1. Foreword……………………………………………………………...page 2
Chapter I Social problems in America………………………….......page 3
I 1 Racism…………………………………………………...page 3
I 2 Discrimination- against age, sex, religion……………..page 4
I 3 Poverty…………….…………………………………….page 7
Chapter II Society morality conflicts………………………………page 8
II 1 Abortion………………………………………………..page 8
II 2 Drugs…………………………………………………...page 9
II 3 Suicide……………………………………………….....page 11
Chapter III Freedom of speech……………………………………...page 12
Conclusions……………………………………………………….......page 14
Bibliography……………………………………………………….....page 15
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2. Foreword
The main reason for choosing this subject is because I am convinced that this kind of
subject is very important for all of us.
Firstly, I think that social problems are a combination of all human factors. It is very
flexible in definition. It encompasses economic, cultural, ethnic and human life.
Secondly, the list of social problems is huge and not identical in form, it depends on
the area. In the US, some predominant social issues include the growing separation between
rich and poor, domestic violence, unemployment, pollution, urban decay, racism and sexism,
and many others.
My certificate paper tries to debate all these problems and to raise your attention on
some problems that can also be visible in our country.
The paper contains three chapters. In the first chapter, you can find information
regarding the social problems in America. It is mentioned the racism, the age, sex and
religious discrimination. Also it is discussed a well known problem nowadays, poverty.
The next chapter analyses the society moral conflicts. This theme includes the
problem of abortion, suicide, drugs. These problems are more seriously now when our society
is passing through a difficult period, the economical crisis.
The third chapter presents the freedom of speech and its importance in our society.
I think that after reading my work a lot of people will find out many unknown things
about the social problems that are frequently met in America and not only. They will discover
that social problems are the same around the world. The difference is their intensity and
frequency.
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3. CHAPTER I
Social problems in America
Social problems, also called social issues, affect every society, greater and smaller.
Even in relatively isolated, sparsely populated areas, a group will encounter social problems.
Part of this is due to the fact that any members of a society living close enough together will
have conflicts. It’s virtually impossible to avoid them, and even people who live together in
the same house don’t always get along .On the whole, when social problems are mentioned
they tend to refer to the problems that affect people living together in a society.
1. 1. Racism in the United States
It has been a major issue ever since the colonial era and the slave era. Legally
sanctioned racism imposed a heavy burden on Native Americans, African Americans, Asian
Americans, and Mexican Americans.
White Americans were privileged by law in matters of literacy, immigration, voting
rights, citizenship, land acquisition, and criminal procedure over periods of time extending
from the 17th century to the 1960s.
Many European ethnic groups, particularly American Jews, Irish Americans, and
Eastern European and Southern European immigrants, as well
as immigrants from elsewhere, suffered xenophobic exclusion
and other forms of racism in American society.
Major racially structured institutions included slavery,
Indian Wars, Native American reservations, segregation,
residential schools (for Native Americans), and internment
camps. Formal racial discrimination was largely banned in the
mid-20th century, and came to be perceived as socially
unacceptable and/or morally repugnant as well; yet racial
politics remain a major phenomenon. Historical racism
continues to be reflected in socio-economic inequality.
Racial stratification continues to occur in employment, housing, education, lending,
and government. As in most countries, many people in the U.S. continue to have some
prejudices against other races. In the view of a network of scores of US civil rights and human
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4. rights organizations, "Discrimination permeates all aspects of life in the United States, and
extends to all communities of color."
Discrimination against African Americans, Latin Americans, and Muslims is widely
acknowledged. Members of every major American ethnic minority have perceived racism in
their dealings with other minority groups.
1. 2. Discrimination - age, sex, religion
It is generally understood to be the prejudicial treatment of an individual based solely
on their membership in a certain group or social category.
Discriminatory laws such as redlining have existed in many countries. In some
countries, controversial attempts such as racial quotas have been used to redress negative
effects of discrimination.
Racial discrimination differentiates between individuals on the basis of real and
perceived racial differences, and has been official government policy in several countries,
such as South Africa in the apartheid era, and the USA.
1. 3. Age discrimination
Age discrimination is discrimination on the grounds of age.
Although theoretically the word can refer to the discrimination against any
age group, age discrimination usually comes in one of three forms:
discrimination against youth (also called adultism), discrimination against
those 40 years old or older, and discrimination against elderly people.
In the United States, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act 1
prohibits
employment discrimination nationwide based on age with respect to
employees 40 years of age or older. The Age Discrimination in Employment Act also
addresses the difficulty older workers face in obtaining new employment after being displaced
from their jobs, arbitrary age limits.
On the other hand, the UK Equality Act 2010 protects young employees as well as old.
Other countries go even further and make age discrimination a criminal offence.
Some people consider that teenagers, youth and children are victims of adultism, age
discrimination framed as a paternalistic form of protection. In seeking social justice, they feel
1
Prohibit – to say that an action is illegal; the prohibition of the sale of firearms – an order stopping something
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5. that it is necessary to remove the use of a false moral agenda in order to achieve agency and
empowerment.
This perspective is based on the grounds that youth should be treated more
respectfully by adults and not as second-class citizens. Some suggest that social stratification
in age groups causes outsiders to incorrectly stereotype and generalize the group, for instance
that all adolescents are equally immature, violent or rebellious, listen to rock tunes, and do
drugs. Some have organized groups against age discrimination.
1. 4. Sex discrimination
Sex discrimination is discrimination on the basis of sex or gender. Certain forms of
sexual discrimination are illegal in some countries, while in other countries it may be required
by law in various circumstances.
The view that men are superior to women is a form of sexism. When expressed by
men, sexism against women may be called male chauvinism. Related terms are misogyny,
which implies a hatred of women, and gynophobia, which refers to a fear of women or
femininity.
The idea that men benefit from certain rights and privileges not available to women is
referred to as male privilege. The idea that women benefit from certain rights and privileges
not available to men is referred to as female privilege.
The view that women are superior to men is another form of sexism, and when
expressed by a woman may be called female chauvinism or misandry. The hatred of men is
called misandry, while androphobia refers to the fear of men or masculinity.
1. 5. Religion discrimination
Religious discrimination is valuing or
treating a person or group differently because of
what they do or do not believe. A concept like
that of 'religious discrimination' is necessary to
take into account ambiguities of the term
religious persecution. The infamous cases in
which people have been executed for beliefs
perceived to be heretic are generally recognizable as persecution. Other cases in which
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6. adherents of different religions (or denominations) are treated unequally before the law are
sometimes difficult to assess. If behind laws, regulations or acts of authority perceived to be
discriminating against a certain religion, there are the intention ‘encourage’ people to abandon
their beliefs, the laws are religious persecution. Laws which only carry light punishments are
described as mild forms of religious persecution or as religious discrimination.
In a 1979 consultation on the issue, the United States commission on civil rights
defined religious discrimination in relation to the civil rights guaranteed by the Fourteenth
Amendment to the United States Constitution. Whereas religious civil liberties, such as the
right to hold or not to hold a religious belief, are essential for Freedom of Religion (in the
United States secured by the First Amendment), religious discrimination occurs when
someone is denied " the equal protection of the laws, equality of status under the law, equal
treatment in the administration of justice, and equality of opportunity and access to
employment, education, housing, public services and facilities, and public accommodation
because of their exercise of their right to religious freedom."
1. 6 Poverty
It is the lack of basic human needs, such as clean water, nutrition, health care,
education, clothing and shelter, because of the inability to afford them. This is also referred to
as absolute poverty or destitution. Relative poverty is the condition of having fewer resources
or less income than others within a society or country, or compared to worldwide averages.
About 1.7 billion people live in absolute poverty; before the industrial revolution,
poverty had mostly been the norm. Poverty has historically been a result of economic growth
as increased levels of production, such as modern industrial technology, made more wealth
available for those who were otherwise too poor to afford them. Also, investments in
modernizing agriculture and increasing yields is considered the core of the antipoverty effort,
given three-quarters of the world's poor are rural farmers. 2
2
Average – to usually do something or usually happen a particular number of times, or to usually be a particular
size or amount.
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7. Today, economic liberalization includes extending property rights, especially to land,
to the poor, and making financial services, notably savings, accessible. Inefficient institutions,
corruption and political instability can also discourage investment. Aid and government
support in health, education and infrastructure helps growth by increasing human and physical
capital.
Average out – if something averages out at a particular figure, it has that figure as an average over a period of
time
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8. Chapter II
Society morality conflicts
2. 1. Abortion
Why Abortion in America has become a Social Problem
"Conflict theorists emphasize the inevitability of coercion, domination,
conflict, and change in society. The conflict perspective is based on the idea that
society consists of different groups who struggle with one another to attain the scare societal
resources that are considered valuable, be they money, power, prestige, or the authority to
impose one's values on society. For the conflict theorist, a social problem exists when a group
of people, believing that its interests are not being met, or that it is not receiving a sufficient
share of resources, works to overcome what it perceives as a disadvantage.
Before 1973, abortion was illegal in America unless the woman's health was
threatened. If medically contraindicated, a woman could choose to not carry the baby to term,
a doctor could perform the abortion, and it would not be a crime.
In March of 1970, Jane Roe, a single woman who was residing in Dallas County,
Texas, instituted this federal action against the District Attorney of the county. She sought a
declaratory judgment that the Texas criminal abortion statutes were unconstitutional on their
face, and an injunction restraining the defendant from enforcing the statutes.
Jane Roe alleged that she was unmarried and pregnant; that she wished to terminate
her pregnancy by an abortion "performed by a competent, licensed physician, under safe
clinical conditions"; that she was unable to get a "legal" abortion in Texas because her life did
not appear to be threatened by the continuation of her pregnancy; and that she could not
afford to travel to another jurisdiction in order to secure a legal abortion under safe
conditions. She claimed that the Texas statutes were unconstitutionally vague and that they
abridged her right of personal privacy, protected by the First, Fourth, Fifth, Ninth, and
Fourteenth Amendments. By an amendment to her complaint Roe purported to sue "on behalf
of her and all other women" similarly situated.
So you can see that the original idea was that women, who truly did not want a baby,
should not have to have one. While pregnancy may be a blessed act when planned or wanted,
forced pregnancy, like any forced bodily invasion, is anathema to American values and
traditions. In the same way that it would be unacceptable for Government to force a man or a
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9. woman to donate bone marrow, or to compel the contribution of a kidney to another, or to
compel women to undergo abortion or forced sterilization, our Constitution protects women
against forced pregnancy.
Women who need help when they are pregnant and poor are labeled "Welfare
Mothers" and have a stigma attached to them. The fathers who helped in the conception of
these pregnancies don't have the same discrimination. They may be referred to as 'deadbeat
dads', but they still are gone, leaving the woman to care for the child alone. Women are left
with the ultimate responsibility, both physical and economical. Child support can be pursued
and received, but this oftentimes antagonizes the male even more towards the unwanted
pregnancy and can create an atmosphere where he chooses to avoid the child completely, out
of anger and frustration from the whole situation.
Many women report that they were directly threatened by the father of the baby,
insisting that they abort. Underage women report that their parents 'made' them have an
abortion, telling them "Abort or leave the house". To a young woman still in high school,
staying pregnant and becoming homeless is very scary and overwhelming. These young
women abort, because they feel they have no other choice.
2. 2. Drugs
A drug, broadly speaking, is any substance that, when absorbed into the body of a
living organism, alters normal bodily function. There is no single, precise definition, as there
are different meanings in drug control law, government regulations, medicine, and colloquial
usage.
In pharmacology, a drug is "a chemical substance used in the treatment, cure,
prevention, or diagnosis of disease or used to otherwise enhance physical or mental well-
being." Drugs may be prescribed for a limited duration, or on a regular basis for chronic
disorders.
Recreational drugs are chemical substances that affect the central nervous system,
such as odious or hallucinogens. They may be used for perceived beneficial effects on
perception, consciousness, personality, and behavior. Some drugs can cause addiction and/or
habituation.
Drugs are usually distinguished from endogenous biochemical’s by being introduced
from outside the organism. For example, insulin is a hormone that is synthesized in the body;
it is called a hormone when it is synthesized by the pancreas inside the body, but if it is
introduced into the body from outside, it is called a drug. Many natural substances such as
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10. beers, wines, and some mushrooms, blur the line between food and recreational drugs, as
when ingested they affect the functioning of both mind and body and some substances
normally considered drugs such as DMT (Dimethyltryptamine) are actually produced by the
human body in trace amounts.
Since the 19th century when Americans first discovered new wonder drugs like morphine,
heroin, and cocaine, our society has confronted the problem of drug abuse and addiction.
When the 20th century began, the United States--grappling with its first drug
epidemic--gradually instituted effective restrictions: at home through domestic law
enforcement and overseas by spearheading a world movement to limit opium and coca crops.
By World War II, American drug use had become so rare; it was seen as a marginal social
problem. During the 1960s, drugs like marijuana, amphetamines, and psychedelics came
on the scene, and a new generation embraced drugs. With the drug culture exploding, our
government developed new laws and agencies to address the problem. In 1973, the U.S. Drug
Enforcement Administration was created to enforce federal drug laws. In the 1970s, cocaine
reappeared. Today, the Dee’s biggest challenge is the dramatic change in organized crime.
While American criminals once controlled drug trafficking on U.S. soil, today sophisticated
and powerful criminal groups headquartered in foreign countries control the drug trade in the
United States.
2. 3. Suicide in America
Suicide is a tragic and potentially preventable public health problem. In 1997,
suicide was the 8th leading cause of death in the U.S. Specifically, 10.6 out of every 100,000
persons died by suicide. The total number of suicides was approximately 31,000, or 1.3
percent of all deaths. Approximately 500,000 people received emergency room treatment as a
result of attempted suicide in 1996.
Suicidal behavior is complex. Some risk factors vary with age, gender and ethnic group
and may even change over time. The risk factors for suicide frequently occur in combination.
Research has shown that more than 90 percent of people who kill themselves have depression
or another diagnosable mental or substance abuse disorder. In addition, research indicates that
alterations in neurotransmitters such as serotonin are associated with the risk for suicide.
Diminished levels of this brain chemical have been found in patients with depression,
impulsive disorders, a history of violent suicide attempts, and also in postmortem brains of
suicide victims.
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11. Adverse life events in combination with other risk factors such as depression may lead
to suicide. Many people have one or more risk factors and are not suicidal. Other risk factors
include: prior suicide attempt; family history of mental disorder or substance abuse; family
history of suicide; family violence, including physical or sexual abuse; firearms in the home;
incarceration; and exposure to the suicidal behavior of others, including family members,
peers, and even in the media.
Over the last several decades, the rate of suicide in young people has increased
dramatically. In 1997, suicide was the 3rd leading cause of death in 15 to 24 year olds—11.4
of every 100,000 persons—following unintentional injuries and homicide. Suicide also was
the 3rd leading cause in 10 to 14 year olds, with 303 deaths among 19,097,000 children in this
age group. For adolescents aged 15 to 19, there were 1,802 suicide deaths among 19,146,000
adolescents.
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12. Chapter III
Freedom of speech
Freedom of speech is the freedom to speak freely without censorship or limitation, or
both. The synonymous term freedom of expression is sometimes used to indicate not only
freedom of verbal speech but any act of seeking, receiving and imparting information or
ideas, regardless of the medium used. In practice, the right to freedom of speech is not
absolute in any country and the right is commonly subject to limitations, such as on "hate
speech".
Freedom of speech in the United States is protected by the First Amendment to the
United States Constitution and by many state constitutions and state and federal laws.
Criticism of the government and advocacy of unpopular ideas that people may find distasteful
or against public policy, such as racism, sexism, and other hate speech are almost always
permitted. There are exceptions to these general protections, including the Miller test for
obscenity, child pornography laws, speech that incites imminent lawless action, and
regulation of commercial speech such as advertising. Within these limited areas, other
limitations on free speech balance rights to free speech and other rights, such as rights for
authors and inventors over their works and discoveries (copyright and patent), interests in
"fair" political campaigns (Campaign finance laws), protection from imminent or potential
violence against particular persons (restrictions on fighting words), or the use of untruths to
harm others (slander). Distinctions are often made between speech and other acts which may
have symbolic significance.
Freedom of speech was not always the all-encompassing right it is today. When
Sir William Blackstone wrote his famous Commentaries on the Laws of England in the mid-
18th century, he defined freedom of speech as the lack of prior restraint. By that he meant
that the government could not stop someone from saying or publishing what he believed, but
once a person had uttered those remarks, he could be punished if the type of speech was
forbidden. The English, like the ancient Greeks, had established legal restrictions on three
types of speech – sedition (criticism of the government), defamation (criticism of individuals),
and blasphemy (criticism of religion) – each of which they called "libels." Of these three, the
one that is most important in terms of political liberty is seditious libel, because ruling elites
in Blackstone's era believed that any criticism of government or of its officials, even if true,
subverted public order by undermining confidence in the government.
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13. Conclusions
Every society has its social problems, both international and national problems.
America being a mixture of nation has a lot of social problems, starting from racism
to poverty.
Social problems, also called social issues, affect every greater and smaller society.
Even in relatively isolated, sparsely populated areas, a group will encounter social problems.
Part of this is due to the fact that any members of society living close enough together will
have conflicts. It’s virtually impossible to avoid them, and even people who live together in
the same house don’t always get along .On the whole, when social problems are mentioned
they tend to refer to the problems that affect people living together in a society.
Sometimes social issues arise when people hold very different opinions about how
to handle certain situations like unplanned pregnancy. While some people might view
abortion as the solution to this problem, other members of the society remain strongly
opposed to its use. Strong disagreements on how to solve problems all the time create division
in social groups.
Other issues that may be considered social problems aren’t that common in the
US and other industrialized countries, but they are huge problems in developing ones. The
issues of massive poverty, food shortages, lack of basic hygiene, spread of incurable diseases,
ethnic cleansing, and lack of education inhibits the development of society.
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14. BIBLIOGRAPHY
 Virginia Evans ,Upstream Advanced C1 , Oxford University Press, 2000
 Frank R. Scarpitti, Social Problems , Pearson Education, 2000
 Concise Oxford Lingua English-Romanian Dictionary, edited by Carmen
Daniela Caraiman, 2009
 LONGMAN – Dictionary Contemporary English
 www.societymoralityconflicts.ro
 http://www.socialproblems.ro
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