Characteristics of Social Problems  

On the basis of the above definitions, we can identify the following characteristics of social problems:

• All social problems are situations which have injurious consequences for society.
• All social problems are deviations from the “ideal” situation.
• All social problems have some common basis of origin.
• All social problems are social and political in origin .
• All social problems are caused by pathological social conditions.
• All social problems are interconnected .
• All social problems are social in their results – they affect all sections of society.
• The responsibility for social problems is social – they require a collective approach for their solution.
• Social problems occur in all societies (Ahuja 2002: 5).

 

Types of Social Problems

Norm Violations

Norm violations assume that a standard of behaviour exists .  

People who study norm violations are interested in society's failures like the criminal, the mentally ill, or the school dropout. 

Eitzen et al. (2009:10) contend, however, that norm violations are symptoms of social problems rather that the problem itself .  Deviants, for example, are victims and should not be blamed entirely.  

The system in which they live is blamed as well.

Social Conditions

Eitzen et al. (2009: 11) suggest that a second type of social problem involves conditions that cause psychic and material suffering for some category of people.  The focus is on how society operates and who benefits and who doesn't benefit under existing social arrangements.  “What is the bias of the system?”

• How are society's rewards distributed?
• Do some categories of people suffer due to the way schools are organized
• Are some groups of people put at a disadvantage because of the manner juries are selected?
• Do some categories suffer because of the way health care is delivered?