BENSON MMARI.
INTRODUCTION
A social problem is a condition that at least some people in a community view as being undesirable. Everyone would agree about some social problems, such as murders and others. Other social problems may be viewed as such by certain groups of people. Teenagers who play loud music in a public park obviously do not view it as a problem, but some other people may consider it an undesirable social condition. Some nonsmokers view smoking as an undesirable social condition that should be banned or restricted in public buildings.
Now days in Tanzania, some/every newspaper is filled with stories about undesirable social conditions. Examples include crime, violence, drug abuse, and environmental problems. Such social problems can be found at the local, regions, national and international levels. You will be focusing in the Public Policy Analyst on social problems in our own community.
Social problems often involve problems that affect real life. It also affects how people react to certain situations. Examples can include:
· Sexual transmitted disease
· Anti social behavior
· Poverty
· Drug abuse
· Alcohol abuse
· Economic Deprivation
· Unemployment
· Natural Disasters
These problems occur in almost every area all over the world and not only in Tanzania, but in some areas it tends to happen more frequently, and to a more severe extent.
Some other examples of social problems could possibly exist in all of communities around us.
For example, there could be a problem of increased stealing within your school, office, or anywhere around you. Likewise, local police agencies—village, town, city and county—maintain statistics on crimes such as thefts within their jurisdiction.
Characteristics of Social Problems
Salient features and characteristics of social problem are that it changes the situation in such a way that a problem is created to the extent that existing social order have to be changed. It also means that it is difficult to solve the problem but to feel that such a solution is inevitable or undesirable is not proper. But one of the significant characteristics is that it becomes problem only when the people begin to feel and take that in that sense.
As long as the people are not aware of the problem, even though that exists, there is no social disharmony, but maladjustment comes to the front only when the masses become conscious of it.
So far no universally accepted classification has been produced about social problem. Our sociologists have tried to give different classifications.
According to Harold A. Phelps classification such problems as biological. E.g. physical defects; bio-psychological e.g. feeble mindedness cultural, e.g. juvenile delinquency and economic e.g. poverty and unemployment.
Another classification is based on heritage e.g. physical heritage, biological heritage, and social heritage. But so far no universally accepted classification has been produced. Primary reason for this is that in society no problem is absolute. Every problem is relative and is also linked with one or more aspects of our life.
Causes of Social Problems
Social problem is not welcomed in any society. Problems create disharmony and maladjustment but still the problems exist. What are the main causes, which has been posed by our sociologists? So far the problem has found no solution and every attempt made in this regard has failed.
· The main reason for this is that the sociologists cannot pinpoint a single cause responsible for creating such problem. The cause, which may be responsible in one society, may not be responsible in the other society. Similarly what may be responsible under certain circumstances may not be under certain other circumstances and so on. In fact in actual practice it has been found difficult to find out any single cause responsible for creating social problem. Some of the many causes include feeble mindedness of the individual and his physical disability.
· Industrialization, immobility and weak social institutions may be other causes responsible for it.
· Another cause of Social Problem is failure within a society to provide a means to achieve goals. If a system of society is structured in such a way that it favors a specific group of society members, those outside of that group are unable to achieve the goals established by society as the norm.
If those groups are unable to achieve expected societal goals through socially acceptable means, then they find other means to achieve goals, and this can cause further social unrest.
Some groups within a society make a conscious choice not to follow social norms, which can cause further social problems.
Groups that choose not to follow established social norms in Tanzania and all over the Africa all have different motivations, methods or goals that do not line up with the general society's structured path to achieve socially desired goals.
Those who choose to follow unconventional means to achieve socially acceptable goals are usually those that are considered criminals, such as a thief achieving wealth through larceny. Those who are the victims of the theft demand restitution for their loss of wealth and goods obtained through socially acceptable means, while the thief views his ill-gotten wealth as the fruit of his labor, which causes friction. This is only one example of the effect of deviant behavior on social problems.
· Careless rising of orphans and other groups that need social support in Tanzania can also be the cause of social problems like theft, robbery, and other crimes as explained above.
Effects of Social Problems
Social problem very adversely affect our society. One of the major effects is that our harmony disturbed and in its stead in the society there is hostility and suspicion. These also result in large-scale social dissatisfaction and create suffering and misery. On the whole these do not at all help in solving any problem but creates problem of serious magnitude, which is disadvantageous to the whole society. But in this connection it may be pointed out that 'problem' is not an absolute term. It is only a relative term because what is problem for one society may not be problem for the other. Similarly 'problem' is not permanent and universal. What may appear problem today may not remain so tomorrow.
We found that in some areas in Tanzania and other countries like India, child marriage was problem till yesterday but today it has received universal condemnation and as such is no problem at all. So is the case with Sati System and so on. But in spite of this there are still some universal problems which are same all around e.g. poverty, unemployment and crime etc.
Solution to Social Problems
The solution of the social problem is to be found in the problem itself, such as I have just given in a short exposition. The greatest socio-economic evil of today consists in the ever more complete divorce of the two factors in production, labor and property or capital, and consequently the remedy can be found only in their unification.
Provision of better education to growing generation that targets on developing leadership and personality, knowledge, and powerful minds will also be another critical solution.
Government support on special groups (e.g. orphans, street children, etc.) will also reduce the problem in wider range. Through this, it will reduce crimes, robbery, theft, and other critical social problems in our country, Tanzania.
REFERENCES
o Jules Guesde: The Social Problem and Its Solution (January and February 1905)
o Social Problem – Definition, Effects, Characteristics, Classification & Causes
o What causes social problems? | References.com
(https://www.reference.com/world-view/causes-social-problems-e9986773ae0f3796
