, Zimbabwe and South Africa or Mexico and the USA, the solution is not usually easy and it greatly depends on how far the governments involved are willing to go to work together in developing public policies of both counties interest. For the United States and Mexico, a long time compromise between the two governments can guarantee to venture into the Mexican economy to harmonize and keep a good balance in both labor markets.

According to Dr. Demetrios Papademetriou, migration is dreaded by the nations of destination because of the negative impacts that it is associated with; illegality, creation of divided communities, and labor market displacement. He discussed that the USA fell short of adequate legal channels to let people work in the country as he responded to illegality. He also added that the labor market on the other hand could absorb more people than it does currently and that the slow administrative process was responsible for slowing down immigration.

Conclusion

The impact of immigrants on the society of any given society and its economy is assessed and many nations have come up with ways to try and put migration under considerable control. Furthermore, the affected nations have accordingly made policies to deal with problems that might come up as a result of migration.

References

Aydin. R, Elvers. C 2006 World Migration: Economic and Social Impacts Challenges for implementing the recommendations of the Global Commission on International Migration in Germany and the United States.

Castaneda. D Economic and political perspective of migration in North America.

Rosenberg M, Ralph H. T 1990 Social Psychology: Sociological Perspectives.

Sociological perspective of migration, structural functionalism and the four estates of society.

Dail P.W 1988 NCBI Immigration and migration in America: social impact and social Response.