social problems in India

Poverty, Population, Pollution, Illiteracy, Corruption, Inequality, Gender

discrimination, Terrorism, Communalism, Lack of Infrastructure, Unemployment,
Regionalism, Casteism, Alcoholism, Drugs Abuse,Violence against Women are the major
ones.

The causes of social problems may be three-fold but cannot be

treated in isolation:
(i) Individual
(ii) Cultural
(iii) Structural.
The social evils that are plaguing our society today could hardly be
catalogued. They are very uncountable in the true sense of the
assertion.
Prominent among them are- juvenile delinquency; child abuse;
escalating crime waves such as armed robbery; arson; fraud; drug
peddling; currency trafficking; bribery and corruption; embezzlement of
public funds; student and youth unrest; cultural violence; religious
intolerance; boundary disputes; stark dishonesty; election rigging; coups
and counter coups; lack of commitment to duty; examination
malpractices; filthy and gross indiscipline; result racketeering; disrespect
for other species; gross economic inequality; poverty; disease and
hunger; widespread illiteracy; lack of gainful employment opportunities;
open injustice; ostentatious spending; abuse of authority; hoarding of
essential commodities; cheating and exploitation of the masses;
discrimination and ethnic jingoism; inordinate ambition; cultism; lack of
realisation of human potential; narrow education resulting in ill-informed
citizens; civil wars; famine; drought and unchecked desertification; and
human trafficking and child labour.

Essay # 6. Factors that Result in Social Problems:

James H. Reinhardt (1952) has recounted three factors in the
development of social problems:
(1) Differentiation and Multiplication of Interests and Functions:
The principle that the greater the number of parts in a machine or an
organism, the greater the probability of maladjustment among the parts
holds good for human societies too, where there is increased opportunity
for the collision of interests of various individuals, groups, institutions,
and systems. Untouchability, communal riots, and political crimes are the
social problems which is the result of the clash of interests of different
castes and classes.
(2) Accelerating Frequency of Social Change or Growth of
Civilisation:
This has been made possible due to the multiplication of scientific and
mechanical innovations. For example, the invention of machines has
destroyed many old forms of employment resulting in the migration of
millions of people, and has given rise to class conflicts. It is thus the
structural and functional maladjustments arising from revolutionary
inventions which create many social problems.
(3) Man’s Developed Insight to Make a Scientific Analysis:
Ever since man has developed his social insight of looking into the
working of nature, issues which were formerly regarded as simple are
now perceived as the result of various kinds of natural conditions which
influence man and society. .

Essay # 7. Reactions to Social Problems:

Different people react differently to social problems.
The differences may be explained in terms of the following four
factors:
(i) An Attitude of Unconcern:
Many people and the State at times, remain indifferent to a problem,
thinking that it does not affect them. At times, their own individual
problems like family tensions and job pressures keep them so engaged
that they do not find time to be interested in what affects others. It is only
when their own interests are involved that they become agitated and
start taking interest in the problem. The indifference and passivity of the
State only add to the problem further.
(ii) Fatalism:
Some people are so fatalistic that they attribute everything to destiny.
Issues like poverty and unemployment are also explained in terms of
misfortune and past karma. They, therefore, suffer the misfortune quietly
and wait for some miracle to happen.
(iii) Vested Interests:
Some people take no interest in the existing problems because they
stand to gain so long as the problem exists. Motivated by self-interest,
they describe the problem as insoluble and talk about its eradication as a
waste of time.
(iv) Absence of Expert Knowledge:
Some people, though deeply concerned about the problem, do not take
much interest in it believing that its solution is impossible unless people
change their attitudes and values. As the changes must be initiated by a
change in outlook, they remain unconcerned about finding alternative
possibilities of treatment. Dowry is one such problem in our society.

Essay # 8. Solving Social Problems:

Although C. Wright Mills identified the relationship between a personal
trouble and a public issue more than 50 years ago, less has been said
about the transformation of an issue to a solution. Mills leads us in the
right direction by identifying the relationship between public issues and
social institutions. By continuing to use our sociological imagination and
recognising the role of larger social, cultural, and structural forces, we
can identify appropriate measures to address these social problems.
Let’s consider homelessness. It does not arise out of mysterious or
special circumstances; it emerges out of familiar life experiences. The
loss of a job, the illness of a family member, domestic violence, or
divorce could make a family more susceptible to homelessness. Without
informal social support, a savings account, or suitable and adequate
employment—and with the increasing cost of healthcare and the lack of
affordable housing—a family’s economic and emotional resources can
quickly be tapped out.
What would it take to prevent homelessness in these situations? The
answers are not based in each individual or each family; rather, the long-
term solutions are structural solutions such as affordable healthcare,
livable wages, and affordable low-income housing. In the US, President
Franklin Roosevelt proposed sweeping social reforms during his New
Deal in 1935, and President Johnson declared the War on Poverty in
1964. Solutions require social action—in the form of social policy,
advocacy, and innovation—to address problems at their structural or
individual levels.
Social innovation may take the form of a policy, a programme, or
advocacy that features an untested or unique approach. Innovation
usually starts at the community level, but it can grow into a national or
international programme. The concept of “partnership housing” was
developed by Millard and Linda Fuller in 1965, partnering those in need
of adequate shelter with community volunteers to build simple interest-
free houses. In India, recent initiative ‘Swachh Bharat’, ‘Digital India,
‘Make in India’ etc. are also unique social innovations that can transform
Indian society in a big way.