assignment topic family and social issues

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Research Paper Topics

40 Family Issues Research Paper Topics

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40 Marriage and Family Research Topics for any Taste

Parental neglect. Is it enough for a kid to have food, clothes, and shelter to grow up healthy?
Divorce and its consequences for all the family members. Minimizing the negative impact of divorce
Toxic and narcissistic parents. Overcoming the trauma of a dysfunctional family
To live up to the family expectation: what to do if they are too high for a human being?
Family violence: where is the point of no return?
Sexual abuse in the family. The strategy of escaping and organizations that can help
Toxic and abusive relationship. The psychologies issues of breaking up with toxic partner
Substance abuse in the family. It is always possible to save yourself, but is it possible to save the rest?
War Veterans and their families. Do Vets the only ones there who need help?
Accepting the LGBTQ+ member of the family
Getting out of the closet: what is like to be an LGBTQ+person in a conservative family?
Loss of a family member: stages of grief of children and adults. How to cope together?
Religious conflicts in families: what to do and how to solve?
Teenage delinquency: when it turns to be more than natural seeking independence?
Fostering a child: what problems can the parents face?
Generation gap. The difference in morals and culture. Is it normal?
Living with senile family members: how to cope and avoid emotional burnout?
Mentally challenged family members: how to integrate them into society?
The importance of family support for people with disabilities
Pregnancy and the first year of having a baby: do tiredness and depression make people bad parents?
The types of relationship in the family: are they healthy and just unusual or something is harmful to family members?
Life after disasters: how to put life together again? The importance of family support
The issue of an older sibling. How to make every kid feel equally loved?
Gender discrimination in families. Gender roles and expectations
Multicultural families: how do their values get along?
Children from previous marriages: how to help them accept the new family?
Childhood traumas of parents: helping them not to transfer them to the next generation
Every family can meet a crisis: how to live it through in a civilized way?
Family counseling: why it is so important?
Accidentally learned the secrets of the family: how to cope with unpleasant truth?
Adultery: why it happens and what to do to prevent it?
Career choice: how to save the relationships with the family and not inherit the family business?
The transition to adult life: the balance between family support and letting the young adult try living their own life
Unwanted activities: shall the family take warning or it is just trendy now?
Returning of a family member from prison: caution versus unconditional love
A family member in distress: what can you do to actually help when someone close to you gets in serious troubles?
The absence of love. What to do if you should love someone but can’t?
Ageism in families. Are older people always right?
Terminal diseases and palliative care. How to give your family member a good life?
Where can seek help the members of the dysfunctional families?

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210 Interesting Family Essay Topics and Ideas

Table of Contents

Family is one of the common themes considered for writing a personal essay. If you are asked to write a personal essay or short essay for introductory courses, then think about choosing family essay topics because it is easier to write. When compared to other complex technical topics, writing an essay on family topics will be comfortable for you to discuss along with real-time examples. Right now, would you have to prepare a family essay? Are you looking for the best family essay topic ideas? If yes, then keep reading this blog post. Here, we have prepared a list of good family essay topics and ideas for you to consider. Also, we have shared key tips for writing a family essay.

What is a Family Essay?

Family Essay is a piece of writing that mainly focuses on family topics. When it comes to family topics, you can consider writing about single mothers, relationships, family values, childhood parenting, and family issues. Specifically, for writing family essays, you have the privilege to share your opinions and explain a topic with personal examples. You can craft family essays in free form by following a structure that includes elements such as the introduction, body, and conclusion.

Remember, when writing family essays, you should present your ideas in an inspiring manner. Also, you should include all traits of creative writing unless you focus on scientific or complex topics.

Till now, we have seen what a family essay means. Next, let us see how to write a family essay efficiently.

Steps for Writing a Family Essay

Writing a family essay is not a difficult task to deal with. Whenever you are asked to come up with a brilliant family essay on a topic of your own, then this is what you should follow.

Family is a general theme with a lot of areas to focus on. So, first, narrow it down and identify a good family essay topic based on your interest.
Perform in-depth research on the selected topic and gather the main ideas and supporting evidence for discussion.
Depending upon your topic analyze and find an interesting essay title.
Sketch a neat essay outline based on your key ideas.
With the help of the essay outline, create a detailed first draft of the essay as per the standard essay structure that includes the introduction, body, and conclusion.
After writing the essay, proofread the whole content and edit the errors in it before submission.

Family Essay Topic Selection and Writing Tips

The tips shared here will help you identify a good topic and write a great family essay. So, follow them all, while you are asked to submit an essay on family topics.

Tips for Family Essay Topic Selection

During topic selection, always give high preference to the family essay topic that is easy for you to share your ideas and experience.
The topic you select should provide a wide space for you to come up with interesting discussion points or arguments.
Your essay topic should be neither too broad nor too narrow. Also, the topic should be inspiring for your readers.

Tips for Family Essay Writing

Begin the essay with an inspiring hook in the introduction section. The hook can be an unusual family fact, an inspiring story, or any other statistics that will engage your readers and motivate them to read further.
When writing a family essay, provide a thesis statement in the introduction paragraph along with some basic information about the topic. The thesis statement should explain what your essay is all about in one or two sentences.
If you statically write your essay, it would be boring for the readers. So, ask interesting questions in the middle to keep the readers engaged.
In the body section, you can have a maximum of three body paragraphs. Each paragraph should start with a topic sentence. Especially, in the body of the essay, you should explain all your main ideas and arguments in a logical sequence with relevant evidence or examples.
The conclusion is the closing paragraph of the essay. When writing a conclusion, you must summarize all the important points and include a moral lesson helpful for your readers.
To avoid plagiarism, make it a point to cite all of your sources at the end of the essay.
Before submission, always proofread your essay. Check for grammar, spelling, and formatting errors in the essay and edit it, if there are any.

List of Family Essay Topics and Ideas

The first step in the essay writing process is the topic selection. Usually, many students get stuck when they are assigned a task to write a family essay because not everyone would be comfortable talking about their family and personal experiences. Also, some students will find it difficult to identify interesting family essay topic ideas. So, to help them all, here we have listed some great family essay topics and ideas that would be comfortable for everyone to write about.

If you are one such student struggling to pick the best family essay topic, then without any hesitation access the below-mentioned list and choose any topic of your choice.

Simple Family Essay Topics

Explain the role of women in modern families.
Discuss the evolution of sibling relationships.
Explain family life in Muslim countries.
Talk about the primary characteristics of single-parent families.
Can family issues be solved with mediation?
Explain the role of education in running a family.
Talk about the role of the internet and social media in promoting family values.
Discuss your most memorable family vacation trip.
How a family can stop bullying?
The privacy of adoption and foster families.
The attitude of religious communities toward LGBT families.
Explain the evolution of family responsibilities since the 1980s.
Explain the family values in Victorian-era literature.
Advantages and disadvantages of being the youngest in the family
Discuss the importance of family in Buddhist philosophy.

Outstanding Essay Topics on Family

The effects of the second child on the family.
Formation of different family types.
Egalitarian Family in the Western Culture.
The role of genograms in family and marriage.
Women and family in Chinese history.
Analyze the role of women in an Indian family
Why family relationships are important for the psychological health and well-being of children and adolescents?
Discuss the significance of family in a child’s language development and socialization
Benefits and limitations of the nuclear family
Impact of the joint family on child development
Should school teachers be involved in family conflicts?
Should parents force children to participate in sports, arts, or music?
The role of religious education in developing modern family values.
Is it difficult for children from single-parent families to build strong relationships?
The role of music in the modern development of children.

Interesting Family Essay Topics

The effects of cell phones on family life.
What are the effective family therapy techniques?
The role of video games in cognitive skills development.
Discuss the effects of divorce and parents in families.
The effect of depression on a family.
Discuss the family-centered services program.
The theory of family intervention.
How do families shape children’s behavior?
Gender roles in families.
The role of family history in primary healthcare.
Work-Family Conflict and Career Satisfaction.
Child Development in a Bi-Racial Family.
A family supper.
Discuss the general societal opinion of the family.
Family as agents of socialization.

Family Relationship Essay Topics

Impact of work-life balance on family relationships
Discuss the reasons behind the increasing cases of divorce among young couples
Why it is important to promote relationships between grandparents and children?
A joint family helps children in their socialization process: Explain
Strategies to reduce the frequency of family conflicts
Discuss the role of scouting in creating strong family relationships.
How to deal with new responsibilities in the family?
Should the modern family have a head or a boss?
How to handle the conflicts with an older sibling?
What are the effects of divorce and separation of family relationships?
What discipline methods are normal for child upbringing?
Should parents take sides when settling down family conflicts?
Explain healthy marriages and family relationships.
How to build a strong family relationship?
Talk about family relationships and dominant culture.

Essay Topics on Family Law

Discuss the interpersonal relationship between African American families.
Explain the connection between family relationships and response to health issues.
Talk about family relationships and divorce psychology.
Nurse-Family relationship and barriers to it.
The role of communication in building a strong family relationship.
What laws are applicable for sexual abuse reports and cyberbullying issues?
Parental rights and adoption issues in the United States.
Domestic violence: who is an objective third party?
Legal guardianships and college education: bias among educators.
The practice of family lawyers and families with mental health issues.
Should the Family Law Act 1975 be changed?
Should families have a right to physically punish children?
The role of school teachers in child abuse cases.
Bias towards mothers in child custody cases.
Analysis of current protective family parties in the United States.

Essay Topics on Family and Marriage

Arranged marriages in the Middle East.
The role of family therapists for married couples.
Infertility and adoption issues in the United States.
Marriage expectations versus real-life challenges.
Living in the foster care system: when getting married is seen differently.
The mental pressure and sexuality through the lens of marriage and family values.
How can we identify the degree of honesty in the reports of domestic abuse?
The most common misconceptions young people have about marriage.
The negative effects of divorce on children.
The marriage values of the modern American family.
Discuss the problems of alcohol addiction in Modern Families.
Postmodern and Family Systems Therapy.
Nuclear Family Health Assessment in Nursing.
American Corporations and family-related issues.
Suicide among Adolescents and Family Support.

Great Family Research Topics

Sickle Cell Disease and Family Involvement.
Family Development, Health Beliefs, and Issues.
The role of the family in childhood obesity.
Discuss the gender stereotypes developed within families.
Family Violence Types.
Family welfare and divorce policies.
Telehealth tools to support family caregivers.
Family support for patients with kidney failure.
The modern-day family.
The effects of military deployment on family members.
Family engagement in children’s learning process.
Jamaican Family Cultural Practices.
What are the various approaches to family studies?
A case study of household management audit.
What are the challenges involved in a marriage?

Amazing Discussion Ideas about Family

The functions of family law court.
Family Self-Care and Disaster Management Plan.
The consequences of divorce.
Child’s angry outburst management and family therapy.
Family-oriented and focused care in Pediatrics.
How to improve the level of family education?
Infant development and family situation analysis.
Marriage in family life and government policies.
The role of a dog in the family.
Discuss the gender identities within the farm family.
Family Spiritual Assessment.
Diversification of the Family Business.
Substance abuse and its effect on the family.
The temperament of children in alcoholic families.
The role of family therapy in resolving the problems.

Captivating Family Essay Ideas

The significance of family in the socialization process.
The changes faced by families in American society.
Feelings about family life and marriage.
Benefits of uterine family.
How to plan a family vacation?
The magic of the family meal.
Nuclear family and development of anti-social behavior.
The problem of work-family imbalance in society.
Family TV shows.
Analyze the family social network.
Changes in family trends.
Conservative politics and family.
Households and family decision-making.
The effects of a nuclear family and single parenting in a child.
Family relationship in media.

Good Family Essay Topics

What are the marital and parental subsystems in the family?
The impact of chronic disease in a family.
The portrayal of family life.
Pros and Cons of Family Role Switching.
Adapting family network issue.
Family therapy with cultural groups.
Autism and family assessment.
Your belief about family relationships.
A case study on family and child development.
Discuss the extended family system.
How do grandparents play a major role in child development?
How to solve a family crisis?
Explain Stepfamily Relationships.
The history of family violence.
Pregnancy and family development.

Awesome Family Essay Topics

The quality of the family planning programs.
Discuss the methodologies of family and consumer education.
Define traditional family and its future.
The role of grandparents in a family.
Early childhood in a family environment.
Should parents coerce their kids into participating in music, art, or sports?
Are relationships more difficult to forge for kids from single-parent families?
How do local social work and volunteering help students value their families more?
Can a foundation of bad familial examples support something good?
Are there any instances of truly American families in the media?
Discuss the role of families and communities in the management of Myasthenia Gravis Disorder
How Garcia’s Family is depicted in the Film “Real Women Have Curves”?
The problem of drug and alcohol addiction in modern families
Analyze the influence of gender stereotypes on parents that impact the career choice of an adolescent
How gender stereotypes in families affect the gender roles of parents and children’s aspirations
Analyze the requirements and responsibilities of family nurse practitioner
How extra the marital affair of a parent affect the family relationship?
Critical analysis of the changing roles for gender in modern Japanese families
Critical analysis of Sunshine Laws and its impact on Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
How family System is depicted in “The Kids Are All Right” by Lisa Cholodenko?

Trending Family Essay Prompts

Should instructors get involved in family disputes as they arise in the classroom?
the social programs being implemented right now in the US to stop child abuse.
How do ecology and the home environment impact a baby’s or child’s development?
How do youth movements affect the development and growth of children?
Reports of sexual abuse and problems with cyberbullying: which laws are relevant.
Drug Abuse and Its Effects on the Family
The practice of the Calgary Family Assessment Model
An Analysis of Telehealth Resources and Programs to Support Family Caregivers
Family members’ permission to enter a trauma bay
Family Nurse Practitioner Interview: Ms. Garza’s Case
Effect of Building a Family Physician Communication Network on HbA1c and FBS Levels in Diabetes Patients
Wilson’s The Challenge of Families’ Perception and Adaptation of Mental Illness
Assessment of Family Health in Latin America
Chinese Urban Family Life in the Movie “Shower”
Health Insurance is Hard to Get for Low-Income Families

From the list of family essay topics recommended in this blog, choose any topic that is interesting for you and your readers. As a topic is essential for boosting your grades, make sure to pick the right idea during your essay topic selection phase. In case, you are unsure of what essay topic to choose and how to write a family essay, get in touch with us immediately.

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108 Social Issues Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

Inside This Article

Social issues are complex and multifaceted problems that affect individuals, communities, and societies as a whole. These issues can range from poverty and inequality to discrimination and environmental degradation. Writing an essay on a social issue can be a daunting task, but it can also be a rewarding experience that allows you to explore and analyze important topics that impact the world around you.

To help you get started, here are 108 social issues essay topic ideas and examples that you can use as inspiration for your next writing assignment:

The impact of social media on mental health
Income inequality and its effects on society
Police brutality and the Black Lives Matter movement
The rise of fake news and its impact on democracy
Gender inequality in the workplace
Climate change and its effects on vulnerable communities
The opioid crisis and its impact on communities
The criminal justice system and racial disparities
Homelessness and poverty in America
The refugee crisis and global migration patterns
LGBTQ+ rights and discrimination
The rise of nationalism and its impact on global politics
Gun control and mass shootings in America
Environmental racism and its effects on marginalized communities
The impact of globalization on developing countries
Mental health stigma and access to treatment
Cyberbullying and online harassment
The #MeToo movement and sexual harassment in the workplace
Access to healthcare and the rising cost of medical care
The impact of technology on social relationships
Food insecurity and hunger in America
The effects of gentrification on low-income communities
Disability rights and accessibility
The criminalization of poverty and homelessness
Human trafficking and modern-day slavery
The impact of colonialism on indigenous communities
The rise of authoritarianism and threats to democracy
The education achievement gap and disparities in schools
Mental health challenges facing college students
The impact of social isolation on mental health
The influence of religion on social norms and values
The effects of gentrification on cultural identity
The impact of social media on political discourse
The role of activism in social change
Access to clean water and sanitation in developing countries
The impact of social media on body image and self-esteem
The effects of income inequality on public health
The criminalization of drug addiction and mental illness
The impact of climate change on indigenous communities

These are just a few examples of social issues that you can explore in your essay. Remember to choose a topic that you are passionate about and that you feel strongly about. Researching and writing about social issues can be a powerful way to raise awareness and advocate for change in the world. Good luck with your essay!

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The Biggest 15 Social Issues We Are Facing Today

No matter where we live, what communities we belong to or what we care about, we are affected by social issues. It’s the price of living in a society, and while challenges like poverty, climate change and discrimination can feel overwhelming, we have the power to take action. The first step is understanding what issues we’re up against. In this article, we’ll explore 15 of the biggest social issues facing the world today.

#1. The global housing crisis

Shelter is a human right, but hundreds of millions of people lack adequate, affordable housing. According to the World Bank, the housing crisis is global, and it could impact as many as 1.6 billion people by 2025. That number will only grow with time. By 2030, the world needs to build 96,000 new affordable homes per day to meet the needs of 3 billion people. What’s driving the global housing crisis? According to Albert Saiz in a paper for the MIT Center for Real Estate, economic factors like rising costs and income inequality are prevalent. Addressing these issues now is critical to protecting people in the future.

#2. Gender inequality

Societies have been working to improve gender inequality for centuries, but we still have a long way to go. Globally, women still make less money than men, have poorer health outcomes, have fewer opportunities and endure more gender–based violence. According to 2023 data, the global gender gap won’t close until 2154 . Even the most gender-equal country, which is Iceland , still has social issues to address. Some of the issues are recognized – women are still being subjected to physical and sexual violence – while there are gaps in data related to things like unpaid care, domestic work, gender and the environment, and so on.

#3. Climate crisis

The climate crisis is one of today’s most urgent social issues. Earth.org outlines a list of major climate events in 2023 , including severe droughts, wildfires, higher ocean surface temperatures and storms. That same year, the IPCC released a summary of its previous five reports, showing how human activity is causing severe damage to the planet, and, if trends continue, parts of the earth will become unlivable in just a few decades. The world can fight the climate crisis, but we have to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and turn to renewable energy sources.

#4. Overconsumption

Greenhouse gas emissions are a primary driver of climate change, but overconsumption is hurting the planet, too. Unfathomable amounts of food, clothing, plastic and other things are thrown into landfills and the ocean every day. However, it’s not a problem for everyone. According to research, just 20% of the world’s population is responsible for consuming 80% of the globe’s natural resources. The richest 500 million people release half of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. To break it down even further, if every person in the world consumed resources at the rate as people in Canada and the United States did, we would need at least five earths .

#5. Global hunger

Global food insecurity is a serious problem. According to data, about 735 million people endured chronic hunger in 2022, and with issues like climate change, the lingering effects of the pandemic and conflict, it will be very challenging to end hunger by 2030. Children typically suffer the most. When kids don’t get enough to eat, they become more vulnerable to diseases like measles, malaria and diarrhea. According to the World Food Programme, “hotspots” for hunger include Burkina Faso, Mali, South Sudan and Palestine.

#6. Threats to LGBTQ+ rights

At the same time as LGBTQ+ rights have expanded, certain countries have pushed back. In the summer of 2023, the first Ugandan was charged with “aggravated homosexuality,” a crime punishable by death. In its 2023 review, the Electronic Frontier Foundation also found an increase in anti-LGBTQ sentiment , including more laws that restrict privacy and freedom of expression, and censorship of LGBTQ+ websites. Even in places like the United States, which is seen by many as a haven for the LGBTQ+ community, legislative threats are on the rise .

#7. Reproductive justice

Reproductive justice, which includes things like abortion access and maternal health, is a social issue affecting every corner of the world. According to the Center for Reproductive Rights, most countries are expanding abortion rights, while just four – the United States, Poland, Nicaragua, and El Salvador – rolled back abortion rights . Globally, about 40% of women live in places with “restrictive” abortion laws. Related social issues include menstrual health, prenatal and maternal health, access to contraception and so on.

#8. Educational disparities

When people get a good education, they’re more likely to have higher incomes, better health, healthier children and other benefits. On a larger scale, education also helps countries achieve overall wealth and health. There’s been significant progress on closing the gender gap in education. According to a blog on the World Bank, boys and girls complete primary school at almost an equal rate . However, around 130 million girls are still being denied an education. Wealth also plays a role in educational disparities. In the United States, one study found that wealth affects a student’s chances of finishing college. On a global scale, wealth also impacts where a family lives and what school options are available, as well as tutoring opportunities, whether a student needs a job and much more.

#9. Health and healthcare

Health and the ability (or inability) to access good healthcare are major social issues. Unfortunately, healthcare systems around the world are struggling. COVID-19 continues to be a problem, but hospitals are also facing staff shortages and competition . Not everyone is affected equally. According to the World Health Organization, refugees and migrants experience worse health outcomes due to language barriers, cultural differences, discrimination and legal restrictions on what services they can access.

#10. Income inequality

Global income inequality fluctuates, but according to a 2023 Oxfam study , the world’s richest 1% took almost ⅔ of all the new wealth created since 2020. That gave them almost twice the amount of money held by the bottom 99%. Income inequality can cause serious problems , such as lower economic growth, worse social cohesion and political polarization. There are also ethical consequences to income inequality, which human rights and social justice advocates often discuss. Can society ever be truly good or free when only a handful of people hold all the wealth?

#11. Global unemployment (and underemployment)

High unemployment rates – and low-paying jobs – drive income inequality and poverty. In a 2023 report, the International Labour Organization found that the world is still experiencing slow employment growth . There was a slight recovery in 2021, but as the economy slows again, people are forced to take jobs that pay less, provide fewer hours and/or offer poor working conditions. South Africa, which is the most industrialized economy in Africa, also has one of the highest unemployment rates. According to Reuters, reasons include structural issues related to the shadows of colonialism and apartheid. To fight issues like poverty and gender inequality, countries need to address unemployment and low-paying jobs.

#12. Increased migration

People move all the time, but issues like war and climate change force people to leave their homes. Sometimes, they move within the borders of one country, but other times, they’re forced to take long, dangerous journeys to countries they’ve never visited. According to the Migration Policy Institute, “humanitarian migration” increased in 2023, while policies could impact elections in 2024. The social issues related to migration, such as the rights of migrants, affordable housing, health services and more, will all be relevant for the foreseeable future.

#13. Artificial intelligence

The presence of artificial intelligence has exploded in recent years, but the technology has several issues. Ethics is just one of them. According to a guide on UMA Libraries, AI has problems with gender and racial bias, plagiarism, generating fake news and supporting scams. It also takes a lot of energy to train and run AI programs, so as the use of AI increases, so will its carbon footprint . As the technology continues to develop, new regulations, legislation and guidelines will need to be created, as well.

#14. Debt bondage

Rates of labor trafficking have been increasing over the years. According to research, about ⅕ of those in forced labor trafficking are in debt bondage . Debt bondage is a very common type of trafficking where a person is forced to work off a loan. However, because the debt is often so high and they are paid so little, it’s impossible to escape the situation. Perpetrators also often have no intention of freeing the people they’re exploiting; debt bondage can even pass on to children. While bonded labor is technically illegal in some places, like India, it persists , especially in rural areas. Because trafficking is an illicit practice, it’s very difficult to get accurate numbers, but it’s most likely worse than what’s reported.

#15. Threats to journalism

By providing vital information to the public, journalists are essential to freedom of speech, freedom of expression, democracy and the protection of other human rights. In recent years, journalism has been under threat. According to the 2023 World Press Freedom Index , the environment for journalism was “bad” in seven out of 10 countries, while it was “satisfactory” in just three out of 10 countries. The reasons include a surge in fake news and propaganda. Journalists also face threats to their lives. UNESCO found that in 2023, there was a near doubling of deaths of journalists working in conflict zones. As conflicts in Ukraine, Palestine and other countries continue, the safety of journalism will remain a social issue.

210 Excellent Family Essay Topics and Ideas

Table of Contents

Do you want to prepare a personal essay or a short essay for introductory courses? Well, consider any family topics for discussion. When compared to complex topics or any other technical topics, the family essay topics will make it easy for you to share your personal opinions with real-time examples. Also, it would be comfortable for you to craft an inspiring family essay on the topics you are familiar with by including all the features of creative writing.

If you are confused about what topic to choose, then this blog is for you. Here, for your convenience, we have shared 200+ outstanding family essay topic ideas. In addition to that, we have also suggested some important family essay topic selection tips and the steps for writing a great family essay. Keep on reading and get ideas for your family essay or research paper writing assignment.

Family Essay Topic Selection Tips

A family essay is a type of essay that deals with family topics. Especially, for writing a family essay, you can consider any topics that are related to themes such as family values, relationships, childhood parenting, single mothers, family issues, and so on.

No matter whether it is a family essay or any other academic essay, the first step in the essay writing process is the topic selection. In general, family is a broad theme with plenty of topics to cover. When you have numerous topics for selection, then out of them all, choosing one perfect topic would become tedious for you. So, to help you identify a good family essay topic, here we have recommended a few significant tips. Follow them during topic selection.

Always choose a topic that is in sync with your interest.
Select a topic that has the value to inspire and engage your target audience.
Pick a topic that is comfortable for you to share your ideas and experience.
Give preference to a topic that allows you to generate more discussion points, opinions, or arguments.
Go with a topic that has a wide set of valid evidence and extensive information for discussion.
Avoid choosing a topic that is neither too wide nor too specific.
Research and identify a specific subtopic from the topic that is too broad and tough to complete the discussion before the deadline.

Steps for Writing an Outstanding Family Essay

Next, after identifying an ideal topic by following the above-mentioned tips, go ahead and start crafting the family essay by executing these steps.

Suitable to your essay topic, analyze and come up with an engaging essay title.
Research your selected essay topic and collect all the major points for discussion along with supporting evidence or real-time examples.
Prepare an essay outline with the key ideas that you have gathered.
With the help of the prepared essay outline, write a detailed first draft as per the standard essay structure that includes an introduction, body, and conclusion.
Begin the essay with a catchy hook in the introductory paragraph to motivate your readers to read further. The hook can be an inspiring story, unusual family facts, or any other statistics.
In the introductory paragraph of the family essay, also provide some basic details of the topic and add a thesis statement at the end. Your thesis statement should give a brief overview of the essay in one or two sentences.
In the body chapter, depending on your essay topic, you can have up to 3 body paragraphs. Especially in each paragraph, you should coherently explain a topic sentence or arguments relevant to your thesis statement with valid evidence or examples.
Close the essay with a strong conclusion paragraph. In the concluding chapter, you should summarize all the major points and add a moral lesson that is useful for your readers.
Cite all of your sources at the end of the essay to avoid plagiarism issues.
Finally, before submission, proofread the whole essay and edit the grammar, spelling, punctuation, and formatting errors, if there are any. Also, check whether your essay has adhered to your university guidelines or not.

List of the Best Family Essay Topics

Here, we have compiled a list of the best family essay topic ideas in various categories.

If you are not sure about what family essay topic to choose for your assignment, then without any hesitation, explore the entire list suggested below and pick a topic that is comfortable for you to write about.

Good Family Essay Topics

Discuss the evolution of family responsibilities since the 1980s.
What are the pros and cons of being the youngest in the family?
Explain religious communities’ attitudes to LGBT families.
Describe the significance of family in Buddhist philosophy.
Explain the family values in Victorian-era literature.
Discuss the evolution of sibling relationships.
Explain the key characteristics of single-parent families.
What is the role of women in modern families?
Is it possible to solve family issues with mediation?
Explain family life in Muslim countries.
Discuss the formation of different family types.
What is the role of genograms in family and marriage?
Discuss the effects of the second child on the family.
Talk about women and family in Chinese history.
Egalitarian Family in the Western Culture.

Simple Family Essay Ideas

What is the role of the internet and social media in promoting family values?
How a family can stop bullying?
What is the role of education in running a family?
The privacy of adoption and foster families.
Describe your most memorable family vacation trip.
Impact of family values and culture on a child’s psychological growth and development
Pros and cons of the Internet on Family Life
Discuss the pathology of patriarchy and family inequalities
Compare and contrast divorce and legal mutual separation
Comparative analysis of joint family and nuclear family
What are the influences of cell phones on Family Life?
What are the Social Issues in the Families in Saudi Arabia?
Infidelity and Societal Impact on Family Values.
Effects of Divorce and Poverty in Families.
The Role of Scientifically Based Knowledge on Marriage and Family Relationships.

Family Relationship Essay Topics

Should parents take sides when settling down family conflicts?
How to strengthen family relationships?
What discipline methods are normal for child upbringing?
Analyze family relationships and dominant culture.
Discuss healthy marriages and family relationships.
How to manage new responsibilities in the family?
How to handle the conflicts with an older sibling?
Discuss the role of scouting in creating strong family relationships.
What are the effects of family relationship separation?
Is it necessary to have a head or a boss in a modern family?
Discuss the link between family relationships and response to health issues.
Explain the barriers to Nurse-Family relationships.
Analyze the interpersonal relationship between African-American families.
What is the role of communication in building a strong family relationship?
Explain the connection between family relationships and divorce psychology.

Top Essay Ideas on Family Bonding

Describe how modern technologies and gadgets influence balance in family relationships
How does patriarchy impact family relationships?
How does divorce affect the health and well-being of family relationships?
How does a pre-marital relationship affect future marriage?
Changing Roles For Men And Women In Modern Japanese Families.
Computer’s and Internet’s Negative Effects on Family Relationships.
The Golden Age: The Role of Family.
The Importance of Family in German Media.
Should Children Be Able to Testify as Eyewitnesses?

Amazing Essay Topics on Family

Discuss the effective family therapy techniques.
Is the conflict with siblings an example of bad parenting?
What are the effects of cell phones on family life?
The impact of depression on a family.
What role do video games play in cognitive skills development?
Should parents force children to participate in sports, arts, or music?
Is it difficult for children from single-parent families to build strong relationships?
Is it ethical for school teachers to be involved in family conflicts?
Explain the role of music in the modern development of children.
Discuss the role of religious education in developing modern family values.
Explain child development in a bi-racial family.
Discuss the general societal opinion of the family.
Work-Family Conflict and Career Satisfaction.
Family as agents of socialization.
A family supper.
The theory of family intervention.
Explain the gender roles in families.
Discuss the family-centered services program.
Talk about the role of family history in primary healthcare.
How should families shape children’s behavior?
Comparative assessment of the moral and cognitive development of children among nuclear versus joint family

Essay Topics on Family Law

Should families have a right to physically punish children?
Bias towards mothers in child custody cases.
Is it necessary to change the Family Law Act 1975 ?
Analyze the current protective family parties in the United States.
Discuss the role of school teachers in child abuse cases.
Explain parental rights and adoption issues in the United States.
Legal guardianships and college education: bias among educators.
What laws are applicable for sexual abuse reports and cyberbullying issues?
The practice of family lawyers and families with mental health issues.
Domestic violence: Who is an objective third party?

Impressive Family Research Topics

Discuss family development, health beliefs, and issues.
Discuss the gender stereotypes developed within families.
Explain the involvement of family in sickle cell disease.
What are the different family violence types?
What is the role of the family in childhood obesity?
Explain postmodern and family systems therapy.
American Corporations and family-related issues.
Discuss the problems of alcohol addiction in Modern Families.
Suicide among Adolescents and Family Support.
Nuclear Family Health Assessment in Nursing.
Explain the cultural practices followed by Jamaican Families.
Prepare a case study of household management audits.
Family engagement in children’s learning process.
What are the challenges involved in a marriage?
What are the various approaches to family studies?
Telehealth tools to support family caregivers.
The modern-day family.
Family welfare and divorce policies.
Discuss the impact of military deployment on family members.
How should families provide care for patients with kidney failure?

Marriage and Family Essay Ideas

How to identify the degree of honesty in the reports of domestic abuse?
What are the negative effects of divorce on children?
Discuss the mental pressure and sexuality through the lens of marriage and family values.
Explain the marriage values of the modern American family.
What are the most common misconceptions young people have about marriage?
Discuss help offered by family therapists for married couples.
Compare marriage expectations and real-life challenges.
Talk about arranged marriages in the Middle East.
Living in the foster care system: When getting married is seen differently.
Discuss infertility and adoption issues in the United States.

Outstanding Family Discussion Ideas

Family Self-Care and Disaster Management Plan.
Child’s angry outburst management and family therapy.
The functions of family law court.
Family-oriented and focused care in Pediatrics.
The consequences of divorce.
Diversification of the Family Business.
Temperament of children in alcoholic families.
Family Spiritual Assessment.
The role of family therapy in resolving the problems.
Discuss the effect of substance abuse on the family.
Analyze infant development and family situation.
Explain the role of a dog in the family.
How to improve the level of family education?
Discuss the gender identities within the farm family.
Marriage in family life and government policies.

Excellent Family Essay Topics

Conservative politics and family.
Discuss the effects of a nuclear family and single parenting on a child.
Explain the changes in family trends.
Discuss the family relationship in media.
Households and family decision-making.
Nuclear family and development of anti-social behavior.
Family TV shows.
Explain the magic of the family meal.
Analyze the family social network.
The problem of work-family imbalance in society.
The impact of chronic disease in a family.
What are the pros and cons of family role-switching?
What are the marital and parental subsystems in the family?
How to adapt to family network issues?
Portray a family life.
Describe the experiences of a Jewish family during the holocaust
Critical analysis of the family concept in “The Glass Menagerie” by Tennessee Williams
Discuss how slavery and marginalization have affected the lives and families of African Americans.
“Family Supper” by Ishiguro: cultural differences in the eastern and western family attitudes
Critical analysis of the features of Marital and Family Therapy

Captivating Family Essay Topics

What are the challenges faced by families in American society?
Discuss the benefits of the uterine family.
Share the significance of family in the socialization process.
How to plan a family vacation?
Share your feelings about family life and marriage.
Discuss the effects of addictions on the family system.
Explain the American Social Problems.
Limited access to health insurance for low-income families.
What are the primary reasons for family violence problems?
Welfare legislation for families.
Mediation of family conflicts.
Which is needed the most- Money or family values?
What are the elements of a strong family?
Family and politics.
The influence of family on the development of a child’s behavior.
A family is a primary unit of society.
Talk about family firms in Saudi Arabia.
The diversity of family structures.
Kinship of family.
Family disorganization and divorce in the UAE.

Awesome Discussion Ideas Related to Family

How to solve a family crisis?
Explain the history of family violence.
How do grandparents play a major role in child development?
Pregnancy and family development.
Explain Stepfamily Relationships.
Autism and family assessment.
Prepare a case study on family and child development.
Explain family therapy with different cultural groups.
Discuss the extended family system.
What is your belief about family relationships?

Best Discussion Ideas about Family

Discuss the methodologies of family and consumer education.
What is the role of a grandmother in a family?
Explain the quality of the family planning programs.
Describe your early childhood in a family environment.
Define the future of a traditional family.
How Can Parents Encourage Important Behaviors in Family Members With Disabilities?
Needy families in Michigan who Need Temporary Assistance Schools
Learners belonging in school and families in the English language
Low Income, Diverse Families, and Immigrants Affect Early Childhood Education
Counseling for adolescents and family therapy Goals
Saudi Arabian family businesses
The Interaction of Families in Movies
Family Resources: Family Assistance Programs
Weight, Body, and Food Issues Analysis of Family Dynamics in Ireland
The Role of Family Nurse Practitioners in a Professional Organization
Compare and contrast a Nuclear Family vs. a Traditional Family in the United States
Discuss the foster care crisis faced by Georgian children in substitute families
Discuss the feelings of families regarding drug dependence in the light of comprehensive sociology
How did the movie “American Beauty” portray the typical values of an American family?
Describe the family tragedies in “Oresteia” by Aeschylus and “Oedipus the King” by Sophocles

Unique Family Essay Topics

Why Siblings should be your best friends
Explain the importance of family in child-rearing.
Discuss the effect of dysfunctional families on teenagers.
Define family based on the sociological approach.
Discuss the influence of extended family on a child’s life.
Explain how popular culture showcases a happy family.
Analyze how family has changed in American society.
Compare the family dynamics between two different cultures.
Discuss the challenges of being the oldest or youngest in a family.
Write about bad parenting.

Out of the plenty of ideas suggested here, choose any topic of your choice and compose a brilliant family essay in accordance with your university guidelines. In case, you are unsure what family topic to pick or if you are unaware of how to write a family essay, then contact us immediately.

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120+ Top Family Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

Table of Contents

A family is a fundamental social unit made up of parents and their kids. A family is a vital part of life since it teaches kids a lot about relationships and everyday living. Some kids don’t realise the real worth of a family because they simply think of it as something ordinary. However, through essay writing, all children can understand the genuine nature of a family because essays force them to study every facet of a family. Although students are familiar with the idea of family, they occasionally struggle to come up with a topic for a family essay.

We have provided a list of the top family essay ideas below to make it simple for pupils to think of essay topics. All the topics we’ve covered here will help you comprehend the actual worth of a family.

What is a Family Essay?

A family essay is a type of personal essay that teachers assign pupils to see how well they can communicate their feelings and share personal experiences. Every human being views his family as a sacred institution. Students should seek the appropriate terms when writing this type of essay to convey their idea of family values.

So, what is the purpose of a family essay?

The goal of writing a family essay is to communicate their viewpoint on the love that exists within families.

Tips to Structure Impeccable Family Essays

The majority of students believe it is easy to write an essay about family. Not at all! Remember that even a topic that initially seems straightforward may end up being sufficiently difficult – Such a family essay has a specific format that you must follow. It has an introduction, a main body, and a conclusion, just like any other academic assignment.

We suggest reading the following tips before you begin writing your essay. Only by having a thorough understanding of all the intricacies and distinguishing characteristics of this type of work will you be able to write effectively. So, let’s get started.

Try to Narrow Your Topic Down

You would have to choose the subject of your essay if your lecturer didn’t give you a list of options. Family is too broad a notion, and neglecting to focus on it could cost you points. Consider your experiences and areas of interest. Would you like to write about the importance of family to you? Or would you prefer to write a paper on familial issues? Whatever your hobbies, pick a topic that can be thoroughly examined within the allotted number of pages.

Go for Online Samples

Since you can see how other individuals organise their work, this is a great approach to getting ready to write your essay. Fortunately, you can use a lot of the sample essays and family essay examples that are available online. Please take note of the important details and how they flow into one another as you read those. In order to make each document more coherent, think about how the structure may be enhanced. Has the author made any mistakes? Did they offer examples to back up each claim? To help you remember your notes while you work on your essay, write them down.

Write Possible Titles on Top of the Page

Family essay titles are frequently fairly general, so you should pick one that matches the paper’s desired subject matter. Check the specificity and ability to immediately grab the reader’s attention with each title. For instance, you might use a quotation on the value of family as the title of a piece on a family relationship.

Keep Your Key Points Aside & Make an Outline

An essay normally has three sections: an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. The most fundamental facts regarding the subject, together with your goal or thesis statement, should be included in the first section. The body of a family essay is where you organise your key points and supporting evidence. You should write the conclusion last, so there is no need to organise it with the remaining two parts of the essay. Examine each point once more after crafting the outline to ensure that it makes sense. If not, try moving some points around so that they follow a logical order.

Add Enough Evidence to Support Your Argument

After you’ve finished the outline, give each area extra information. You might combine your ideas and own knowledge with the data obtained during the secondary research . For example, if you have a part on what a happy family is, consider whether you’ve met any families who meet the bill or look up data on how happily married couples with kids are.

Making a strong foundation for your paper by using the suggestions mentioned above will make writing family essays much simpler.

The Writing Process of Family Essay

Exactly why would someone desire to write a family essay? There are several potential causes for this. It can be for a project at school. Maybe it’s a submission for a contest for personal essays. Perhaps it is for a memoir. Essay writing can be challenging, and you might not know where to start, no matter why you want to write a piece about family. Visit myassignmenthelp.com for essay writing help online.

If you’ve ever thought, “How can I compose an essay about my family and me?” the following part is for you. For some crucial steps, continue reading –

Step 1 –Research & Brainstorm Ideas

Any writing project should start with research. Before you begin writing, take some time to speak with your family members or even just reflect on your own experiences. You might read old writings or browse through old images to refresh your memory if you are creating content about an event that you directly witnessed.

Step 2 – Create an Outline

It’s time to start creating an outline for your essay once you’ve done your research and chosen a subject. Plan how you will introduce your subject to your audience in the introduction, and think carefully about what will belong in the main paragraph. Write about experiences or relatives that are related to your theme.

Step 3 – Write the Draft

You are now ready to begin writing after creating your plan. Just attempt to get everything on the page because your first draught won’t be flawless. A great way to improve your work is to write several drafts of your paper.

Step 4 – Edit & Proofread Carefully

After finishing the last draft of your essay, thoroughly check it over for errors. Make any necessary revisions, and then spend some time looking for any final touches you can add to make your paper stand out.

Writing about your family can be a good way to analyse your relationship with them, think about what they mean to you, and reflect on what they’ve taught you.

DOs & DON’Ts While Writing Family Essays

After considering some pointers, let’s compile a list of requirements for writing a family essay –

✅Do speak with family members to learn more about your ancestry or significant historical occurrences.

❌Don’t include arbitrary details or tidbits of knowledge only to fill space in your essay.

✅Do a brainstorm to come up with ideas and memories to write about. Spend some time determining what you can discuss that will help to support your essay’s thesis.

❌Never write something about your family that will be made public without first talking to them about it.

✅Be sincere. If you want to create a significant paper when writing a family essay, it’s necessary to be as honest as you can.

❌When writing an essay about your family, don’t forget to treat them with respect.

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Family Relationship Essay Topics

German media’s emphasis on family.
Relationships and Family: Their Place in Our Lives.
For My Family, I Am Grateful.
Family Evolution Since the Victorian Era.
Internet and computer use’s detrimental effects on family relationships.
Family’s Function in the Golden Age.
My parents’ parenting philosophies and how they affected me.
On the basis of the work of Tennessee Williams’ The Glass Menagerie, the adverse effects of a single parent in a household are shown.
Interpersonal Relationships: Influencing Factors.
The influence of healthy family relationships on children’s futures.

Family Essay Research Topics

How is Family Structure Determined?
What Has Changed in the American Family Over Time?
What Impact Does Technology Have on Family Time?
What Role Does Family Play in Peoples’s Lives?
Why Is Family Planning Important for Mexican Families?
Can the dynamics of your family affect your future?
What Function Does Love Have in Families?
Why Are Working Mothers Bad for Families?
Does Family Influence Education?
What Effect Have Cell Phones Had on Family Relationships?
Do Customary Family Games Exist Anymore?
Is the family the most significant socialisation agent?
Does Taxation Affect Decisions Regarding Marriage and Family Planning?
How Do Family Relationships and Education Affect Social Class?
How Do Sociological Aspects Influence Family Approaches?
How much should a person give up for their family?

Intriguing Family Essay Topics

Health insurance is difficult for low-income families to access.
The impact of addictions on family dynamics.
Family-friendly legislation on welfare.
Describe the social issues of America.
Discuss the causes of the issues with family violence.
The variety of family compositions.
The family is the foundation of society.
Divorce and family disarray in the UAE.
What constitutes a strong family?
Saudi Arabian family-owned businesses.
Relative to a family.
The resolution of family disputes.
The impact of a child’s family on their behaviour development.
Which is more important: family values or money?
Politics and family.

Simple Family Essay Topics

An Overview of Family Therapy
Various approaches to family therapy
Various Viewpoints on Family and Marriage
Families of Different Types And Their Ideologies
The principles of the structural family system
The financial crisis affects families
Family Organisation in Today’s Society
Divorce and How It Affects the Whole Family
Causes of a Dysfunctional Family
How poverty affects a family
Family therapy: Why it matters
Family Dissolution and Children’s Impact
Family Treatment Programme in Medical Facilities
The theme of Families and Marriage
Using the family as an organisation to instil values

Outstanding Essay Topics on Family

Is the Term “Family” Relative?
Blood types and family members
Rules for families
Strength in the family and the helpers
Black Sheep in the Family and Their Impact on the Family
An ideal family for the ordinary person Family Systems And Family Improvement Theory In The 1970s
Marriage and family therapy’s global history
Social values and family structures
The Value of Family
The Value of Family Members’ Communication
The Impact of family therapists on global family culture and Lifestyle
My Family And My Family’s History
An understanding of the makeup of the typical family
Family therapy using the principles of the Family Systems
Family Values: The Role They Play
Encouraging displays of affection in public
Nuclear Families and the Impact of Procreation
What, in the purest sense, is a family?
What Does Family Actually Mean To You?
What Constitutes a Complemented American Family?

Interesting Family Essay Topics

family’s importance in the socialisation process.
The adjustments made by American households.
Feelings on marriage and family.
Advantages of uterine families.
How can I organise a family trip?
The allure of family meals.
Antisocial behaviour develops and the nuclear family.
The issue with society’s imbalance between work and family.
TV programmes geared towards families.
Examine the social network of the family.
Trend changes in families.
Family and conservative politics.
Family and household decision-making.
Affects a child living in a nuclear family versus having a single parent.
Media representations of family.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q.1. what are some common themes in family essays.

Ans – Here are some common themes in family essays –

Domestic violence and child abuse
Why are family traditions important?
Families shape our personalities.
Parenting is responsible for our future.
What can depression cause a family?
How does communication impact the relationships in the family?

Q.2. What are some potential topics for a family essay?

Ans – Here are a few potential topics for a family essay –

Bonds between parents & children
What is your best memory of your family
Role of Women in modern families
Effects of Divorce on Children’s Minds
What can bring strengths in family relationships?
Do pre-marital relationships affect future marriage?

Q.3. What is the structure of a family essay?

Ans – Here is the structure of a family essay –

Introduction – Make it attractive
Thesis statement – Present the main argument
Body – Add necessary details
Conclusion – Convince your readers of the importance of a family

Try to follow this structure if you want to get high scores in your family essay.

Q.4. How do I start writing a family essay?

Ans – While you are writing a family essay, you must tell a story about your family to capture readers’ attention at first chance. You can tell some interesting facts about your family and craft a powerful thesis statement. The depth of your research will define the quality of your essay. So, make sure you have enough related and high-quality information.

Q.5. How can I make my family essay interesting and engaging?

Ans – Your family essay will be engaging enough if you choose unique topics, use hooks in the introduction, tell real stories instead of copying from the internet sources, use transitional phrases, avoid making grammar, spelling, and punctuation mistakes, etc. If you maintain all these, readers will find it interesting and engaging.

Q.6. What types of sources should I use for a family essay?

Ans – While you are writing a family essay, you must use credible sources. And you will get credible sources in books, seminar or conference papers, academic journals, etc. All these sources are reviewed and pre-reviewed by experts . So, you can use them without thinking twice. Also, you can use websites that are ended with .org or .gov.

Q.7. What are some tips for writing a successful family essay?

Ans – Here are a few tips that can help you to craft an exceptional family essay. Let’s have a look –

Select a topic carefully
Write an attractive introduction
Develop a strong thesis statement
Your body paragraphs must be clear & succinct
Use as many transitional phrases as you can
End your essay with a great conclusion

Q.8. How can a family essay contribute to a larger conversation about family issues?

Ans – Family conversation, verbal or non-verbal, includes one’s expression of feelings about something or someone else. It can be about a simple or complicated issue, but a family essay can easily present that. Your family essay can focus on the positive side of family conversation. Families that share everything is a healthy families.

Q.9. What is the purpose of writing a family essay?

Ans – While you are writing a family essay, your focus should be on the importance of having a family. Families always support our back and boost our confidence. They are the foundation of our strength. Families make us familiar with love, bonds, respect, cultures, traditions, etc. So, our purpose in writing family essays should be to show these elements properly.

Q.10. How long should my essay about family be?

Ans – While you are writing a family essay, there is no hard and fast rule for word count. But most of the time, the word count depends on the essay’s audience. While you are writing for a college or university assignment, you should wrap up between 500 to 1000 words. However, you can increase the word count if you have various facts to introduce.

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150+ Captivating Social Issues Research Paper Topics

Table of Contents

Introduction

When writing an intriguing essay or research paper, selecting the correct social issues topics is crucial. Social issue topics encompass a wide range of relevant and impactful subjects in today’s society.

These topics allow one to delve into essential debates, conduct thorough research, and present compelling arguments.

In this article, we present a comprehensive 150+ social issue topic list that is not only relevant for 2023 but also designed to captivate readers and earn them excellent grades.

What are social issue topics?

Social issue topics refer to subjects or problems that affect society as a whole or specific groups within society. These topics often generate public concern, debate, and activism.

Social issues can encompass many areas, including politics, economics, education, healthcare, environment, human rights, discrimination, poverty, crime, and more.

They are significant because they impact people’s lives, shape public policies, and contribute to the overall well-being of communities. Exploring social issue topics allows for critical analysis, understanding diverse perspectives, and advocating for positive change.

How to write social issue topics?

To write about social issue topics , follow these steps:

Choose a topic that’s important and interesting to you.
Do research using books, websites, and reports? Find facts and evidence that support your understanding of the issue.
Narrow down your focus and create a clear thesis statement.

Use evidence like statistics and examples to support your ideas. Analyze the issue and consider different viewpoints. Address counterarguments to show you understand different opinions. Write clearly and persuasively, using headings and paragraphs to organize your ideas. Revise and edit your work for clarity and grammar. Always give credit to your sources. These steps will help you write about social issues effectively.

Navigating the Landscape of Social Issues – Exploring 150+ social issues list

When it comes to writing about social issues , there is a wide range of topics to explore. Our society is plagued by numerous social issues that profoundly impact individuals and nations alike. Discrimination, war, gender inequality, sexual violence, poverty, and illiteracy are just a few examples of the challenges we face.

If you have been tasked with writing an academic paper on social issues, you can choose from various thought-provoking topics. These topics provide ample opportunity for research, analysis, and discussion. By delving into these subjects, you can better understand the complexities surrounding social issues and their implications for society.

Here is a comprehensive social issues topic list for you to explore:

Economic Issues

Poverty and its Impact on Society
Income inequality and its consequences
Unemployment rates and job market challenges
Economic disparities among different social groups
Access to resources and opportunities for marginalized communities
Minimum wage policies and their impact on low-income workers
The wealth gap between the rich and the poor
Economic consequences of globalization
Access to affordable housing for vulnerable populations
Economic Empowerment of Women in developing countries
Financial literacy and its importance in reducing economic disparities
Youth Unemployment and Strategies for promoting youth employment
Food insecurity and hunger alleviation programs
Socioeconomic factors influencing educational attainment
Entrepreneurship opportunities for disadvantaged communities
Impact of Automation on the job market and employment opportunities
Poverty alleviation strategies in rural areas
Income Inequality and its Effects on social mobility
Access to affordable healthcare for low-income individuals
Microfinance and its Role in empowering small businesses

Environmental Issues

Climate change and its effects on the environment
Pollution and its Impact on human health
Deforestation and loss of biodiversity
Natural resource depletion and sustainable practices
Conservation of ecosystems and wildlife preservation
Impact of plastic pollution on marine ecosystems
Air pollution and its effects on respiratory health
Conservation of endangered species and habitats
Sustainable agriculture and food production practices
Water scarcity and management of water resources
Renewable energy sources and reducing reliance on fossil fuels
Urbanization and its Impact on natural landscapes
Environmental justice and addressing environmental racism
Ecotourism and its Role in promoting conservation
Climate change adaptation strategies for vulnerable communities
Impacts of Deforestation on Biodiversity and ecosystem services
Water pollution and its effects on aquatic life
Promoting sustainable transportation for reducing carbon emissions.
Environmental justice and addressing pollution in marginalized communities
Conservation of endangered species in urban environments

Health Issues

Access to healthcare services and healthcare disparities
Mental health awareness and destigmatization
Substance abuse and addiction prevention and treatment
Disease prevention strategies and public health policies
Outbreaks and pandemics: Preparedness and response measures
Access to mental health services in rural areas
Substance abuse prevention programs for teenagers
Obesity and its Impact on public health
Vaccination campaigns and addressing vaccine hesitancy
Mental health stigma and promoting mental well-being
Chronic Diseases and Strategies for Prevention and Management
Healthcare disparities among different racial and ethnic groups
Impact of social media on youth mental health
Public health interventions for reducing smoking rates
Healthcare infrastructure in developing countries
Mental health stigma in Schools and promoting mental well-being among Students
Access to healthcare for underserved rural populations
Substance abuse prevention and intervention programs for youth
Obesity prevention strategies in Schools and Communities
Mental health challenges among the elderly and support systems

Education Issues

Equal access to quality education for all students
Educational Equity and Bridging the achievement gap
Literacy rates and promoting literacy programs
Education funding and resource allocation
Educational disparities based on socioeconomic factors
Integration of technology in the classroom for enhanced learning
Inclusive education for students with disabilities
Quality early childhood education and its long-term Benefits
Education funding disparities between urban and rural schools
Impact of standardized testing on educational outcomes
School bullying prevention programs and creating safe learning environments
Girl’s Education and empowerment initiatives
Teacher retention strategies and professional development opportunities
Language Barriers and Education for immigrant students
Homeschooling and alternative education models
Digital Divide and Access to Technology in Schools
Inclusive education for students with learning disabilities
Importance of early childhood education for future success
Funding disparities between public and private schools
Impact of standardized testing on student well-being

Gender and Identity Issues

Gender Inequality and Empowerment of Women
LGBTQ+ Rights and Acceptance in Society
Discrimination based on gender or sexual orientation
Women’s Rights and gender-based violence prevention
Identity and inclusivity: Embracing diversity in society
Gender Stereotypes and their impact on career choices
LGBTQ+ inclusive curriculum in schools
Intersectionality and the Experiences of marginalized communities
Women’s political representation and leadership roles
Gender-based violence prevention programs and support services
The gender pay gap and promoting pay equity
Transgender Rights and inclusive healthcare policies
LGBTQ+ youth homelessness and support programs
Non-binary and genderqueer identities in society
Empowering women in male-dominated industries
Gender Stereotypes in Children’s Media and their impact on Self-perception
LGBTQ+ inclusive policies in schools and workplaces
Intersectionality and experiences of individuals with multiple marginalized identities
Women’s Empowerment and Leadership in Politics and Businesses
Addressing Domestic violence and supporting survivors
The gender pay gap and promoting equal pay for equal work
Transgender healthcare access and Policies
LGBTQ+ youth mental health and support services
Non-binary and gender-fluid identities in society
Representation of women and minorities in the media

Social Justice Issues

Human rights violations and advocacy for justice
Racial inequality and systemic racism
Social inequality and its impact on marginalized communities
Social Discrimination and Efforts for Equality
Criminal justice reform and reducing recidivism rates
Police brutality and Accountability measures
Indigenous Rights and land sovereignty
Access to affordable legal aid for marginalized populations
Income-based sentencing disparities in the criminal justice system
Discrimination against individuals with disabilities in the workplace
Access to clean drinking water in disadvantaged communities
Prison Reform and Alternatives to Incarceration
Addressing racial profiling and Bias in law enforcement
Reproductive Rights and Access to reproductive healthcare
Social activism and community organizing for social change
Police Reform and community policing strategies
Indigenous land rights and cultural preservation
Access to affordable housing for low-income communities
The juvenile justice system and rehabilitation programs for young offenders
Disability Rights and Accessibility in public spaces

Political Issues

Democracy and Citizen participation in Governance
Political Polarization and its effects on Society
Policy Impact on social issues and public welfare
Political Activism and social change
Voting rights and access to fair elections
Role of social media in political campaigns and voter engagement
Youth participation in politics and promoting civic education
Campaign finance reform and reducing the influence of money in politics
Government transparency and accountability measures
Impact of Gerrymandering on electoral outcomes
Freedom of speech and censorship in the digital age
Role of international organizations in promoting global governance
Political Polarization and fostering civil discourse
Access to voting rights for marginalized communities
Role of grassroots movements in shaping political agendas
Role of social media in shaping political discourse and public opinion
Youth engagement in politics and voting initiatives
Campaign finance regulations and transparency in political donations
Government Surveillance and privacy rights in the digital age
Impact of disinformation on elections and democratic processes.

Global Issues

Poverty eradication and sustainable development goals
Human trafficking and modern-day slavery
Refugee crises and displacement of populations
International conflicts and their impact on societies
Global health challenges and collaborative solutions
Sustainable Development and the Role of the United Nations
Humanitarian Aid and emergency response in conflict zones
Child labor and efforts for its eradication
Gender-based violence in conflict-affected areas
Access to clean energy in developing countries
Migration and refugee integration policies
International Cooperation in addressing climate change
Global efforts to combat human trafficking
Access to education for refugee children
Human rights violations in conflict zones and international interventions
Sustainable Consumption and Production for environmental conservation
Access to clean water and sanitation in developing countries
Addressing food insecurity and malnutrition on a global scale
Women’s rights in patriarchal societies and efforts for gender equality
International cooperation in tackling cybercrime and online security threats
Humanitarian Responses to natural disasters and refugee crises
Combating child labor and promoting child rights worldwide
Efforts to achieve universal healthcare coverage globally
Education for all and closing the global education gap

Family and Relationship Issues

Divorce rates and their impact on children
Domestic Violence and Support for Victims
Changing dynamics of the modern family
Teenage Pregnancy and its effects on young parents
Building healthy parent-child relationships through effective communication
Nurturing positive sibling relationships: Strategies for fostering sibling bonds
Exploring different parenting styles and their influence on child development
Addressing the challenges faced by blended families
Promoting gender equality within the family unit
The role of extended family in providing social support and care
Understanding the effects of social media on family dynamics and relationships
Exploring cultural traditions and their significance in family life
Creating a safe and inclusive family environment for LGBTQ+ individuals

The extensive list of 150+ social issues topics offers a wide range of thought-provoking subjects for students to explore and engage with. Each topic represents a unique opportunity to delve into the complexities of our society and contribute to meaningful change. Students are encouraged to take the time to reflect and choose a topic that resonates with them personally. By immersing themselves in the research and understanding of a specific social issue, students can make a tangible impact and become agents of positive transformation.

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10.3 Changes and Problems in American Families

Learning objectives.

Discuss why the US divorce rate rose during the 1960s and 1970s and summarize the major individual-level factors accounting for divorce today.
Describe the effects of divorce for spouses and children.
Summarize the evidence on how children fare when their mothers work outside the home.
Describe the extent of family violence and explain why it occurs.

A cohabitation couple posing for a picture

According to the census, roughly 6 million opposite-sex couples are currently cohabiting in the United States. The average cohabitation lasts less than two years.

Amit Gupta – CC BY-NC 2.0.

American families have undergone many changes since the 1950s. Scholars, politicians, and the public have strong and often conflicting views on the reasons for these changes and on their consequences. We now look at some of the most important issues affecting US families through the lens of the latest social scientific evidence. Because Chapter 5 “Sexual Orientation and Inequality” on sexual orientation and inequality discussed same-sex marriage and families, please refer back to that chapter for material on this very important topic.

Cohabitation

Some people who are not currently married nonetheless cohabit , or live together, with someone of the opposite sex in a romantic relationship. The census reports that about 6 million opposite-sex couples are currently cohabiting; these couples constitute about 10 percent of all opposite-sex couples (married plus unmarried) who live together. The average cohabitation lasts less than two years and ends when the couple either splits up or gets married; about half of cohabiting couples do marry, and half split up. More than half of people in their twenties and thirties have cohabited, and roughly one-fourth of this age group is currently cohabiting (Brown, 2005). Roughly 55 percent of cohabiting couples have no biological children, about 45 percent live with a biological child of one of the partners, and 21 percent live with their own biological child. (These figures add to more than 100 percent because many couples live with their own child and a child of a partner.) About 5 percent of children live with biological parents who are cohabiting.

Interestingly, many studies find that married couples who have cohabited with each other before getting married are more likely to divorce than married couples who did not cohabit (Jose, O’Leary, & Moyer, 2010). As sociologist Susan L Brown (2005, p. 34) notes, this apparent consequence is ironic: “The primary reason people cohabit is to test their relationship’s viability for marriage. Sorting out bad relationships through cohabitation is how many people think they can avoid divorce. Yet living together before marriage actually increases a couple’s risk of divorce.” Two reasons may account for this result. First, cohabitation may change the relationship between a couple and increase the chance they will divorce if they get married anyway. Second, individuals who are willing to live together without being married may not be very committed to the idea of marriage and thus may be more willing to divorce if they are unhappy in their eventual marriage.

Recent research compares the psychological well-being of cohabiting and married adults and also the behavior of children whose biological parent or parents are cohabiting rather than married (Apel & Kaukinen, 2008; Brown, 2005). On average, married adults are happier and otherwise have greater psychological well-being than cohabiting adults, while the latter, in turn, fare better psychologically than adults not living with anyone. Research has not yet clarified the reasons for these differences, but it seems that people with the greatest psychological and economic well-being are most likely to marry. If this is true, it is not the state of being married per se that accounts for the difference in well-being between married and cohabiting couples, but rather the extent of well-being that affects decisions to marry or not marry. Another difference between cohabitation and marriage concerns relationship violence. Among young adults (aged 18–28), this type of violence is more common among cohabiting couples than among married or dating couples. The reasons for this difference remain unknown but may again reflect differences in the types of people who choose to cohabit (Brown & Bulanda, 2008).

The children of cohabiting parents tend to exhibit lower well-being of various types than those of married parents: They are more likely to engage in delinquency and other antisocial behavior, and they have lower academic performance and worse emotional adjustment. The reasons for these differences remain to be clarified but may again stem from the types of people who choose to cohabit rather than marry.

Divorce and Single-Parent Households

The US divorce rate has risen since the early 1900s, with several peaks and valleys, and is now the highest in the industrial world. It rose sharply during the Great Depression and World War II, probably because of the economic distress of the former and the family disruption caused by the latter, and fell sharply after the war as the economy thrived and as marriage and family were proclaimed as patriotic ideals. It dropped a bit more during the 1950s before rising sharply through the 1960s and 1970s (Cherlin, 2009). The divorce rate has since declined somewhat (see Figure 10.4 “Number of Divorces per 1,000 Married Women Aged 15 or Older, 1960–2009” ) and today is only slightly higher than its peak at the end of World War II. Still, the best estimates say that 40–50 percent of all new marriages will one day end in divorce (Teachman, 2008). The surprising announcement in June 2010 of the separation of former vice president Al Gore and his wife, Tipper, was a poignant reminder that divorce is a common outcome of many marriages.

Figure 10.4 Number of Divorces per 1,000 Married Women Aged 15 or Older, 1960–2009

The number of divorces per 1,000 married women aged 15 or older from 1960 to 2009, increased drastically from 1960 to 1980, but since then has steadily declined

Source: Data from Wilcox, W. B. (Ed.). (2010). The state of our unions, 2010: Marriage in America . Charlottesville, VA: National Marriage Project.

Reasons for Divorce

We cannot be certain about why the divorce rate rose so much during the 1960s and 1970s, but we can rule out two oft-cited causes. First, there is little reason to believe that marriages became any less happy during this period. We do not have good data to compare marriages then and now, but the best guess is that marital satisfaction did not decline after the 1950s ended. What did change was that people after the 1950s became more willing to seek divorces in marriages that were already unhappy.

Second, although the contemporary women’s movement is sometimes blamed for the divorce rate by making women think marriage is an oppressive institution, the trends in Figure 10.4 “Number of Divorces per 1,000 Married Women Aged 15 or Older, 1960–2009” suggest this blame is misplaced. The women’s movement emerged in the late 1960s and was capturing headlines by the early 1970s. Although the divorce rate obviously rose after that time, it also started rising several years before the women’s movement emerged and captured headlines. If the divorce rate began rising before the women’s movement started, it is illogical to blame the women’s movement. Instead, other structural and cultural forces must have been at work, just as they were at other times in the last century, as just noted, when the divorce rate rose and fell.

Why, then, did divorce increase during the 1960s and 1970s? One reason is the increasing economic independence of women. As women entered the labor force in the 1960s and 1970s, they became more economically independent of their husbands, even if their jobs typically paid less than their husbands’ jobs. When women in unhappy marriages do become more economically independent, they are more able to afford to get divorced than when they have to rely entirely on their husbands’ earnings (Hiedemann, Suhomlinova, & O’Rand, 1998). When both spouses work outside the home, moreover, it is more difficult to juggle the many demands of family life, and family life can be more stressful. Such stress can reduce marital happiness and make divorce more likely. Spouses may also have less time for each other when both are working outside the home, making it more difficult to deal with problems they may be having.

A wedding cake with two figurines on top. It features a headless groom with the bridge holding the groom's head

Disapproval of divorce has declined since the 1950s, and divorce is now considered a normal if unfortunate part of life.

John C Bullas BSc MSc PhD MCIHT MIAT – Divorce Cakes a_005 – CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

It is also true that disapproval of divorce has declined since the 1950s, even if negative views of it still remain (Cherlin, 2009). Not too long ago, divorce was considered a terrible thing; now it is considered a normal if unfortunate part of life. We no longer say a bad marriage should continue for the sake of the children. When New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller ran for president in the early 1960s, the fact that he had been divorced hurt his popularity, but when California Governor Ronald Reagan ran for president less than two decades later, the fact that he had been divorced was hardly noted. Many presidential candidates and other politicians today have been divorced. But is the growing acceptability of divorce a cause of the rising divorce rate, or is it the result of the rising divorce rate? Or is it both a cause and a result? This important causal order question is difficult to resolve.

Another reason divorce rose during the 1960s and 1970s may be that divorces became easier to obtain legally. In the past, most states required couples to prove that one or both had committed actions such as mental cruelty, adultery, or other such behaviors in order to get divorced. Today almost all states have no-fault divorce laws that allow a couple to divorce if they say their marriage has failed from irreconcilable differences. Because divorce has become easier and less expensive to obtain, more divorces occur. But are no-fault divorce laws a cause or result of the post-1950s rise in the divorce rate? The divorce rate increase preceded the establishment of most states’ no-fault laws, but it is probably also true that the laws helped make additional divorces more possible. Thus no-fault divorce laws are probably one reason for the rising divorce rate after the 1950s, but only one reason (Kneip & Bauer, 2009).

We have just looked at possible reasons for divorce rate trends, but we can also examine the reasons why certain marriages are more or less likely to end in divorce within a given time period. Although, as noted earlier, 40–50 percent of all new marriages will probably end in divorce, it is also true that some marriages are more likely to end than others. Family scholars identify several correlates of divorce (Clarke-Stewart & Brentano, 2006; Wilcox, 2010). An important one is age at marriage: Teenagers who get married are much more likely to get divorced than people who marry well into their twenties or beyond, partly because they have financial difficulties and are not yet emotionally mature. A second correlate of divorce is social class: People who are poor and have less formal education at the time of their marriage are much more likely to get divorced than people who begin their marriages in economic comfort and with higher levels of education.

Effects of Divorce and Single-Parent Households

Much research exists on the effects of divorce on spouses and their children, and scholars often disagree on what these effects are. One thing is clear: Divorce plunges many women into poverty or near-poverty (Gadalla, 2008; Wilcox, 2010). Many have been working only part time or not at all outside the home, and divorce takes away their husband’s economic support. Even women working full time often have trouble making ends meet, because many are in low-paying jobs. One-parent families headed by a woman for any reason are much poorer ($32,031 in 2010 median annual income) than those headed by a man ($49,718). Meanwhile, the median income of married-couple families is much higher ($72,751). Almost 32 percent of all single-parent families headed by women are officially poor, compared to only about 16 percent of single-parent families headed by men and 6 percent of married-couple families (DeNavas-Walt, Proctor, & Smith, 2011).

Although the economic consequences of divorce seem clear, what are the psychological consequences for husbands, wives, and their children? Are they better off if a divorce occurs, worse off, or about the same?

Effects on Spouses

The research evidence for spouses is very conflicting. Many studies find that divorced spouses are, on average, less happy and have poorer mental health after their divorce, but some studies find that happiness and mental health often improve after divorce (Cherlin, 2009; Waite, Luo, & Lewin, 2009). The postdivorce time period that is studied may affect what results are found: For some people psychological well-being may decline in the immediate aftermath of a divorce, given how difficult the divorce process often is, but rise over the next few years. The contentiousness of the marriage also matters. Some marriages ending in divorce have been filled with hostility, conflict, and sometimes violence, while other marriages ending in divorce have not been very contentious at all, even if they have failed. Individuals seem to fare better psychologically after ending a very contentious marriage but fare worse after ending a less contentious marriage (Amato & Hohmann-Marriott, 2007).

Effects on Children

What about the children? Parents used to stay together “for the sake of the children,” thinking that divorce would cause their children more harm than good. Studies of this issue generally find that children in divorced families are indeed more likely, on average, to do worse in school, to use drugs and alcohol and suffer other behavioral problems, and to experience emotional distress and other psychological problems (Wilcox, 2010). The trauma of the divorce and the difficulties that single parents encounter in caring for and disciplining children are thought to account for these effects.

However, two considerations suggest that children of divorce may fare worse for reasons other than divorce trauma and the resulting single-parent situation. First, most children whose parents divorce end up living with their mothers. As we just noted, many divorced women and their children live in poverty or near poverty. To the extent that these children fare worse in many ways, their mothers’ low incomes may be a contributing factor. Studies of this issue find that divorced mothers’ low incomes do, in fact, help explain some of the difficulties that their children experience (Demo & Fine, 2010). Divorce trauma and single-parenthood still matter for children’s well-being in many of these studies, but the worsened financial situation of divorced women and their children also makes a difference.

Second, it is possible that children do worse after a divorce because of the parental conflict that led to the divorce, not because of the divorce itself. It is well known that the quality of the relationship between a child’s parents affects the child’s behavior and emotional well-being (Moore, Kinghorn, & Bandy, 2011). This fact raises the possibility that children may fare better if their parents end a troubled marriage than if their parents stay married. Recent studies have investigated this issue, and their findings generally mirror the evidence for spouses just cited: Children generally fare better if their parents end a highly contentious marriage, but they fare worse if their parents end a marriage that has not been highly contentious (Hull et al., 2012). As one researcher summarizes this new body of research, “All these new studies have discovered the same thing: The average impact of divorce in society at large is to neither increase nor decrease the behavior problems of children. They suggest that divorce, in and of itself, is not the cause of the elevated behavior problems we see in children of divorce” (Li, 2010, p. 174). Commenting on divorces from highly contentious marriages, sociologist Virginia E. Rutter (2010, p. 169) bluntly concludes, “There are times and situations when divorce is beneficial to the people who divorce and to their children.”

Fathers and Children

Recall that most children whose parents are not married, either because they divorced or because they never were married, live with their mothers. Another factor that affects how children in these situations fare is the closeness of the child-father relationship. Whether or not children live with their fathers, they fare better in many respects when they have an emotionally close relationship with their fathers. This type of relationship is certainly more possible when they live with their fathers, and this is a reason that children who live with both their parents fare better on average than children who live only with their mother. However, some children who do live with their fathers are less close to them than some children who live apart from their fathers.

Recent research by sociologist Alan Booth and colleagues (Booth, Scott, & King, 2010) found that the former children fare worse than the latter children. As Booth et al. (2010, p. 600) summarize this result, “We find that adolescents who are close to their nonresident fathers report higher self-esteem, less delinquency, and fewer depressive symptoms than adolescents who live with a father with whom they are not close. It appears that adolescents benefit more from a close bond to a nonresident father than a weak bond to a resident father.” To the extent this is true, they add, “youth are not always better off in two-parent families.” In fact, children who are not close to a father with whom they live have lower self-esteem than children who are not close to a father with whom they do not live. Overall, though, children fare best when they live with fathers with whom they have a close relationship: “It does not appear that strong affection alone can overcome the problems associated with father absence from the child’s residence.”

Marriage and Well-Being

Is marriage good for people? This is the flip side of the question we have just addressed on whether divorce is bad for people. Are people better off if they get married? Or are they better off if they stay single?

In 1972, sociologist Jessie Bernard (1972) famously said that every marriage includes a “her marriage” and a “his marriage.” By this she meant that husbands and wives view and define their marriages differently. When spouses from the same marriage are interviewed, they disagree on such things as how often they should have sex, how often they actually do have sex, and who does various household tasks. Women do most of the housework and child care, while men are freer to work and do other things outside the home. Citing various studies, she said that marriage is better for men than for women. Married women, she said, have poorer mental health than unmarried women, while married men have better mental health than unmarried men. In short, she said that marriage was good for men but bad for women.

A man in a tux sitting on a bench with his newly made wife (in her wedding dress)

Married people are generally happier than unmarried people and score higher on other measures of psychological well-being.

Silvia Sala – CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

Critics later said that Bernard misinterpreted her data on women and that married women are also better off than unmarried women (Glenn, 1997). Recent research generally finds that marriage does benefit both sexes: Married people, women and men alike, are generally happier than unmarried people (whether never married, divorced, or widowed), score better on other measures of psychological well-being, are physically healthier, have better sex lives, and have lower death rates (Waite et al., 2009; Wilcox, 2010). There is even evidence that marriage helps keep men from committing crime (Theobald & Farrington, 2011)! Marriage has these benefits for several reasons, including the emotional and practical support spouses give each other, their greater financial resources compared to those of unmarried people, and the sense of obligation they have toward each other.

Three issues qualify the general conclusion that marriage is beneficial (Frech & Williams, 2007). First, it would be more accurate to say that good marriages are beneficial, because bad marriages certainly are not, and stressful marriages can impair physical and mental health (Parker-Pope, 2010). Second, although marriage is generally beneficial, its benefits seem greater for older adults than for younger adults, for whites than for African Americans, and for individuals who were psychologically depressed before marriage than for those who were not depressed. Third, psychologically happy and healthy people may be the ones who get married in the first place and are less apt to get divorced once they do marry. If so, marriage does not promote psychological well-being; rather, psychological well-being promotes marriage. Research testing this selectivity hypothesis finds that both processes occur: Psychologically healthy people are more apt to get and stay married, but marriage also promotes psychological well-being.

Working Mothers and Day Care

As noted earlier, women are now much more likely to be working outside the home than a few decades ago. This is true for both married and unmarried women and also for women with and without children. As women have entered the labor force, the question of who takes care of the children has prompted much debate and controversy. Many observers say young children suffer if they do not have a parent, implicitly their mother, taking care of them full-time until they start school and being there every day when they get home from school. The public is divided on the issue of more mothers working outside the home: 21 percent say this trend is “a good thing for society”; 37 percent say it is “a bad thing for society”; and 46 percent say it “doesn’t make much difference” (Morin, 2010). What does research say about how young children fare if their mothers work? (Notice that no one seems to worry that fathers work!)

Early studies compared the degree of attachment shown to their mothers by children in day care and that shown by children who stay at home with their mothers. In one type of study, children were put in a laboratory room with their mothers and observed as the mothers left and returned. The day-care kids usually treated their mothers’ departure and returning casually and acted as if they did not care that their mothers were leaving or returning. In contrast the stay-at-home kids acted very upset when their mothers left and seemed much happier and even relieved when they returned. Several researchers concluded that these findings indicated that day-care children lacked sufficient emotional attachment to their mothers (Schwartz, 1983). However, other researchers reached a very different conclusion: The day-care children’s apparent nonchalance when their mothers left and returned simply reflected the fact that they always saw her leave and return every day when they went to day care. The lack of concern over her behavior showed only that they were more independent and self-confident than the stay-at-home children, who were fearful when their mothers left, and not that they were less attached to their mothers (Coontz, 1997).

More recent research has compared stay-at-home children and day-care children starting with infancy, with some of the most notable studies using data from a large study funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, a branch of the National Institutes of Health (Rabin, 2008). This research finds that day-care children exhibit better cognitive skills (reading and arithmetic) than stay-at-home children but are also slightly more likely to engage in aggressive behavior that is well within the normal range of children’s behavior. This research has also yielded two other conclusions. First, the quality of parenting and other factors such as parent’s education and income matter much more for children’s cognitive and social development than whether or not they are in day care. Second, to the extent that day care is beneficial for children, it is high-quality day care that is beneficial, as low-quality day care can be harmful.

Children in day care exhibit better cognitive skills than stay-at-home children but are also slightly more likely to engage in aggressive behavior that is within the normal range of children’s behavior.

njxw – Daycare – CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

This latter conclusion is an important finding, because many day-care settings in the United States are not high quality. Unfortunately, many parents who use day care cannot afford high-quality care, which can cost hundreds of dollars monthly. This problem reflects the fact that the United States lags far behind other Western democracies in providing subsidies for day care (see Note 10.21 “Lessons from Other Societies” later in this chapter). Because working women are certainly here to stay and because high-quality day care seems at least as good for children as full-time care by a parent, it is essential that the United States make good day care available and affordable.

Affordable child care is especially essential for low-income parents. After the United States plunged into economic recession in 2008, many states reduced their subsidies for child care. As a result, many low-income parents who wanted to continue working or to start a job could not afford to do so because child care can be very expensive: For a family living below the poverty line, child care comprises one-third of the family budget on the average. As the head of a California organization that advocates for working parents explained, “You can’t expect a family with young children to get on their feet and get jobs without child care” (Goodman, 2010, p. A1).

Racial and Ethnic Diversity in Marriages and Families

Marriages and families in the United States exhibit a fair amount of racial and ethnic diversity, as we saw earlier in this chapter. Children are more likely to live with only one parent among Latino and especially African American families than among white and Asian American families. Moreover, African American, Latino, and Native American children and their families are especially likely to live in poverty. As a result, they are at much greater risk for the many problems that children in poverty experience (see Chapter 2 “Poverty” ).

Beyond these cold facts lie other racial and ethnic differences in family life (Wright, Mindel, Tran, & Habenstein, 2012). Studies of Latino and Asian American families find they have especially strong family bonds and loyalty. Extended families in both groups and among Native Americans are common, and these extended families have proven a valuable shield against the problems all three groups face because of their race/ethnicity and poverty.

The status of the African American family has been the source of much controversy for several decades. Perhaps the major reason for this controversy is the large number of African American children living in single-parent households: Whereas 41 percent of all births are to unmarried women (up from 28 percent in 1990), such births account for 72 percent of all births to African American women (see Figure 10.5 “Percentage of Births to Unmarried Mothers, by Race/Ethnicity 2010” ).

Figure 10.5 Percentage of Births to Unmarried Mothers, by Race/Ethnicity 2010

The percentage of births to unmarried mothers by race/ethnicity is most highly demonstrated in African American, Native American, and Latina women

Source: Data from US Census Bureau. (2012). Statistical abstract of the United States: 2012 . Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office. Retrieved from http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab .

Many scholars attribute the high number of fatherless families among African Americans to the forcible separation of families during slavery and to the fact that so many young black males today are unemployed, in prison or jail, or facing other problems (Patterson, 1998). Some observers say this high number of fatherless families in turn contributes to African Americans’ poverty, crime, and other problems (Haskins, 2009). But other observers argue that this blame is misplaced to at least some extent. Extended families and strong female-headed households in the African American community, they say, have compensated for the absence of fathers (Willie & Reddick, 2010). The problems African Americans face, they add, stem to a large degree from their experience of racism, segregated neighborhoods, lack of job opportunities, and other structural difficulties (Sampson, 2009). Even if fatherless families contribute to these problems, these scholars say, these other factors play a larger role.

Family Violence

Although family violence has received much attention since the 1970s, families were violent long before scholars began studying family violence and the public began hearing about it. We can divide family violence into two types: violence against intimates (spouses, live-in partners, boyfriends, or girlfriends) and violence against children. (Violence against elders also occurs and was discussed in Chapter 6 “Aging and Ageism” .)

Violence against Intimates

Intimates commit violence against each other in many ways: they can hit with their fists, slap with an open hand, throw an object, push or shove, or use or threaten to use a weapon. When all these acts and others are combined, we find that much intimate violence occurs. While we can never be certain of the exact number of intimates who are attacked, the US Department of Justice estimates from its National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) that about 509,000 acts of violence (2010 data) are committed annually by one intimate against another intimate; 80 percent of these acts are committed by men against women (Truman, 2011). Another national survey about a decade ago found that 22 percent of US women had been physically assaulted by a spouse or partner at some point in their lives (Tjaden & Thoennes, 1998). This figure, if still true, translates to more than 20 million women today. A national survey of Canadian women found that 29 percent had been attacked by a spouse or partner (Randall & Haskell, 1995). Taken together, these different figures all indicate that intimate partner violence is very common and affects millions of people.

A woman, victim of domestic abuse, with a black eye

According to some estimates, about one-fifth of US women have been assaulted by a spouse or partner at least once in their lives.

Neil Moralee – Not Defeated. – CC BY 2.0.

Some observers claim that husbands are just as likely as wives to be beaten by a spouse, and there is evidence that husbands experience an act of violence from their wives about as often as wives do from their husbands. Yet this “gender equivalence” argument has been roundly criticized. Although women do commit violence against husbands and boyfriends, their violence is less serious (e.g., a slap compared to using a fist) and usually in self-defense to their husbands’ violence. And although some studies find an equal number of violent acts committed by husbands and wives, other studies find much more violence committed by husbands (Johnson, 2006).

Why do men hit their wives, partners, and girlfriends? As with rape (see Chapter 4 “Gender Inequality” ), sociologists answer this question by citing both structural and cultural factors. Structurally, women are the subordinate gender in a patriarchal society and, as such, are more likely to be victims of violence, whether it is rape or intimate violence. Intimate violence is more common in poor families, and economic inequality thus may lead men to take out their frustration over their poverty on their wives and girlfriends (Martin, Vieraitis, & Britto, 2006).

Cultural myths also help explain why men hit their wives and girlfriends (Gosselin, 2010). Many men continue to believe that their wives should not only love and honor them but also obey them, as the traditional marriage vow says. If they view their wives in this way, it becomes that much easier to hit them. In another myth, many people ask why women do not leave home if the hitting they suffer is really that bad; the implication is that the hitting cannot be that bad because they do not leave home. This reasoning ignores the fact that many women do try to leave home, which often angers their husbands and ironically puts the women more at risk for being hit, or they do not leave home because they have nowhere to go (Kim & Gray, 2008). As the news story that began this chapter discussed, battered women’s shelters are still few in number and can accommodate a woman and her children for only two or three weeks. Many battered women also have little money of their own and simply cannot afford to leave home. The belief that battering cannot be that bad if women hit by their husbands do not leave home ignores all these factors and is thus a myth that reinforces spousal violence against women. (See Note 10.15 “People Making a Difference” for a profile of the woman who started the first women’s shelter.)

People Making a Difference

The Founder of the First Battered Women’s Shelter

Sandra Ramos deserves our thanks because she founded the first known shelter for battered women in North America back in the late 1970s.

Her life changed one night in 1970 when she was only 28 years old and working as a waitress at a jazz club. One night a woman from her church in New Jersey came to her home seeking refuge from a man who was abusing her. Ramos took in the woman and her children and soon did the same with other abused women and their children. Within a few months, twenty-two women and children were living inside her house. “It was kind of chaotic,” recalls Maria, 47, the oldest of Ramos’s three children. “It was a small house; we didn’t have a lot of room. But she reaches out to people she sees suffering. She does everything in her power to help them.”

When authorities threatened to arrest Ramos if she did not remove all these people from her home, she conducted sit-ins and engaged in other actions to call attention to the women’s plight. She eventually won county funding to start the first women’s shelter.

Today Ramos leads a New Jersey nonprofit organization, Strengthen Our Sisters, that operates several shelters and halfway houses for battered women. Her first shelter and these later ones have housed thousands of women and children since the late 1970s, and at any one time today they house about 180 women and their children.

One woman whom Ramos helped was Geraldine Wright, who was born in the Dominican Republic. Wright says she owes Ramos a great debt. “Sandy makes you feel like, OK, you’re going through this, but it’s going to get better,” she says. “One of the best things I did for myself and my children was come to the shelter. She helped me feel strong, which I usually wasn’t. She helped me get a job here at the shelter so that I could find a place and pay the rent.”

Since that first woman knocked on her door in 1970, Sandra Ramos has worked unceasingly for the rights and welfare of abused women. She has fittingly been called “one of the nation’s most well-known and tireless advocates on behalf of battered women.” For more than forty years, Sandra Ramos has made a considerable difference.

Source: Llorente, 2009

Child Abuse

Child abuse takes many forms. Children can be physically or sexually assaulted, and they may also suffer from emotional abuse and practical neglect. Whatever form it takes, child abuse is a serious national problem.

It is especially difficult to know how much child abuse occurs. Infants obviously cannot talk, and toddlers and older children who are abused usually do not tell anyone about the abuse. They might not define it as abuse, they might be scared to tell on their parents, they might blame themselves for being abused, or they might not know whom they could talk to about their abuse. Whatever the reason, they usually remain silent, thus making it very difficult to know how much abuse takes place.

A child shielding her face from an abuser

Government data estimate that about 800,000 children are abused or neglected each year. Because most children do not report their abuse or neglect, the actual number is probably much higher.

Jane Fox – Child Abuse mental – CC BY-ND 2.0.

Using information from child protective agencies throughout the country, the US Department of Health and Human Services estimates that almost 800,000 children (2008 data) are victims of child abuse and neglect annually (Administration on Children Youth and Families, 2010). This figure includes some 122,000 cases of physical abuse; 69,000 cases of sexual abuse; 539,000 cases of neglect; 55,000 cases of psychological maltreatment; and 17,000 cases of medical neglect. The total figure represents about 1 percent of all children under the age of 18. Obviously this is just the tip of the iceberg, as many cases of child abuse never become known. A 1994 Gallup poll asked adult respondents about physical abuse they suffered as children. Twelve percent said they had been abused (punched, kicked, or choked), yielding an estimate of 23 million adults in the United States who were physically abused as children (D. W. Moore, 1994). Some studies estimate that about 25 percent of girls and 10 percent of boys are sexually abused at least once before turning 18 (Garbarino, 1989). In a study of a random sample of women in Toronto, Canada, 42 percent said they had been sexually abused before turning 16 (Randall & Haskell, 1995). Whatever the true figure is, most child abuse is committed by parents, stepparents, and other people the children know, not by strangers.

Children and Our Future

Is Spanking a Good Idea?

As the text discusses, spanking underlies many episodes of child abuse. Nonetheless, many Americans approve of spanking. In the 2010 General Social Survey, 69 percent of respondents agreed that “it is sometimes necessary to discipline a child with a good, hard, spanking.” Reflecting this “spare the rod and spoil the child” belief, most parents have spanked their children. National survey evidence finds that two-thirds of parents of toddlers ages 19–35 months have spanked their child at least once, and one-fourth spank their child sometimes or often.

The reason that many people approve of spanking and that many parents spank is clear: They believe that spanking will teach a child a lesson and improve a child’s behavior and/or attitude. However, most child and parenting experts believe the opposite is true. When children are spanked, they say, and especially when they are spanked regularly, they are more likely to misbehave as a result. If so, spanking ironically produces the opposite result from what a parent intends.

Spanking has this effect for several reasons. First, it teaches children that they should behave to avoid being punished. This lesson makes children more likely to misbehave if they think they will not get caught, as they’d not learn to behave for its own sake. Second, spanking also teaches children that it is OK to hit someone to solve an interpersonal dispute and even to hit someone if you love her or him, because that is what spanking is all about. Third, children who are spanked may come to resent their parents and thus be more likely to misbehave because their bond with their parents weakens.

This harmful effect of spanking is especially likely when spanking is frequent. As Alan Kazin, a former president of the American Psychological Association (APA) explains, “Corporal punishment has really serious side effects. Children who are hit become more aggressive.” When spanking is rare, this effect may or may not occur, according to research on this issue, but this research also finds that other forms of discipline are as effective as a rare spanking in teaching a child to behave. This fact leads Kazin to say that even rare spanking should be avoided. “It suppresses [misbehavior] momentarily. But you haven’t really changed its probability of occurring. Physical punishment is not needed to change behavior. It’s just not needed.”

Sources: Berlin et al., 2009; Harder, 2007; Park, 2010; Regalado, Sareen, Inkelas, Wissow, & Halfon, 2004

Why does child abuse occur? Structurally speaking, children are another powerless group and, as such, are easy targets of violence. Moreover, the best evidence indicates that child abuse is more common in poorer families. The stress these families suffer from their poverty is thought to be a major reason for the child abuse occurring within them (Gosselin, 2010). As with spousal violence, then, economic inequality is partly to blame for child abuse. Cultural values and practices also matter. In a nation where spanking is common, it is inevitable that physical child abuse will occur, because there is a very thin line between a hard spanking and physical abuse: Not everyone defines a good, hard spanking in the same way. As two family violence scholars once noted, “Although most physical punishment [of children] does not turn into physical abuse, most physical abuse begins as ordinary physical punishment” (Wauchope & Straus, 1990, p. 147). (See Note 10.17 “Children and Our Future” for a further discussion of spanking.)

Abused children are much more likely than children who are not abused to end up with various developmental, psychological, and behavioral problems throughout their life course. In particular, they are more likely to be aggressive, to use alcohol and other drugs, to be anxious and depressed, and to get divorced if they marry (Trickett, Noll, & Putnam, 2011).

Key Takeaways

The divorce rate rose for several reasons during the 1960s and 1970s but has generally leveled off since then.
Divorce often lowers the psychological well-being of spouses and their children, but the consequences of divorce also depend on the level of contention in the marriage that has ended.
Despite continuing controversy over the welfare of children whose mothers work outside the home, research indicates that children in high-quality day care fare better in cognitive development than those who stay at home.
Violence between intimates is fairly common and stems from gender inequality, income inequality, and several cultural myths that minimize the harm that intimate violence causes.
At least 800,000 children are abused or neglected each year in the United States. Because most abused children do not report the abuse, the number of cases of abuse and neglect is undoubtedly much higher.

For Your Review

Think of someone you know (either yourself, a relative, or a friend) whose parents are divorced. Write a brief essay in which you discuss how the divorce affected this person.
Do you think it is ever acceptable for a spouse to slap or hit another spouse? Why or why not?

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149 Social Issues Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

🏆 best social issues topic ideas & essay examples, 👍 good essay topics on social issues, ⭐ simple & easy social issues essay titles, 💡 interesting topics to write about social issues, ❓ social issues questions examples.

Youth Unemployment as a Social Issue Different factors have led to the high levels of youth unemployment, with the most widely studied of them being the skills that are available to the unemployed youths.
Social Issues: Choosing a Life Partner This process involves the identification of a friend to determine if potential partners share some aspects in life before the friendship can grow to a relationship and if the relationship works for the partners, it […]
Social Issues in “Frankenstein” Film Frankenstein’s monster represents the mangled and depressed soldiers returning from the war only to find an economy in crisis, given that the Great Depression was in the offing after the war.
Social Issues in “Gattaca” by Andrew Niccoland In the movie, another family rivalry is witnessed in the case where Vincent was the main suspect in the killing of an administrator; and when Anton offered to help, Vincent asked him to stay away […]
Social Issues in the Film “Grease” In the first instance, when Danny and Sandy meet for the first time in the school, Danny is compelled to play the bad boy character the group is identified with.
Tragic Love and Social Issues in Giovanni Boccaccio’s Decameron In that regard, such distinction led to that love relationships were held in secret, and considering the origins of the lovers in both tales, it can be stated that the finale of these love stories […]
Homelessness as a Global Social Issue In the US, homelessness is on the increase because of economic melt- down and foreclosures. Moreover, differences in perception of homelessness by liberal and conservative on homeless have increased homelessness in the US.
Social Issues in the “Thelma and Louise” Movie The film focuses on the scenes and events that show the experience of females. In other words, “Thelma and Louise” ruined the stereotypical representation of women, which was revolutionary for that time.
Social Issues Affecting Women Women and family Stability/Disintegration The role of women in family stability and disintegration is another social issue affecting women in society. Women are considered as the core managers of stability and security in the family.
Social Issues in Shakespeare’s “The Tragedy of Othello” The social environment of England at the end of the sixteenth and the beginning of the seventeenth century was characterized by great attention to social class, citizens’ jobs, and their reputation.
What Defines Us as Human? – Social Issues Although the particular features of the people’s skeletal structure and other physical qualities cannot be discussed as determining to speak about persons as human, it is important to focus on differences in the mental and […]
Anthropology in Solving Global Social Issues Artists were moving in the same direction, which excluded the possibility to understand and assess other examples of the art of other nations.
Social Issues in “Be Right Back” Episode of “Black Mirror” Series In one of the scenes of the episodes, in her conversation with the copy of Ash, she says that the android does not have a history of its life; it is just an image without […]
Homelessness as a Social Issue Research further indicates that the group is at a high risk of suffering from addiction in an effort to contain stress and ignominy associated with homelessness.
Social Issues: Charitable Donations These factors include awareness of the need to contribute, solicitation, selflessness, cost of the benefit, status in the society, and personal values.
Social Issues: Leisure Lifestyle Erickson confirmed through research that leisure activities originate from the mind, and an individual is motivated to engage in it whenever he or she feels that it would be beneficial.
Social Issues: Smartphones’ Positive Impacts In the past, it is expensive to make calls. In the past, it is not convenient to make calls using payphones.
Social Issues: Arranged Marriages Even though research has shown that some arranged marriages result in loving and stable relationships, I think it is important to give individuals the freedom to choose their partners and decide whether they are prepared […]
Social Issues of Families in Poverty With the tightened budget, parents of the families living in poverty struggle to make ends meet, and in the course of their struggles, they experience many stresses and depressions.
Moral, Ethical, and Social Issues However, the spectrum of their research is fundamentally different, and in the case of the Press, it concerns dirty work and society’s response to it.
Social Issues; Crime and Poverty in Camden This has threatened the social security and peaceful coexistence of the people in the community. The larger the differences between the poor and the rich, the high are the chances of crime.
Communist Manifesto, Time and Social Issues The primary issue of the manifesto is the vagaries in which the bourgeoisie subject and subjugate the proletariat, all in the struggle for private property.
Social Issues in First-World Nations The third social issue that affects a large number of first-world countries is the quality and accessibility of healthcare. However, it is possible to make a gradual positive change through the cooperation of governments and […]
Philosophy and Perspective of Social Issues In addition, the critical thinking method can also be used to analyze the belief that the government is the cause of social issues. Philosophy is a discipline that can help us to think more critically […]
Domestic Terrorism: A Comparative Analysis with Hate Crimes In my opinion, people could be driven by some factors or they could be conditioned throughout their lives to engage in domestic terrorism. They may also say that they feel unrecognized in the management of […]
Education Establishments’ Role Regarding Social Issues However, the universal nature of these issues and their broad influence create an environment in which members of education establishments begin to question the extent of their involvement in them.
Social Issues Related to Detroit’s Demographics: The Urban Crisis This refutes the widespread knowledge that suggests racial divides and social initiatives in the 1960s were the cause of the urban decline.
Journal Editors’ Role Regarding Social Justice Issues Journal editors can involve professionals from social justice forums such as civil rights lawyers in their journals as well as reduce the complexity of the presentation of social justice article contents.
Social Issue Analysis: The Trauma Lens of Police Violence It is the most visible manifestation of the struggle for justice, and the police are usually expected to support the victims of injustice.
The Impact of Social Issues on the Development of Adolescence For example, boys have high esteem when they experience changes in their voices, while girls may feel shy due to the growth of their chest region.
Tobacco as a Social Injustice Issue African Americans are a minority population in the U.S.singled out to endure the health challenges related to tobacco use hence a social injustice.
Ageism and Financial Insecurity as Social Issues The two main social issues impacting the rights of older individuals are ageism and financial insecurity. Many older people are capable and eager to work beyond the standard set, but the chances are limited.
The Review of Social Issues Film One of the most important concerns for my future life is the ability to raise and care for children properly. The issue of elderly domestic abuse is considered to be one of the most serious […]
Race as a Social Construct: Issues of Barriers Since it occurs in the conditions of scarcity of resources essential for the survival of citizens, the varying degree of access to them can be determined on the basis of racial background.
Social Issues in the “In Plain Sight” Art Project The artists from the In Plain Sight project are united by the goal of raising public awareness about causes such as immigrant detention and the US culture of incarceration.
Immigration: Social Issue Feeling Analysis From the global perspective, the most influencing countries in the world use visa and other conditions of entering the country as a migration regulating tool.
International Social Welfare Issue Analysis That is why it is very important for social workers and all socially conscious people to promote the ideas of social welfare and make people understand why it matters. To conclude, the issue of social […]
Modern Healthcare Aspects in the United States: Managing Historical and Social Issues Today, the system is trying to manage various issues such as malnutrition among older adults that is increasing, the role of nurses and the importance of their diversity, and the growing costs of the services.
Whistleblowing as a Social Issue in the Workplace The only hindrance to whistleblowing in society or the public is the authenticity of the information and how it will be received generally.
Management of Obesity and Social Issues That Emerge With Its Development The article by Omole focuses on recent shift in the management of obesity and the social issues that emerge with its development, namely, the culture of fat-shaming, by considering some of the alternatives toward evaluating […]
Key Social Issues Affecting Criminal Justice Professionals The absence of a decline in this percentage suggests that the criminal justice system has not been effective in addressing this issue. The criminal justice system has failed to decrease crime rates due to the […]
Police Brutality: Social Issue This paper explores the issue of police brutality and seeks to shed light on the perceptions of the public, especially the black minority.
Global Digital Divide as a Social Issue That is, if societies around the globe are able to bridge the gap between those who have and those who do not in relation to information technology, then the development problems would be minimized at […]
J.A. McPherson and G.G. Marquez Novel’s: Urgent Social Issues The black waiter Doc and the Colonel are forced to live in a cruel world and adapt to the dominant system.
Should Drugs Be a Health, Social Issue or a Legal, Criminal Issue? They are classified depending on the mode of action and the response induced in the body. In order to get information from the participants the following questions will be asked: What drug do you use?
Professors and Their Views on Political or Social Issues in the Classroom He analyzes the statement issued by the American Association of University Professors’ Committee A on Academic Freedom and Tenure, “Freedom in the Classroom,” which he says seems to defend professors against attacks by the right […]
Social Issues in Kuwait: Immigration Workforce Among the frequently highlighted issues in the country, one is the low productivity among the local workforce due to the high influence of favoritism and nepotism in promotions and merits.
S. Hay’s and Feagin’s Works on Social Issues The work of the Sharon Hay’s “Flat Broke with Children” was assembled in a milieu characterised by the decline of the widely hailed welfare reform policies which had seen the diminishing of welfare rolls from […]
Should Professors Be Allowed to Advocate Their Views on Political or Social Issues in the Classroom? In the recent past, professors have been accused of several faults, and it was because of these faults that it was deemed necessary to put a cap on the extent to which professors can excise […]
Marriage and Family Problems as Social Issues Sociology as a discipline has an extremely wide range of interests and it is next to impossible even to enumerate them, however the issue that has always been of the utmost importance for the sociological […]
Social Stratification Issues Solving If that is not the case, we meet different forms of institutional discrimination which can take different forms such as discrimination of children, gender discrimination, race and class discrimination.
Social Issues in Business I see housing as business and as quoted “business involves the exchange of services for money, making money, and dealing with other people’s needs and demands” in the book ‘A better way to think about […]
Social Inequality Issue Analysis Thesis Social inequality is a system and systematic worked as the framework of society and its functionality. What is acknowledged to be a hierarchical social structure are essentially confined to the primary units of economic […]
Gender Pay Gap as a Multifaceted Social Issue The gender pay gap is defined as the average gross hourly earnings of men and women who are working. Secondly, political and economic causes and outcomes of the issue have to be considered.
Identity and Social Class Issue A social class provides the child with a sense of identity, a set of values, and the motivational base for his later actions, while the school provides him with the knowledge and skills necessary to […]
Domestic Violence as a Social Issue It is one of the main factors which stimulate the study’s conduction, and among the rest, one can also mention the number of unexplored violence questions yet to be answered.
Masculinity as a Social Norms Issue However, the advancements that occurred with the rise of the LGBT movement and the empowerment of women now challenge established ideas.
Pollution as a Social Issue and Mass Media’s Role The reason why plastic pollution gained traction only during the 21st century is directly connected to the invention of the Internet and the technological advances in electronics.
Community Psychology in Addressing Social Issues Based on the lecture, we learned about the disparity between the rich and the poor, a domain that is associated with marginalization and stigmatization.
Social Issues in Education: Applying Theory In the year 2000, the Ministry of Education banned any form of corporal punishment in all schools in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Social Issues of the Immigration Journal The authors studied the impacts of multiculturalism of the period 1980s to 1990s on institutional forms of immigrants in the Netherlands.
Social Issues in Karl Marx’s Letter to John Mayer In your letter, it seems that those in power do not listen to you and your generation. This is one sure way of attaining power that is vital for you and your generation to change […]
Social Issues in McMinden, Fictional Town The concepts of social stratification, division of labor, and social distance discussed in the essay appear to be connected by cause-and-effect relation.
Socialist vs. Capitalist Approach to Social Issues Capitalism also refers to a system where the economy is independent of the state. In a Socialist economy, the intellectual property belongs to the government.
Policy Changes and Social Issues The second step within the model is associated with the political stream, in which the previously identified problem is reviewed between communities of policy experts who possess knowledge of the problem.
Rhetoric: Social Issues’ Influences on US Children Such an approach does not allow the readers to be 100% sure that this information is true to life and makes the statement rather weak.
Economic and Social Issues in Japan The events of March 11 contributed to widespread changes in the Japanese society and government. In the midst of the March 11 disaster, a political reformation occurred.
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Why Should Social Issues Be Solved Socially?
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Common family issues & how to deal with them, from experts.

No family is perfect, but for people whose family life has never been outright "bad," it can be tricky to spot family issues as they arise. Family problems are much more than abuse or addiction, for example, and include a host of different things that affect every member of a family. Here's how to spot family issues and deal with them, according to experts.

What are family issues?

Family problems or issues include any sort of dynamic, behavior, and/or pattern that disrupts the household or family at large. They can range from smaller, more common challenges like clashing personalities or divvying up household chores, to more intense issues like having a narcissistic parent , abuse, or intergenerational trauma, according to licensed psychotherapist Babita Spinelli, L.P.

The main thing with any family issue is that it creates stress and tension within the family, which in turn negatively affects the members of that family, particularly if there are young children involved.

Types of family issues:

Clashing and/or toxic personalities.

Starting off basic, it's far from uncommon for a family to have clashing personalities. Perhaps siblings don't get along with one another, or one child doesn't get along with one or both parents, psychotherapist Annette Nuñez, Ph.D., LMFT, tells mbg.

This can go a big step further when you're dealing with someone who displays narcissistic tendencies or other toxic traits , Spinelli adds, which introduces a bunch of other issues into the family unit, such as gaslighting or explosive fighting.

Poor communication

Nuñez and Spinelli both note that lack of open and healthy communication is at the root of many more general family problems. As Spinelli explains, if it's really difficult to actually speak to a family member, if there are trust issues , if they dismiss you, or issues get swept under the rug, those are all family issues surrounding communication.

Heavy pressure from parents

Perfectionism within a family can have extremely negative effects on children and their self-worth. As Nuñez notes, when parents shame or dictate how children should feel or be, it can take a toll on their ability to grow as individuals. "Parents do need to have some boundaries but not when it gets to the point where it's emotionally abusive," she explains.

Things like conditional love, or a deep sense of pressure to meet the expectations of your family, indicate some family issues, Spinelli adds. It could even lead to what's known as golden child syndrome .

Different parenting styles

One of the biggest hurdles of parenting as a couple is figuring out how to combine your parenting styles in an effective way. When you can't, it can cause some problems.

"It can cause a lot of tension when parents aren't on the same page with parenting," Nuñez tells mbg. And if you're dealing with extended family, Spinelli adds, having the input of in-laws when it comes to your parenting can also cause some problems.

So many families will deal with challenges surrounding finances, budgeting, and employment. Spinelli says money problems can include one parent making all the money and feeling burdened, not having enough basic funds for what you need, generational issues around poverty or gambling, and so much more. Money touches most areas of our life, and if there are issues here, the effects will be felt within any family.

Managing the household

It might seem juvenile, but chores really matter. If one person is carrying the weight of maintaining the household , that's a lot of responsibility and pressure. Nuñez notes it's important for household labor to be divided up in a fair and age-appropriate way, so one parent doesn't feel taken advantage of, and children begin learning how to take care of themselves.

Unchecked addiction or mental health issues

If a parent (or even a child) is dealing with mental health issues or addiction, that can cause a huge rift within a family unit. It's important for those things to not only be addressed but also talked about in an open and honest way.

As Nuñez explains, "If a parent feels like they're hiding mental illness or any type of substance abuse from a child, kids pick up on that. They pick up on those nonverbal cues of inconsistency, and children do need consistency to have a strong family foundation and feel secure."

Constant arguing

If you grew up thinking constant arguing was normal, according to Spinelli, it's very much not. "Some people don't realize that the constant bickering and arguing is actually an issue—they're just so used to it. They don't realize that when there's yelling or screaming and arguing, that actually creates stress and tension."

It's not uncommon, but yes, divorce certainly does disrupt a family unit and can cause problems when it's swept under the rug. "You'd be surprised how many people haven't processed divorce in the family," Spinelli says, adding, "It really does impact how you see relationships, and models fears around relationships, and often people don't even talk about it in the family."

While it can be hard to avoid, distance within a family can cause a lot of issues around expectations and boundaries, according to Spinelli. For example, as the holidays approach, there are often arguments around who's visiting whom, why someone has decided not to visit that year, and so on, she explains.

Codependency

" Codependency comes in all shapes and sizes," Spinelli tells mbg. While some instances of codependency are mild, the more enmeshment you find within a family, the more the individual members of that family will have a hard time distinguishing their own wants, needs, and desires, she says.

Scheduling conflicts

Nuñez notes that another common family issue is scheduling conflicts. If one or more family members has a busy schedule, it can be hard to connect together and make time for each other. This can look like one parent who works long hours and is rarely home during the day, or issues with scheduling as children get more involved with extracurriculars, she explains.

Intergenerational trauma

Last but not least, intergenerational trauma is a huge, often unaddressed family problem that stems back through generations. According to Spinelli, if past generations experienced things like extreme poverty, racial trauma, sudden death, addiction, mental health issues, and so much more, all of that can be passed down through generations.

"If something has happened in the previous generation, and that family member never dealt with it, that fight-or-flight and what they went through seeps into the other family members," Spinelli says.

How family issues affect us.

There are so many ways all of the aforementioned family issues can affect the members of that family, particularly children in their formative years of life. For example, "Children may start having behavioral issues, which then in return causes parents to get upset and the kids act out more," Nuñez explains. And that's just one more immediate example.

Our childhood experiences play out in adulthood through attachment wounds , as we bring those dysfunctional patterns into our adult relationships, she adds. "Let's say a parent leaves at a developmental age where a child needs a parent, for example. That brings up abandonment issues ," she notes.

Overall, a significant number of unaddressed family issues can make people feel that they don't have true safety in their lives, Spinelli says. "It's going to lead into attachment issues. Maybe they've dealt with abuse, neglect, abandonment, which has created an insecure attachment . They may also become an avoidant because they've never been modeled unconditional love by their primary caregiver," she explains.

Signs of family issues:

Difficulty with open, honest, and healthy communication
Frequent fights or bickering
Frequent yelling and screaming
Passive-aggressive behavior
An absent parent or parents (physically and/or emotionally)
Abuse of any kind (physical, emotional, and/or verbal abuse )
Codependent behavior and/or enmeshment
Struggles around finances or employment
Perfectionism or high standards within the family
Disagreements on household chores, parenting styles, etc.
Tension in the household for no clear reason
Difficulty trusting family members

What to do if you're dealing with family issues:

Identify what the specific issue is..

If you're getting the sense that you're dealing with some family dysfunction, the first thing you'll want to do is get clear on what specifically you're dealing with. Is it controlling parents ? Scheduling conflicts? Lack of communication?

Whatever the issue, Nuñez and Spinelli both note recognizing it is the first step. From there, you can begin processing how you want to bring it up to your family members, which brings us to our next point.

Talk about it.

Nothing gets solved by sweeping it under the rug, and family issues are no exception. Nuñez and Spinelli both say you'll want to address any issues weighing on your mind, even if it's not easy.

"Give yourself permission to say 'Hey, I feel angry or resentful, and I need to talk about this,'" Spinelli says. And as Nuñez notes, you can soften the blow using language that's not directed at them, opting for "I" statements, rather than "you" statements (i.e., "I feel sad when you miss dinner," instead of "You always miss dinner; you're so inconsiderate.")

Nuñez also adds that it's a good idea to pick a low-stress time when you can give each other your undivided attention and energy. (So, probably not around the holidays.)

Consider seeking professional help.

Once you've aired out some of your concerns, it may be necessary to ask for the help of a professional. Whether you opt for individual therapy, couples' therapy , or family therapy is up to you and your family, but any of them can certainly help in understanding how family problems have affected you—and how to deal with them.

"And even if a family doesn't go to therapy, it's important for every person to feel like they have a voice in their family, and to speak up, and to really voice what they need within that unit," Nuñez says.

Set boundaries.

And last but certainly not least, when all else fails, boundaries with family are a necessity in keeping a family dynamic as healthy as possible for everyone. "Really think about the ways you can set boundaries and give yourself permission," Spinelli says.

Whether you opt out of going to every family gathering, keep your distance from family members who make you uncomfortable or angry, or simply tell a family member when their behavior is unacceptable to you, Spinelli says you're completely in your right to do so.

The bottom line.

No family is without a little dysfunction. After all, it was spiritual icon Ram Dass who once said, "'If you think you're enlightened, go spend a week with your family."

But no matter how many problems your family seems to be facing, all it takes is one of you to identify the problems at hand, work through them, and break the chain for future generations.

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11.3: Sociological Perspectives on the Family

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Learning Objectives

Summarize understandings of the family as presented by functional, conflict, and social interactionist theories.

Sociological views on today’s families generally fall into the functional, conflict, and social interactionist approaches introduced earlier in this book. Let’s review these views, which are summarized in Table 11.1.

Table 11.1 Theory Snapshot

Social Functions of the Family

Recall that the functional perspective emphasizes that social institutions perform several important functions to help preserve social stability and otherwise keep a society working. A functional understanding of the family thus stresses the ways in which the family as a social institution helps make society possible. As such, the family performs several important functions.

First, the family is the primary unit for socializing children . As previous chapters indicated, no society is possible without adequate socialization of its young. In most societies, the family is the major unit in which socialization happens. Parents, siblings, and, if the family is extended rather than nuclear, other relatives all help to socialize children from the time they are born.

Figure 11.3

One of the most important functions of the family is the socialization of children. In most societies the family is the major unit through which socialization occurs.

Second, the family is ideally a major source of practical and emotional support for its members. It provides them food, clothing, shelter, and other essentials, and it also provides them love, comfort, help in times of emotional distress, and other types of intangible support that we all need.

Third, the family helps regulate sexual activity and sexual reproduction . All societies have norms governing with whom and how often a person should have sex. The family is the major unit for teaching these norms and the major unit through which sexual reproduction occurs. One reason for this is to ensure that infants have adequate emotional and practical care when they are born. The incest taboo that most societies have, which prohibits sex between certain relatives, helps to minimize conflict within the family if sex occurred among its members and to establish social ties among different families and thus among society as a whole.

Fourth, the family provides its members with a social identity . Children are born into their parents’ social class, race and ethnicity, religion, and so forth. As we have seen in earlier chapters, social identity is important for our life chances. Some children have advantages throughout life because of the social identity they acquire from their parents, while others face many obstacles because the social class or race and ethnicity into which they are born is at the bottom of the social hierarchy.

Beyond discussing the family’s functions, the functional perspective on the family maintains that sudden or far-reaching changes in conventional family structure and processes threaten the family’s stability and thus that of society. For example, most sociology and marriage-and-family textbooks during the 1950s maintained that the male breadwinner–female homemaker nuclear family was the best arrangement for children, as it provided for a family’s economic and child-rearing needs. Any shift in this arrangement, they warned, would harm children and by extension the family as a social institution and even society itself. Textbooks no longer contain this warning, but many conservative observers continue to worry about the impact on children of working mothers and one-parent families. We return to their concerns shortly.

The Family and Conflict

Conflict theorists agree that the family serves the important functions just listed, but they also point to problems within the family that the functional perspective minimizes or overlooks altogether.

First, the family as a social institution contributes to social inequality in several ways. The social identity it gives to its children does affect their life chances, but it also reinforces a society’s system of stratification. Because families pass along their wealth to their children, and because families differ greatly in the amount of wealth they have, the family helps reinforce existing inequality. As it developed through the centuries, and especially during industrialization, the family also became more and more of a patriarchal unit (see earlier discussion), helping to ensure men’s status at the top of the social hierarchy.

Second, the family can also be a source of conflict for its own members. Although the functional perspective assumes the family provides its members emotional comfort and support, many families do just the opposite and are far from the harmonious, happy groups depicted in the 1950s television shows. Instead, and as the news story that began this chapter tragically illustrated, they argue, shout, and use emotional cruelty and physical violence. We return to family violence later in this chapter.

Families and Social Interaction

Social interactionist perspectives on the family examine how family members and intimate couples interact on a daily basis and arrive at shared understandings of their situations. Studies grounded in social interactionism give us a keen understanding of how and why families operate the way they do.

Some studies, for example, focus on how husbands and wives communicate and the degree to which they communicate successfully (Tannen, 2001).Tannen, D. (2001). You just don’t understand: Women and men in conversation . New York, NY: Quill. A classic study by Mirra Komarovsky (1964)Komarovsky, M. (1964). Blue-collar marriage . New York, NY: Random House. found that wives in blue-collar marriages liked to talk with their husbands about problems they were having, while husbands tended to be quiet when problems occurred. Such gender differences seem less common in middle-class families, where men are better educated and more emotionally expressive than their working-class counterparts. Another classic study by Lillian Rubin (1976)Rubin, L. B. (1976). Worlds of pain: Life in the working-class family . New York, NY: Basic Books. found that wives in middle-class families say that ideal husbands are ones who communicate well and share their feelings, while wives in working-class families are more apt to say that ideal husbands are ones who do not drink too much and who go to work every day.

Other studies explore the role played by romantic love in courtship and marriage. Romantic love , the feeling of deep emotional and sexual passion for someone, is the basis for many American marriages and dating relationships, but it is actually uncommon in many parts of the contemporary world today and in many of the societies anthropologists and historians have studied. In these societies, marriages are arranged by parents and other kin for economic reasons or to build alliances, and young people are simply expected to marry whoever is chosen for them. This is the situation today in parts of India, Pakistan, and other developing nations and was the norm for much of the Western world until the late 18th and early 19th centuries (Lystra, 1989).Lystra, K. (1989). Searching the heart: Women, men, and romantic love in nineteenth-century America . New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

The family ideally serves several functions for society. It socializes children, provides practical and emotional support for its members, regulates sexual reproduction, and provides its members with a social identity.
Reflecting conflict theory’s emphases, the family may also produce several problems. In particular, it may contribute for several reasons to social inequality, and it may subject its members to violence, arguments, and other forms of conflict.
Social interactionist understandings of the family emphasize how family members interact on a daily basis. In this regard, several studies find that husbands and wives communicate differently in certain ways that sometimes impede effective communication.

For Your Review

As you think how best to understand the family, do you favor the views and assumptions of functional theory, conflict theory, or social interactionist theory? Explain your answer.
Do you think the family continues to serve the function of regulating sexual behavior and sexual reproduction? Why or why not?

ENG 111: Ketchum: Social Issues Essay 3: Assignment

Reference source
News Article
Opinion Piece
Scholarly Source

How to use this guide

This guide is specifically designed to help students of Ketchum's Eng 111 class access the library's resources for the purpose of the Social Issues Essay. The tabs at the top cover different aspects of the assignment.

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Length: 4 - 5 pages, not counting the works cited page.

Font: 12 point Times New Roman or equivalent

Margins: 1 inch each side

Info: Name, Professor, Class, and Date on the top left (MLA rules)

Title: Something unique; centered

Page #s: Last name then #; top right of page

Related: Essay 3 Slide Presentations (separate guidelines and assignment link will be posted)

The Prompt: Your assignment is to write an essay which (1) examines a social, political, or cultural “hot topic,” identifies and explains the problem , (2) explores multiple credible perspectives , and (3) ultimately proposes a solution (or at least steps toward a solution).

1. First, you will capture the reader’s attention in an academically sophisticated manner. Then, you will objectively present important background information to your reader. The reader should have a clear understanding of the history surrounding the issue as well as the significance of the current situation/problem. Next, you will reveal your position on the issue in your thesis statement, which should both state the problem and hint at the proposed solution (which will be discussed in detail in the final section of your essay).

2. The next two sections of your essay will be dedicated to summary and analysis of your chosen position articles (the ones on NY Times Room for Debate, Opposing Viewpoints, or Issues & Controversies). You will state and defend your position on the issue in your conclusion section. Your position may align closely with one of the op-ed articles, or you may present your reader with another outside source that better supports/represents your argument.

3. The final section of your essay will focus on a proposed solution, recommendation, or plan of action , supported by a scholarly research article. Do not restate your thesis or attempt to rewrite your introduction in the conclusion.

**You must use HEADINGS to organize your essay. Refer to the sample essays to see how headings should be used.**

No doubt you already have an opinion on the issue, but this paper must be research based . In other words, you should locate sources, read, think, and THEN form your opinion, which will aid in the creation of your thesis, opposing viewpoint, and rebuttal. FIRST STEP: locate and read credible sources!

Claim: Your opinion, in your own words

Evidence: Information from a credible outside source

Warrant: Your “follow up” and discussion of the evidence you’ve presented.

Essay 3 Organization:

Hook (1 paragraph; can be short; no heading)

Introduction (1-2 paragraphs; teach topic to reader)

Statement of the Problem (proof that this issue is current & relevant; 1 paragraph) Thesis statement will be last sentence of this section. Position A (focus on one of the op-ed articles)

Paragraph 1: summary of one of the debate articles, including explanation of author’s rhetorical situation
Paragraphs 2: analysis (topic sentence, signal phrase, quote/paraphrase & elaborate). Create an appropriate heading title for this section.

Position B (focus on the other op-ed article)

Paragraph 1: summary of another debate article, including explanation of author’s rhetorical situation

Conclusion (Your position on the issue)

You are expected to incorporate at least one outside source into this section. It may be one of the sources already mentioned, or you may incorporate another source which best represents/supports your position.

Solution/Recommendations (1-2 paragraphs)

Pretend that you are a consultant in a professional field related to this issue. Write out a proposed plan of action, steps to a solution, or set of recommendations. Support your plan with credible evidence via a scholarly, peer reviewed journal article from the NC Live database.

Works Cited (on its own page)

The following skills are imperative for success on essay #3!

1. Summarizing an Outside Source (for summary paragraphs):

Provide relevant information about the rhetorical situation of the source (author, author info, publication info, etc.).
Briefly touch on the PURPOSE and CONTENT of the text.
In Publisher “Title,” author job Author Name PURPOSE/VERB CONTENT.
In the Time magazine article “Cats are Cool,” social researcher Bob Smith makes the argument that cats are better pets than dogs.
Divide the text into 3-4 sections. Compose one sentence to represent each section of the body of the article/essay.
Identify the conclusion. Compose one sentence that objectively “bottom lines” the conclusion.
Don’t forget your in-text parenthetical citation at the end of your final sentence of summary!

Incorporating an Outside Source (for analysis paragraphs):

Open the paragraph with a topic sentence—a claim, in your own words. (The outside source info is the EVIDENCE you are using to back your claim.)
Briefly explain rhetorical situation and content of outside source (author info / publication info)
Signal phrase/setup (choose a strong verb describing what the source is DOING)
If you borrow exact wording, you must use quotation marks.
If you use quotation marks, you may not change the wording.
Should direct readers to the first word(s) of the corresponding works cited entry.
If you get the first words into steps 1 or 2, AND your source has no page numbers, the need for an in-text parenthetical citation is removed!
Follow up with an explanation, example, reflection, etc. Your follow-up should be at least as long as steps 1-4 combined.

Use of the first person pronouns (I/me/my/mine/we/us/our/ours) is only allowed in the hook and conclusion, and sparingly at that.

Use of second person pronouns (you/your/yours) is PROHIBITED.

Your essay must include a WORKS CITED page and MLA IN-TEXT PARENTHETICAL CITATIONS; you must use MLA 8th edition guidelines. Every source listed on the Works Cited page must be explicitly mentioned and used in the essay, and vice-versa. Essays which don’t clearly incorporate multiple outside sources will not earn a passing score.

This essay will contain section headings. Details will be discussed in future memos, and I will share sample essays with the correct formatting.

You are required to incorporate a minimum of FIVE outside sources into this essay – you may include more.

A reference source (CREDO) (used in Introduction)
Choose a topic from Opposing Viewpoints database, NY Times “Room for Debate” site, or Issues & Controversies database. Each debate page features at least two position articles.
You will summarize and analyze at least two position articles within the essay. (used in the two Viewpoint/Position sections)
A “wildcard” source of your choice (used in Conclusion). In most cases, this will be a third position article from one of the above databases.
A peer reviewed scholarly journal article (NCLIVE database) (used in Solution/Recommendations)

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Last Updated: Nov 29, 2023 12:20 PM
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Sociology: Researching Social Problems

Articles/Journals
Statistics Sources
Researching Social Problems
SOCL 100 - Sociology - Who Am I? Assignment
SOCL 100 - Sociology - Finding Specific Journals
SOCL 120 - Cultural Diversity in American Society
SOCL 110 Willis

Examples of Social Issues

Broad categories of issues that have impact on families and society:

Illness and the Health care Crisis.
Alcohol and other Drugs.
Crime and Violence.
Family Problems.
Problems of Youth and Aging.
Race and Ethnic Relations.
Gender Inequality.
Issues in Sexual Orientation.
Work and Unemployment.
Problems in Education.
Population and Urbanization.
Science and Technology.
Environmental Problems.
Conflict, War, and Terrorism.

Finding books by subject

Books on sociological topics are found in several call number ranges because sociological topics are often interdisciplinary.

Many books are located in the range: HM 1- HT 1600

There are hundreds of Subject Headings useful for sociological topics.

Social justice

Social problems

Social theory

Socialization

Developing a Research Question

Once you have chosen a topic to research, you will need to develop a research question you are wanting to answer.

Examples of research questions:

Does viewing violent television and/or movies have a measurable affect on children's aggressive behavior?

Do children who regularly share mealtimes with the family do better academically?

Are fathers discriminated against in custody cases?

Is racial profiling an effective terror prevention strategy?

Databases for this subject

Covers the latest concepts, theories and methods from both applied and theoretical aspects of the social sciences, full-text resource provides access to the most important English-language social science journals.

Comprehensive, full-text database covering psychology and psychiatry topics such as emotional and behavioral characteristics, mental processes, observational and experimental methods.

Full-text, scholarly resources in the arts and sciences include Archival and Current Journals, Books, and Primary Sources.

Leading resource for scholarly research with peer-reviewed, full-text journals. Supports high-level research in many disciplines by providing journals, periodicals, reports, books, and more.

Information and opinions and on hundreds of today's hottest social issues; provides sources such as viewpoints, topic overviews, full-text magazines, academic journals, news articles, primary source documents, statistics, images, videos, audio files and links to reviewed websites.

Containing resources that present multiple sides of an issue; provides content that can help students assess and develop persuasive arguments and essays, better understand controversial issues and develop analytical thinking skills.

A premier source of peer-reviewed, full-text, scholarly content across many academic areas. Millions of articles available in both PDF and HTML full-text; authoritative and comprehensive.

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Why Is Social Issues A Good Topic?

Table of Contents

Relevance: Social issues impact individuals, communities, and societies worldwide, making them highly relevant and relatable to a broad audience.
Impact: Addressing social issues can lead to tangible improvements in people’s lives, making it a topic with real-world significance and potential for positive change.
Intersectionality: Social issues often intersect with various aspects of life, including economics, politics, culture, and environment, allowing for multifaceted discussions and analysis.
Empathy and Awareness: Exploring social issues fosters empathy and understanding by shedding light on the experiences and challenges faced by different groups within society.
Advocacy and Action: Discussing social issues encourages advocacy and activism, empowering individuals to become agents of change and contribute to building more equitable and just communities.
Learning and Education: Studying social issues provides valuable opportunities for learning about complex social dynamics, historical contexts, and systemic inequalities, contributing to personal growth and societal awareness.
Civic Engagement: Engaging with social issues promotes civic participation and democratic values by encouraging informed dialogue, critical thinking, and civic responsibility.
Global Perspective: Social issues transcend national borders and affect people worldwide, prompting discussions on global interconnectedness, international cooperation, and solidarity.

What Is An Easy Social Issue To Write About?

An easy social issue to write about would be one that you have personal experience with or a strong interest in, as this can make the writing process more engaging and accessible. Additionally, social issues that have clear and well-documented impacts on society and individuals can be easier to research and discuss. Some examples of relatively straightforward social issues to write about include:

Bullying: This topic is widely recognized and understood, and there is ample research available on its causes, effects, and prevention strategies.
Homelessness: The issue of homelessness is visible in many communities, making it relatable and accessible for research. You can explore its root causes, the challenges faced by homeless individuals, and potential solutions.
Environmental Pollution: Pollution affects communities worldwide and has tangible effects on health and quality of life. You can discuss different types of pollution, their sources, and efforts to mitigate them.
Access to Education: Education is universally recognized as essential, but many people face barriers to accessing quality education. You can explore factors such as poverty, discrimination, and inadequate resources that contribute to educational inequality.
Mental Health Stigma: Mental health issues affect millions of people globally, yet there is still stigma surrounding them. You can write about the impact of stigma on individuals seeking help and strategies for reducing it.
Poverty: Poverty is a complex issue with far-reaching effects on health, education, and overall well-being. You can examine the causes and consequences of poverty and discuss poverty alleviation efforts.
Gender Inequality: Gender inequality persists in many areas of life, including employment, education, and politics. You can explore disparities between genders and efforts to achieve gender equality.

Addressing social issues requires collective action and commitment from individuals, communities, and governments. Social issues topics for projects play a crucial role in raising awareness, mobilizing resources, and implementing solutions to complex challenges.

By engaging in projects focused on education, poverty alleviation, healthcare, environmental conservation, human rights, technology, crime and justice, and immigration, we can create a more equitable and inclusive society for all. Together, let’s make a difference in our communities and build a brighter future for generations to come.

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IMAGES

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388 Social Issues Topics: Ideas for a Research Paper & Essay + Writing
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VIDEO

sort vedio #Assignment topic
Task: Assignment
Family Patterns
AQA A Level Sociology Revision Blast
Week 03
FAMILY ISSUES EPISODE 10 TRAILER

COMMENTS

40 Family Issues Research Paper Topics & Examples
40 Marriage and Family Research Topics for any Taste. Parental neglect. Is it enough for a kid to have food, clothes, and shelter to grow up healthy? Divorce and its consequences for all the family members. Minimizing the negative impact of divorce. Toxic and narcissistic parents. Overcoming the trauma of a dysfunctional family.
210 Interesting Family Essay Topics and Ideas
List of Family Essay Topics and Ideas. Conclusion. Family is one of the common themes considered for writing a personal essay. If you are asked to write a personal essay or short essay for introductory courses, then think about choosing family essay topics because it is easier to write. When compared to other complex technical topics, writing ...
108 Social Issues Essay Topic Ideas & Examples
To help you get started, here are 108 social issues essay topic ideas and examples that you can use as inspiration for your next writing assignment: The impact of social media on mental health. Income inequality and its effects on society. Police brutality and the Black Lives Matter movement. The rise of fake news and its impact on democracy.
79 Family Problems Essay Topic Ideas & Examples
Economic Problems Causing Marriage and Family Problems. Elderly Abuse, Teenage Pregnancy, and Proposed Solutions to These Two Family Problems. Determinants of Work-Related Family Problems Among Employed Parents. Matching Family Problems With Specific Family Preservation Services. Coping Profiles Associated With Psychiatric, Physical Health ...
The Biggest 15 Social Issues We Are Facing Today
In this article, we'll explore 15 of the biggest social issues facing the world today. #1. The global housing crisis. Shelter is a human right, but hundreds of millions of people lack adequate, affordable housing. According to the World Bank, the housing crisis is global, and it could impact as many as 1.6 billion people by 2025.
List of 150 Social Issues Topics and Ideas for 2024
Social issues topics list relevant in 2024. Don't sweat over picking a decent topic dealing with social problems. ... Writing an assignment about current social topics in 2023 is a chance to open one's eyes and increase one's knowledge. How to Write an Essay on Social Issues ... Marriage and family: the challenges and impacts of same-sex ...
101 Family Relationships Essay Topic Ideas & Examples
Stepfamily Relationships: The Blended Family Interview. The third question concerned such appearances and the overall degree of the man's attachment to the child. The sixth question was about the introduction itself and the child's reception of it. American Family Relationships: Dynamics Alterations.
15.2 Sociological Perspectives on the Family
Summarize understandings of the family as presented by functional, conflict, and social interactionist theories. Sociological views on today's families generally fall into the functional, conflict, and social interactionist approaches introduced earlier in this book. Let's review these views, which are summarized in Table 15.1 "Theory ...
210 Excellent Family Essay Topics and Ideas
Here, for your convenience, we have shared 200+ outstanding family essay topic ideas. In addition to that, we have also suggested some important family essay topic selection tips and the steps for writing a great family essay. Keep on reading and get ideas for your family essay or research paper writing assignment.
Family Essay Topic Ideas & Examples
This blog post contains a list of top family essay topics and discussion ideas for students to consider for assignments & Essay. ... Describe the social issues of America. Discuss the causes of the issues with family violence. ... most of the time, the word count depends on the essay's audience. While you are writing for a college or ...
Exploring Social Issues Topics: Ideas for Academic Inquiry
These steps will help you write about social issues effectively. Navigating the Landscape of Social Issues - Exploring 150+ social issues list. When it comes to writing about social issues, there is a wide range of topics to explore. Our society is plagued by numerous social issues that profoundly impact individuals and nations alike.
10.3 Changes and Problems in American Families
We now look at some of the most important issues affecting US families through the lens of the latest social scientific evidence. Because Chapter 5 "Sexual Orientation and Inequality" on sexual orientation and inequality discussed same-sex marriage and families, please refer back to that chapter for material on this very important topic.
10.2: Sociological Perspectives on the Family
One of the most important functions of the family is the socialization of children. In most societies the family is the major unit through which socialization occurs. Colleen Kelly - Kids Playing Monopoly Chicago - CC BY 2.0. Second, the family is ideally a major source of practical and emotional support for its members.
Social Issues Essay Topics
Social issues can grab students' interest and really get them thinking on a deep level. As you choose social issues essay topics, it is important to be mindful of controversy and the need to ...
620 Family Topic Ideas to Write about & Essay Samples
620 Family Essay Topic Ideas & Examples. Explore a wide variety of topics about family members, love, values, and more. As a student, you are likely to get an assignment to write about the importance of relationships. That's why you can be in need of a good friends and family topic. In this case, you've found the right page.
149 Social Issues Essay Topic Ideas & Examples
Social Issues in "Too Young to Wed" by Cynthia Gorney. In the case of 10-year-old Ayesha who was married off to a 50-year old, the women in the family tried to stop the marriage. The Social Cost Issue. The concept of "social cost" is applied in the economic analysis and estimation of most impacts.
Family And Social Issues
A social issue is a problem that influences a considerable number of the individuals within a society. It is often the consequence of factors extending beyond an individual's social issue is the source of a conflicting opinion on the grounds of what is perceived as a morally just personal life or societal order. (Social issues,n.d.)
Family Issues: 13 Types, Signs & What To Do About It
Types of family issues: 1. Clashing and/or toxic personalities. Starting off basic, it's far from uncommon for a family to have clashing personalities. Perhaps siblings don't get along with one another, or one child doesn't get along with one or both parents, psychotherapist Annette Nuñez, Ph.D., LMFT, tells mbg.
12.3: Sociological Perspectives on Family
family: A group of people related by blood, marriage, law or custom. bonds: Ties and relationships between individuals. Symbolic interactionism is a social theory that focuses on the analysis of patterns of communication, interpretation, and adjustment between individuals in relation to the meanings of symbols.
11.3: Sociological Perspectives on the Family
In most societies, the family is the major unit in which socialization happens. Parents, siblings, and, if the family is extended rather than nuclear, other relatives all help to socialize children from the time they are born. Figure 11.3. One of the most important functions of the family is the socialization of children.
Library: ENG 111: Ketchum: Social Issues Essay 3: Assignment
Related: Essay 3 Slide Presentations (separate guidelines and assignment link will be posted) The Prompt: Your assignment is to write an essay which (1) examines a social, political, or cultural "hot topic," identifies and explains the problem, (2) explores multiple credible perspectives, and (3) ultimately proposes a solution (or at least ...
Research Guides: Sociology: Researching Social Problems
Examples of Social Issues. Broad categories of issues that have impact on families and society: Illness and the Health care Crisis. Alcohol and other Drugs. Crime and Violence. Family Problems. Problems of Youth and Aging. Race and Ethnic Relations. Gender Inequality.
Top 100 Social Issues Topics For Project [Revised]
Relevance: Social issues impact individuals, communities, and societies worldwide, making them highly relevant and relatable to a broad audience. Impact: Addressing social issues can lead to tangible improvements in people's lives, making it a topic with real-world significance and potential for positive change. Intersectionality: Social issues often intersect with various aspects of life ...

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The Biggest 15 Social Issues We Are Facing Today

#1. The global housing crisis

#2. Gender inequality

#3. Climate crisis

#4. Overconsumption

#5. Global hunger

#6. Threats to LGBTQ+ rights

#7. Reproductive justice

#8. Educational disparities

#9. Health and healthcare

#10. Income inequality

#11. Global unemployment (and underemployment)

#12. Increased migration

#13. Artificial intelligence

#14. Debt bondage

#15. Threats to journalism

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