REALITIES

• Social problem


  A condition or situation which members of society regard as a threat to their values
• The concept of social problems was first developed by sociologists
• Social problem


  A generic term applied to a range of conditions and aberrant behaviours which are manifestations of social disorganization
• Social problem


  A condition which most people in a society consider undesirable and want to correct by changing through some means of social engineering or social planning
• Problem


  A condition of discontentment resented by someone
• Social problem


  When a problem is resented by many people
• Social problem


  Involves a large number of people, sometimes groups and institutions, who consider a particular condition as undesirable and intolerable and want to correct through collective action
• 4 elements of a social problem

  • They cause physical or mental damage to individuals or society
  • They offend the values or standards of some powerful segment of society
  • They persist for an extended period of time
  • They generate competing proposed solutions because of varying evaluations from groups in different social positions within society
• Sources of social problems

  • Modern society is so complex and intricate that it generates strains and social tensions
  • Modern society is highly productive and rewarding but also has a dark side with costs and casualties
  • Social change continually alters social structure and disrupts established relations among social groups
• Stages of social problems

  1. Emergence and claims making

  2. Legitimacy

  3. Renewed claims making

  4. Development of alternative strategies
• Types of social problems

  • Problems of social organization (e.g. communalism, casteism, poverty)
  • Problems of deviance (e.g. delinquency, drug addiction, mental illness)
• Social problems in youth

  • Homelessness
  • Teen parenting
  • Substance abuse
  • Suicide
• Social problems in school

  • Vandalism
  • School violence
  • Dropout rate
  • Classroom size
  • Poverty
  • Bullying
  • Student attitudes and behaviors
• Examples of social problems

  • Unemployment
  • Poverty
  • Rapid population growth
  • Lack of education
  • Gender discrimination
  • Homelessness
  • Child abuse
• Symbolic Interaction Theory


  A micro-level theory that focuses on meanings attached to human interaction, both verbal and non-verbal, and to symbols
• Conflict Theory


  Society is characterized by pervasive inequality based on social class, race, gender, and other factors
• Structural Functionalism


  Social stability is necessary for a strong society, and adequate socialization and social integration are necessary for social stability
• Systems Theory


  Looks at how each part contributes to the ways an individual functions within society, and how those parts might interact and compound issues
• Rational Choice Theory


  Individuals use their self-interests to make choices that will provide them with the greatest benefit
• Disengagement Theory


  Over time, elderly people withdraw, or disengage from, the social roles and relationships that were central to their life in adulthood
• Critical Theory


  Aims at a critique and transformation of society by integrating normative perspectives with empirically informed analysis of society's conflicts, contradictions, and tendencies
• Poverty


  The condition where the basic needs of a family, like food, shelter, clothing, and education are not fulfilled
• Theory of the Culture of Poverty

  The causes of poverty include money and the economy, labor wages and production for profit, a high rate of employment and underemployment of unskilled labor, low wages, and insufficient social and economic institutions to support the low-income population
• Types of poverty


  • Situational
  • Generational
  • Absolute
  • Relative
  • Urban
  • Rural
• Common causes of poverty

  • Natural disasters
  • Man-made disasters
  • Corruption/Bad governance
  • Lack of opportunities and resources
• The Philippines poverty rate decreased from 23.7% in the first semester of 2021 to 22.4% in the first semester of 2023
• Among families, the poverty incidence decreased from 18.0% in the first semester of 2021 to 16.4% in the first semester of 2023, equivalent to 230,000 households escaping poverty
• Poverty in the Spanish colonial era

  Spanish colonizers used Christianization and local civil administrations to pacify the Filipino people, creating a class of political elites that maintains their influence. This concentrated power often resulted in ineffective political institutions, with economic growth often confined to families and urbanized areas close to political power centers.
• Poverty in the American colonial regime

  Largely reinforced the same system as the Spaniards had throughout their rule, with historical tribal nobilities given colonial patronage to rule through hereditary posts and acquisition of lands which eventually enriched these families through export agriculture.
• The introduction by the Americans of a legislative body composed of representatives from single-member districts created a ruling class of provincial landowning politicians from the principalia whose wealth and prominence allowed them to be highly educated in law, thereby being the only viable candidates for political office
• The Philippine Revolution and the Philippine-American War wreaked little significant damage in the safe city of Manila, which meant that the wealthy families of Manila and other political clans largely retained the wealth and prominence they enjoyed while under Spanish rule
• This political and social hierarchy flourished throughout the entire Spanish period
• During the Japanese occupation, the population of the country steadily declined for the following five years as a result of the spread of diseases and a lack of basic necessities
• The worst years were 1981 to 1985, when inflation averaged over 20% and unemployment averaged nearly 11%, with a high of 12.6% in 1985
• Between two-thirds and three-fourths of the 54 million Filipinos who lived in the country in 1985 were considered to be poor; at least 27 million of them, or up to half (49%) of the total population, lived in extreme poverty
• Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program


  National poverty reduction strategy that provides grants for extremely poor households for a maximum of 7 years to improve nutrition and education of children ages 0-18
• Magna Carta of the Poor


  Legislation that requires government agencies to establish a system to meet the rights to adequate food, decent work, relevant and quality education, adequate housing, and highest attainable standard of health
• Magna Carta for Women


  Human rights law that seeks to eliminate discrimination against women by recognizing, protecting and empowering them especially those in the marginalized sector
• Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education


  Legislation that aims to help underprivileged Filipino students to pursue college degrees through free tuition and exemption of other fees in state universities and colleges
• Universal Health Care Act


  Legislation that guarantees all Filipinos equitable access to quality and affordable health care goods and services and protection against financial risks