What is the greatest social issue of our time?
Table of Contents
It’s the responsibility of social workers to understand how big picture issues impact our clients and take action to support the communities we serve.
- Voting rights.
- Climate justice.
- Healthcare.
- Refugee crisis.
- Racial Injustice.
- Income Gap.
- Gun Violence.
- Hunger and food insecurity.
Common Examples of Social Issues
- Poverty and Homelessness. Poverty and homelessness are worldwide problems.
- Climate Change. A warmer, changing climate is a threat to the entire world.
- Overpopulation.
- Immigration Stresses.
- Civil Rights and Racial Discrimination.
- Gender Inequality.
- Health Care Availability.
- Childhood Obesity.
What are the biggest social problems today?
Educational issues like student debt are a major concern. Civil rights, poverty, and access to affordable housing are current concerns that affect many in a direct, immediate fashion. Other societal problems represent larger – and often more existential – concerns.
If you’re a little confused about what makes an issue ‘social’, they are the issues that influence society and are opposed by enough people where they become an issue. Think of issues like abortion, alcohol and drug abuse, poverty, healthcare, education, inequality of all kinds (racial, ethnic, gender, sexual preference, financial, etc).
The problem of poverty is particularly dire in the U.S. and is interconnected with other pressing social issues such as homelessness, economic disparity, lack of educational opportunies, racism, and substance abuse.
What are the long-term social issues we talk about?
Starting with the Black Lives Matter protest, reigniting the discussion about systematic racism, police reform, and inequality. Moving to climate justice, food insecurities, and gender inequality becoming long-term social issues.