【正文】 社會(huì)類之 1Problems SOCIAL PROBLEM OVERVIEW 1 GLOBAL WARMING 5 ELNINO 錯(cuò)誤 !未定義書簽。 OZONE HOLE 6 EARTHALTERING ACCIDENTS 7 ENERGY AND THE EARTH 9 THE OPPOSITION TO HUMAN CLONING: 10 HOW MORALITY AND ETHICS FACTOR IN 10 PROBLEMS WITH SOCIETY 14 TEEN SOCIAL ISSUES 16 GENETIC ENGINEERING 19 ——————————————————————————————————— Social Problem Overview Problems of Poverty and Work Many myths and stereotypesand many theoriesexist about the poor and the causes of poverty. Sociological explanations for poverty focus on societal needs and social forces. In one view, poverty is an oute of longstanding conflict between haves and havenots。 in another, poverty is actually functional for society. Structural arrangements, such as official unemployment and the stipulation of a poverty line, have the effect of limiting opportunities and justifying social inequality. Thus, poverty is perpetuated through class discrimination and unequal opportunities for upward mobility. Programs and policies for addressing problems of poverty and work, such as the social welfare system and affirmative action, are themselves problems. Problems of Racial and Ethnic Inequality Economic and political inequalities in any country arise from overconcentrations of wealth and power. Imbalances in the distribution of power can lead to a lack of political representation in government for some groups, the creation of power elites, the loss of personal freedoms and civil liberties, and abuses of authority, of which genocide is an extreme example. Imbalances in the distribution of wealth can lead to the loss of economic opportunity and social mobility, the creation of a permanent underclass, and conditions of illiteracy, unemployment, homelessness, hunger, and disease. The social problems caused by economic and political inequality are a threat to global security. Gender Inequality Social and institutional contexts for sex discrimination in American life have included the workplace, occupations, wages, ine, housing, banking, health care, toys, school, education, employment, consumer marketplace, military, media, religious anizations, and home. Despite a century of social change stimulated by the feminist movement, gender inequality persists, for example, in problems of sexual violence and exploitation and in issues surrounding gender orientation and homosexuality. Aging Society and Inequalities of Age The socalled “graying of America” has called attention to inequalities of age and the difficulties of caring for growing numbers of elderly in American society. Age is a source of social problems because the very young and the very old may be more vulnerable than other age groups in society. Problems of the elderly, for example, can include poverty, financial insecurity, dependency, isolation, social and political inequality, victimization, and lack of access to adequate housing and health care. Problems of Racial and Ethnic Inequality Noone doubts that racial and ethnic prejudice and discrimination are sources of grave social problems in the . and in any society. Social contexts for prejudice and discrimination include beliefs about racial purity or superiority, ethnocentric views, stereotyping and labeling, physical and social segregation, economic petition and exploitation in a splitlabor market, and institutionalized inequality. Problems of racism persist despite a civil rights movement of more than 50 years and major social change. Other issues in pluralistic societies such as the . relate to the question of giving greater emphasis to diversity or to the assimilation of diverse groups. Crime, Violence, Drugs, and the Criminal Justice System Many social problems involve the concept of deviance in relation to a society’s system of social control. These problems overlap significantly because the social and cultural factors that contribute to deviant or antisocial behaviors are plex and deeply interrelated. Juvenile delinquency and street crime, for example, may be linked to youth gang and anized crime activities。 the availability of guns, alcohol, and drugs。 poverty, unemployment, and lack of economic opportunity。 racism。 family instability and domestic violence。 school failure。 and the influence of mass media. Issues within the criminal justice system itself add to the social problems of crime, violence, and drugs. Problems of Families and Family Violence Families today face changes and issues that affect marriage and the family as a social institution. Some of these issues include family instability, divorce and child custody, spouse and child abuse, gender issues, gay and lesbian families, and issues surrounding reproduction, including reproductive technology, adoption, and abortion. In addition, problems in family life affect individual and group behavior in ways that contribute to other social problems. For example, economic conditions that force both parents to work full time outside the home without affordable child care can lead to child neglect and a host of subsequent social problems. Problems of Health, Illness, and Health Care Delivery The bioethics of transplants, geic screening, gene therapies, reproductive technologies, physicianassisted suicide, and euthanasia are among the many issues of health and medicine today. Decreasing access to care and rising costs of care are major problems. In the . health care increasingly is provided on a forprofit basis only by the health maintenance anizations, hospitals, pharmaceutical panies, and insurance panies on which health care access, delivery, and quality depend. Problems of Education In the . today, problems of education relate to funding, teacher quality and the status of the teaching profession, student academic performance and standardized