Social Welfare Issues - Essay Example

Social welfare’s enhancement or decrement depends on the people and the way they treat others in society.  Racism is a common attribute that materializes as one of the important factors in determining the growth of a society’s welfare. A well-known example of the effect of racism on social welfare is the revolutionary nonviolence battle of Mahatma Gandhi against the British, to get freedom for India. It was clearly shown in the film Gandhi which was released in 1980. If racism is being brought in as a factor in this process, then equality, the integral attribute of society’s welfare gets adversely diluted in its effects and hence, decreases the development of social welfare.

Although there is a vast improvement in the medical field, it is beyond the common man’s capacity to get the treatment done for a public cause. One apt example for this inequality in health care can be shown when, in 2004, Todd Krampitz of Houston, Texas used an unusual method to get kidney transplantation despite knowing the fact that many people were waiting for the same. (Kaplan 2004) This created waves of circumspection in society affecting the lives of many. Hence, it clearly shows the effects of health care and inequality on social welfare. There are several incidents that happened in my surrounding environment that can be given as evidence to support this theory.

Quality of life depends on one’s affordability and determination to maintain a standard of living. Quality of life is purely the personal satisfaction of the conditions in which a person sustains his life. A perfect example to show that one’s quality of life affects social welfare is the life of US President Barrack Obama. Mr. Obama’s way of life and the quality of his life has been an inspiration to many and he still continues to be a role model for many people in the world. The recent proof for the above statement is the Nobel Peace Prize that was given to him. Despite the current economic problems and health care problems, Obama’s effort to promote peace throughout the world has brought him heaps of praise. Hence, the quality of life one lives has a superior effect on social welfare. In general, with educational background, the quality of one’s life improves and by which, the standard of living moves higher. This enhances social welfare as equal importance is given to people in all strata of society.

A perfect prototype for how a family bonding can reap success in an individual’s life is the real-life pair of Hollywood actors, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt. Despite their busy schedule, they have maintained a good family relationship, and their efforts to adopt six orphans as their own have sparked a new sense of hope and inspiration to many in the world. This clearly shows that family bonding plays an important role in improving the welfare of society. Apart from this, an individual’s success mainly depends on the support from family and friends forms an integral part of one’s life. Loss of kin ties, family relationships, breaks the family’s harmony and hence the social welfare of the society. One such example that can be given is the film ‘Ordinary people’ (Guest 1982). The film clearly shows how a family can disintegrate if one loses his/her kilns and breakup their relationships. At times of difficulties, a person needs emotional support from his/her relatives to go through the bad patch in his/her life. The world has become so mechanical that people don’t even have time to spend with their own family.

There are several examples in several mediums that portray the same view from different angles with universal meaning that, loss of kin ties destroys both family and their society. These include movies like ‘Liar Liar’, ‘Crash’, ‘Good Will Hunting’, the personal life of Michael Jackson, the world-renowned pop singer, etc. With the modern style of living and more time spent in the workplace, the current generation does not spend quality and valuable time with their families and friends. This leads to the loss of harmony in the family and deteriorates their well-being. They are unable to maintain a cordial relationship with family and friends due to these factors.

          The variables discussed above play a major role in deciding the growth of social welfare. As discussed, their effects on society depend on how people understand them and interpret them in their day-to-day life.