What are social problems?

We explain what social problems are, what are their causes and various examples. In addition, social problems in Mexico.

1. What are social problems?

Social problems are those that afflict large sections of the population and have to do with the objective and subjective conditions of life in society . Its causes can be found in economic, political, etc. In addition, social problems often have consequences in other dimensions of a nation’s life.

Social problems have existed since the very emergence of humanity , although at certain times and situations they have been worse than in others, as is normal. In contemporary times they have become a recurring concern of popular governments and international NGOs , or of multilateral organizations such as the UN or UNICEF .

One of the great disadvantages of social problems is that they are difficult to solve : it is difficult to reach a consensus on which ones are more urgent or what is the methodology to respond to them.

2. Causes of social problems

Social problems can come from different causes, depending on the nature of the problem . For example, economic and opportunity inequality is usually a consequence of the historical construction of a society of very rich and very poor .

On the other hand, economic inequalities can also be the result of political dynamics that have catastrophic effects on the economy , to which only the wealthiest population can survive.

In addition, poverty and lack of resources often translate into violent attitudes , social resentment, criminality and the proliferation of other criminal activities. Sometimes despair leads to breaking the laws of a society perceived as unfair. Therefore, it is not simple to find the causes of the social problems that the world suffers.

3. Examples of social problems

Some common examples of social problems are:

• Hunger . Large sectors of the world population live in situations of marginalization and abandonment so desperate that they literally have nothing to eat.
• Insecurity . Populations with large margins of criminal activity are usually the same as those subject to poverty and a life without future prospects, easy prey for illegal activities: robbery, drug trafficking, prostitution, etc.
• Discrimination . Whether by race, sex, religion, nationality or sexual orientation, it is based on the segregation of an unwanted population, that is, on not giving everyone the same opportunities, for reasons of prejudice.
• Poverty . The largest of the economic and social and economic problems, and the one that generates more social problems in turn. It does not have to do simply with the lack of money, but with the total exclusion of the productive system. It is estimated that almost half of the world’s population lives in some margin of poverty, and that 400 million children live in extreme poverty.
• Inequality . The coexistence in a society ofenormously separated social classes , that is to say, of very poor poor and very rich rich, with few opportunities for class mobility. These types of societies are breeding grounds for social resentment.

4. Social problems in Mexico

Like many other nations of the so-called Third World, the society of Mexico is afflicted by social ills, some extremely critical to judge by their incidence statistics. The main ones are:

• Poverty . A large sector of the Mexican population (around 50%), especially the rural population , lives below the international poverty line. Of these, about 100,000 live in extreme poverty, and also with food insecurity.
• Discrimination . Mexican society has suffered from its colonial past of great inequalities around the racial difference of its population, always disadvantaging its indigenous populations or descendants of indigenous people. This phenomenon is even greater as it is combined with poverty, thus associating racial status with socioeconomic status. On the other hand, the homosexual population also often expresses their sense of oppression and discrimination, in a society of Catholic and commonly conservative roots.
• Femicide . The gender violence and against women is a factor of great concern in Mexican society, beset by extremely high rates of femicide, and cases as notorious as missing in Ciudad Juarez.
• Corruption . A common evil to most Third World nations, corruption in Mexico is one of the most entrenched socio-political problems, according to the Corruption Perception Index, according to which Mexico is one of the 70 most corrupt countries in the world, and the most corrupt of all those who make up the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).