Sociological perspective, forces of socialization and culture of being unemployed and the impact of unemployment as a broad issue
The current state of unemployment in the United States is one of the major stressors for the American citizens. Unemployed individuals are likely to suffer from psychological problems such as self-esteem, depression, psychosomatic symptoms and anxiety more than their employed counterparts (Ayers, 2007). The major challenges facing the unemployed individuals include poor income or lack of it, lack of education for the next generations and discrimination in the society. Individuals who are employed can sometimes refuse to associate with people who are unemployed because they see them as a burden. National rights and human rights have attempted to raise this group of people by coming up with ways of addressing the issue. Social ties among community members are weakened causing families and marriages to disintegrate (Havitz & Morden 2006). Lack of money makes social relations very hard to maintain due to isolation and adverse effects of unemployment. The economic life becomes difficult because insufficient income is likely to affect the quality of education and living conditions. This is likely to affect the rest of the population in the globe both directly and indirectly. Economic growth and wealth creation becomes difficult to achieve as a state and leading to lack of employment opportunities for the future generations (Ayers, 2007).
How the unemployment issue influences social behavior
Employment determines social relations of individuals with other people. In most societies, it is regarded as the ultimate source of social identity and self-respect. The following are problems that are caused by unemployment in the United States and they affect the social behavior of individuals in a community (Jensen, 2011);
- Homelessness- individuals are likely to be homeless due to unemployment. The rising mortgage rates in the United States have made it impossible for the unemployed individuals to own homes or pay rent for apartments. This has made people to engage in unacceptable ways such as prostitution as a way of raising money to survive in the current economic times.
- Poverty- Unemployment causes poverty in the community because individuals cannot be able to afford their daily needs such as food, good health facilities and housing.
- Depression- Unemployed individuals are likely to suffer from stress related issues. This is because when one cannot be able to meet their basic needs they are likely to suffer from psychological related stress and their mental health is highly compromised.
- Drug and substance abuse- The youth who are not employed are likely to engage in substance abuse to escape from the harsh reality of unemployment. Drug abuse is one of the leading vices in the United States that has been linked to lack of employment. Some people engage in drug abuse due to idleness and hopelessness in life.
- High violent and crime levels - Crime rates are on the increase around the globe for the youth who are employed. They devise ways of surviving by stealing from individuals and committing crimes such as robbery with violence and rape.
In conclusion, the social issues caused by unemployment of the youth are possible to control. This can be done through the government giving loans and grants to the young people to start their own businesses. Creativity and innovativeness can also be encouraged instead of training everybody to be employed in the white-collar industry where the opportunities are limited (Jensen, 2013).
References
Ayers, S. (2007). Cambridge handbook of psychology, health and medicine (2nd Ed).
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Havitz, M. E., & Morden, P. A. (2006). The Diverse Worlds of Unemployed Adults
Consequences for Leisure, Lifestyle, and Well-being.. Waterloo: Wilfrid Laurier University Press.
Jensen, M. (2011). Encyclopedia of contemporary American social issues. Santa Barbara, Calif.:
Jensen, M. (2013). Mental health care issues in America: an encyclopedia. Santa Barbara, Calif.:
Scheid, T. L., & Brown, T. N. (2010). A handbook for the study of mental health: social contexts,
theories, and systems (2nd ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
