Introduction
In an average 9-month academic year, children in America spend only one third of their total waking hours in the classroom (Downey and Gibbs 51). This goes to show that the amount of time spent outside of classrooms is quite significant. In addition, it underlines the value of parenthood in making this amount of time meaningful and beneficial to the child. The availability of a parent in spending time with and positively influencing the child is not always guaranteed. In the case of unmarried parenthood the parent is even more likely to be unavailable for their child. Tough (41) states that changing how parents relate with their children could be the one most important thing that the cognitive skills of children may be improved. Research indicates that children with unmarried parents have twice the likelihood for emotional, social or psychological problems and incarceration. For girls from unmarried parents, there is a higher likelihood of teen pregnancy. Other problems associated with unmarried parenthood include reduction in mental health; lower graduation rates in high school and lower social mobility chances. Social problems are conditions that contribute to harm in the society. In this definition, it is important to establish what being harmful means and what aspects of the problem make it harmful. Because of these negative outcomes, unmarried parenthood is a social problem.
The first reason why unmarried parenthood is a social problem is because it contributes to other social problems such as teen pregnancies for girls and incarcerations. Never-married households lack the much needed input of one parent. For example, girls who lack a father figure in the household are ill-equipped to deal with puberty. This is because the role of the father in the household is to make sure that the right values are inculcated into their children. The influence that a father has on his daughter can never be overemphasized. How girls deal with other males is highly dependent on how they relate to their fathers. On the other hand, incarceration levels are higher for boys who do not have a dominant male figure in their lives (Wilson 64).
The second reason why unmarried parenthood is a social problem is because it often leads to lower economic resources than married parenthood. This is because there is only one source of income to cater for the needs of the family. According to Wilson (71), most never-married households are headed by women. This has dire economic and social consequences because these kinds of families are more vulnerable to poverty than married parenthood households. Wilson (71) presents a study that shows that there was a 36.3% poverty rate in female-headed families in 1982 in the United States. The rate for married parenthood families, on the other hand, was 7.6%. This means that children raised by one parent in an unmarried household are more likely to be raised in poverty. Downey and Gibbs (52) indicate that students of low-socioeconomic status are likely to lag behind because of lack of enriching experiences outside the classroom which impact positively on their academics. This means that if this happens, unmarried parenthood may be viewed as a social problem.
Unmarried parenthood is a social problem because it leads to instability in the household. If one parent is left to their own devices to raising a family on their own, they are likely to be overloaded with responsibilities. It is difficult for one parent to handle all the aspects of raising a family on their own. This is because of the many necessities needed socially and economically. The one parent available is unlikely to be adequately available for his or her children because they have to bear the burden of fending for the family alone. In addition, such parents are likely to be too tired to have quality time with their children. Downey and Gibbs (52) add that the gaps in students’ academic skills develop during the summer when they are with their parents. The availability of the parent is, therefore, important and the lack of it is a social problem.
The fourth reason why unmarried parenthood is a social problem is that children from this kind of families have their chances of social mobility lowered. This is because the children do not get adequate interaction with their mother and father to equip them well on how to relate socially with other people. The fifth reason that makes unmarried parenthood a social problem it contributes to a higher chance of lower academic performance in children in comparison with other types of families. According to Tough (27), a child’s family background contributes significantly to their academic performance. This is because children from a complete family environment are more stable, and are likely to have a high self esteem and believe in their abilities.
Conclusion
A social problem is something that contributes to harm in the society. Unmarried parenthood may be viewed as a social problem if viewed from the context of the problems it contributes to. These problems include lower academic performance, lower sociability as well as problems such as teenage pregnancies and incarcerations among the youth. These facts indicate that a child needs balance in the family and a stable home environment.
Question 2
Racial inequality refers to a situation whereby a certain given race of people experience different life conditions from what is normal solely based on their race. One of the most affected areas of life by racial inequality is poverty. This can be observed world-over by simply looking at the life conditions of different races of people all over the world. In the USA, the racial inequality is very vivid especially from the number of blacks who live in ghetto areas, such as Harlem. These are normally areas that comprise of overpopulated regions with poor infrastructural facilities and social amenities. The public good is not catered for by the government in such areas.
Social security is extremely non-existent in such hoods. Actually, in the USA most of the crime activity is linked to the blacks. This is a common truth that is validated by the high number of killings that occur due to gang fights, robbery with violence and even rape. These are mostly crimes that are associated with blacks. Children who grow up in such societies are deprived of a calm and cool environment in which they can enjoy themselves as they focus on their education. They are normally traumatized by all the unrest and disorder (Tough 38). This may include the death of family members through criminal activities, either as gangsters or victims. Some are drawn to join these gangs while seeking for revenge, and eventually they end up in the same pit hole.
The whites, on the other hand, experience a different side of life. Most whites live in gated estates where there is sufficient security. Actually, between 1960 and 1980, most whites considered themselves as superior to blacks. This was a consequence of the preceding years whereby blacks were used as slaves. This mentality found a stronghold in their minds and to date many whites continue to have racist tendencies. Research shows that generally whites are well off and also able to meet their expense with more ease, as compared to their black counterparts. Their children manage to study to high levels of education to become experts in different fields. The proportion of white criminals as compared to blacks is small. This owes to the differences in financial and economic endowments.
Social structures in today’s society have managed to shape the roles and relationships between different races. Social structures may also pertain to the way certain races are less stable as pertains to criminal activities. One such example is the criminal gangs in ghetto areas, and the difficulty law enforcers have in trying to control such gangs. These gangs, mostly blacks, are highly organized and even have a system of hierarchy. However, the mode of acquisition of money is through scrupulous means such as drugs and robbery. However, it is important to note that blacks are not the only race that is involved in criminal gangs. Mexicans have become renowned for their participation in the drug and weapons business. They are equally organized as the blacks. Furthermore, their societies also languish in avid poverty and poor infrastructural facilities.
Structural factors can affect racial inequality to a very large extent. This is especially through discrimination of specific races by the governing authorities. A perfect example is the role of slaves that blacks were assigned prior to their liberalization in the USA. This set them significantly behind their white counterparts. Their children received much less than the children of whites, and this had a ripple effect in every area of their lives (Tough 40).
Discrimination is also seen in the existence of segregated schools for both whites and blacks. Sometimes this may extend to employers whereby certain jobs are not made available to people of a certain race. White people sometimes receive positive feedback from interviews based solely on their race, and not any professional superiority. Although this structural act has become less significant with increased sensitization on equality at the work place, it is yet to be completely eradicated and its effect on racial inequality is still very much vivid.
Culture is of central importance as far as racial inequality is concerned. This is because culture dictates the mode of behavior of a people based on past experiences and the social network. Different racial groups have different cultures. Sometimes it may prove difficult to end or even reduce racial inequalities because of the grasp cultural values or vices have of a certain group of people of a single race. Racial groups tend to be strongly united by the meager fact that they have a common origin. Sometimes this becomes a fuel for racial inequality since it outweighs other logical ways of thinking. Culture may also encourage a defiance of the norm including the rules that govern the larger society. This is usually a consequence of racial discrimination. However, it results in a vicious cycle whereby those discriminated seek to affirm their notoriety and independence.
Expressions such as ‘Africans for Africans’, ‘the black movement’ show how cultural values can help improve inequalities that exist in society. A good example is the Harlem Renaissance whereby blacks sought to assert that they can match up to the whites in various areas of the economy in the 1920s. It was a cultural movement that awakened a spirit of renewal and growth among the blacks. Blacks were encouraged to participate more in legal economic activities, to take up their freedom, and even to rise to the level of political leaders.
Blacks have improved as far as their professional capabilities are concerned. This was after a culture of valuing education was embraced and children studied hard to mark it to college. Black colleges and universities were set up to encourage the same. This helped to reduce poverty levels with added effect of reduced crime rate among the black societies.
Works Cited
Downey, Douglas B., and Benjamin G. Gibbs. "How Schools Really Matter." Contexts.org 3.2 (2011): 50-54. Print.
Tough, Paul. Whatever it takes: Geoffrey Canada's quest to change Harlem and America. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 2008. Print.
Wilson, William J. The truly disadvantaged: the inner city, the underclass, and public policy. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1987. Print.
