How Can We Solve Social Problems?

 

An Introduction to the Study of Social Problems. By Joel M. Charon

 

How can we solve social problems?

 

Believing that social problems can be solved is really a myth, and the myth is sometimes harmful. The problem of crime will never go away, nor will poverty, nor will inequality, nor will Scapegoating, poor schools, racism, or destructive families.

 

There are three reasons for this. First, whenever we try to solve a serious problem, our definition of the problem will change as we learn more about it and are successful in confronting it. For instance, as we have dealt with the problem of child abuse, we have expanded our definition of “child abuse” to include actions that were not previously seen as abusive, such as psychological abuse, or even spanking. Another example could be pollution. Recognizing how gas-powered vehicles polluted the air, we began building “cleaner” engines; yet, even as we were successful in doing that, we turned our attention to eliminating gasoline engines altogether. Over time, we simply come to understand more about the social problem at hand and redefine it.

 

Second, problems are too complex to be solved. All the causes of any given problem are too complicated and interrelated to be changed successfully. Third, problems are embedded in the nature of society. Finally, solving one would mean that society would have to change dramatically. This is too much to expect and probably simpleminded to believe.

 

Dealing with solving social problems is like dealing with the issue of freedom. It is not an either/or thing; it is a constant effort. We are never fully successful in our fight for freedom; there are always new controls that have to be dealt with, new threats to freedom, new understandings of what it means to be free. At any time, we might begin to lose whatever freedom we have, or we might take freedom for granted and think we will always have it—only to find ourselves suddenly without it.

 

Trying to deal with social problems means that as a society we need to understand what is wrong and to work at making it less wrong. If we leave problems alone, they might get better on their own, but they will more likely get worse and might eventually cause even more serious problems or destroy whatever works well in society.

 

Democracy is a commitment to dealing intelligently with social problems, because democracy above all else means that all people are important and to some extent we are responsible for one another. Society’s problems can be confronted and made less serious, and covering them up or running from them can bring about destructive conflict and disorder, one of the most serious social problems of all. If we demand to solve a problem, we will discourage efforts to deal rationally with it.

 

The course is not about solutions; it might provide recommendations about doing something to correct most serious problems related to race and ethnicity, so that fewer people are hurt and a better society can be built. Such approach could be changing government policies or organizing concerned people to exert their collective power to influence corporations or schools.