Marno Botha 32553587

Learning Activity 1

Sociologists ask four questions to think about social problems. These questions are: What is a social problem?; What makes a problem a social problem?; What causes the social problem; How can we solve social problems.

Depression:

Depression can be seen as a social problem, as it is a threat to our key values. It is clear that a lot of people are trying hard to help people with depression, so a lot of people would agree that depression must be changed (in the sense of a social problem). Depression is not a personal choice, some people have neurological imbalances which causes depression.

Smash-and-grab: Smash-and-grab is a social problem, as it is harmful to the victims, but in the favor of the offenders. The cause of this social problem is the physical world we live in as well as evil people. If the problem is not resolved, it will only continue and become a norm.

Rape:

Rape is definitely a social problem as the cause of rape is hard to identify and threatens our key values. Rape is very harmful to a lot of victims and a lot of people agree that it must be changed. Evil people are the cause of rape and as we try to solve the problem, our definition of it changes.

Fast Food:

Fast food can be seen as a social problem as it prevents people from living healthy life. A lot of people are living unhealthy lives and a lot of these people are overweight, because of their eating habits which consist of fast foods. Fast foods have become a norm in the world we live in, which makes it hard to resist. This problem is embedded in the nature of society.

HIV/AIDS:

HIV/AIDS is considered a social problem as it prevents/limits people from achieving their goals. The more people have HIV/AIDS, the higher the chances of spreading. HIV/AIDS is not a personal choice, but rather a lack of knowledge. For this social problem to change, the nature of people must be changed, which is impossible.