Current Social Problem - Research Paper Example

Current Social Problem The notion of social choice theory is significantly related to the process of maximization of social welfare, interests, values, level of satisfaction. This process of welfare maximization process is significantly related to the process of collective decision making where all individuals in the society take collective decisions to achieve maximum level of satisfaction for each and every individual (Patty and Penn, 2011, p. 366). However, in some of cases, due to various reasons, the process of maximization of collective welfare gets violated. This violation hence forces some people (or a group of people) to get marginalized or excluded from the process. This violation of social choice theory is very much evident in case of racial discrimination against a specific group or ethnic society (Loury, 1998, p. 1). This paper is aimed at providing a detailed research dimension on the social problems related to the notion of social choice theory against the context of racial discrimination faced in fields like work and education. Social problem and identity: Social discriminations are the most important social issue related to social choice theory which creates the most significant and violent impacts on human lives in modern times. Social discriminations against race and ethnicity and also between the black and white communities of people are very much visible in modern American societies. In order to address social problems in an effective proper understanding of the causes of various behavioral patterns of human beings are very much important. This is because these causes are responsible for creation of greater social problems. Again these different human behaviors depend on various circumstances which people face in their everyday lifestyles (Kizza, 2010, p. 92). These circumstances create human motivations in regard to deal with those particular circumstances. The most important principle of social theory is that the all (mainly different types of) human behavior is finally motivated by the necessity to maintain the identity of the person under consideration. In this context human behaviors can be defined as the process of continuous effort which is related to the maintainace or enhancement of that particular identity (Bracher, 2009, p. 23). The necessity to establish a sense of identity is the main concern to a person and this necessity drives the person to become motivated to behave in according manners. In the context of this paper is motivation and necessity to create the identity in the society plays the main driving force behind the creation of social issues and problems related to those social issues. Racial discriminations, discriminations against specific ethnic societies and also social, cultural, as well as economic discriminations against the black people are increasing at rapid speed in the country. These discriminations are largely motivated by the motivation of American people to establish their own identity according to specific communities and/or according to specific race or ethnicity (Mooney et al., 2010, p. 121). Social choice theoretic discrimination against race, ethnicity, and color of skin: In American societies discriminations against race and ethnic societies along with social, cultural, as well as economic discrimination against black people living in the country is not a new phenomenon. Various social riots and social revolutions happened in the country in order to ignore these social issues from the societal structure of the country. From a long time governments of the country tried hard to reduce the intensity of American people to get engaged in the social, cultural, and economic structures of the country to get rid of the crises situation which were created by people in order to establish their own identity in the society. Among all these discriminations racial discrimination is the oldest and this has been the most significant social problem which has created great tensions in every sphere of lives of American people (Smucker, 2011, p. 76). American people are discriminating against races and ethnic societies which are non-American and/or which are not a good adopter of American cultural and societal aspects. Racial discriminations include discrimination against Africans, Asians and in some cases against European races and ethnic societies which are the origin of these American people. These races and ethnic societies are getting discriminated in terms of their empowerment to use resources which are either produced and/or built in the country and also resources which are not built and/or produced in the country (Chima and Wharton, 2011, pp. 1-2). In American history racial discrimination plays an important role in developing the tension of the people and governments’ policymakers to create a society with no social issue. Various races and ethnic societies are getting discriminated against various social aspects in the country. These social aspects include getting well recognition in the American society and also of earning social respects from most of the people who have born on American soil. These discriminations are also including discrimination in terms of creation of new identity in the country. People belonging to different race and ethnic societies (other than American race or ethnic societies) are not welcome to different social gatherings and are not allowed be a part of the country’s social and cultural gatherings and festivals. Although there is no written rule regarding these social discriminations, but the structure of the American society has been developed in such a way that these discriminations are experienced by people who belong to other groups and ethnic societies. Again people possessing different racial and/or ethnic identities are also getting discriminated in terms of getting acquiring knowledge and information from different societies and cultural associations and institutions and also from different educational institutions (Ayers et al., 2009, pp. 93-94). These people are getting discriminated in terms of getting educational services, healthcare services or facilities in the country. This trend of racial and ethnic discriminations started from the early 20th century and it took the most brutal from in the early part of the 21st century. In 2012, a legal case has been launched by an Asian student against a renowned American university about racial discrimination against the student in terms of getting marks for getting admission in that university. There are several other cases of racial and ethnic discriminations in the country. There are also cases of systematic as well as structural racism in the country. These two types of racial discriminations are creating huge significant changes in the American society in terms of creation of greater grievance of different types of people living in the country who belong to different races and ethnic societies and also among the future generation of the country. The future generation is also realizing the necessity to create their own need to engage in these social issues and hence, to create greater social identification of their own (Chima and Wharton, 2011, p. 2). The American society is also suffering from the social issue like discrimination against the black people living in the country which is the most important social issue in modern American society. Black people living in the country are getting discriminated in respect to almost every sphere of their lives. Social, cultural, economic, educational – all these aspects are related to this type of discrimination. Both private and public agents are creating huge obstacles for these black people living in the country. In general people belonging to black communities are either not allowed to share the same social, cultural as well as same economic status or they are forced to remain in the bottom part of the social, cultural, and economic hierarchy of the country. Several cases have been found where these people possessing direct or any indirect relations with the black communities of the world have been discriminated against each and every sphere of their lives (Chima and Wharton, 2011, p. 3). These communities are either belonging to African communities or they are newly crowned by American people as the African-American communities. People belonging to either of these two communities are either treated as slaves or they are discriminated by Americans which hampers peaceful lives of these discriminated black people. Even the government of the country including various government officials and also the legal system of the country discriminate against these black communities and people belonging to these communities. In terms of getting governmental facilities people belonging to black communities are discriminated in most of the times. Even the legal system of the country, in most of the times, use discriminated policies against these black people. For instance, for the same kind of act of violation of legal rules and regulations of the country, people belonging to black communities are given greater legal punishments compared to people belonging to white communities. In these cases discriminations are made against black children also. In some of the cities of the country, such as New York, New Jersey, California etc., black people are suffering from grater discriminations both from American civilians and also from government officials and from the legal system of the country (Chima and Wharton, 2011, pp. 4-5). African-American people are also getting discriminated in terms of earning wage incomes and also in terms of earning business profits. The amount of wage income varies significantly in the country for the same designation in the office and also for the same educational and professional experience. Multinational companies are paying greater salaries to workers who have the white colored skin. This greater income is sometimes paid in terms of work incentives and also in terms of gifts from the company (Salcedo, 2009, p. 55). Black people are also getting discriminated in terms of providing minimum wages given to daily and temporary workers. While white workers are getting paid the minimum level of $8 per hour of work, in most parts of the country people belonging to black communities are getting paid only $6 per hour of work. Working conditions are also different for black people. People belonging to black communities are given most laborious tasks by managements. Again business organisation which are owned by white people are getting endowed with greater facilities, compared to people belonging to black communities, by other business organisations in terms of the business strategies and also by the government of the country in terms of tax exemptions (Diamant and McAnulty, 2010, p. 19). These data consistently suggest that the role of greater volume of discrimination against these black people have intensified prevalence of poverty and unemployment in the country. Hence, it can be said that the level of discriminations against specific race and ethnic societies and also against people belonging to black communities are growing at rapid rates in the country (Chima and Wharton, 2011, p. 5). In most of the times it is argued that these social issues, such as racial and ethnic discriminations, and also discriminations against black people living in the country are related to the notion of creation of identity in the society. It is also true in the context of the American society. Discriminations against certain race or ethnic society or even reveal the fact that Americans are willing to dominate in every sphere of their lives with the achievement of greatest possible social identity for themselves (Gilbert, 93). Again greater discriminations against black communities also suggest that white people are willing to create their own identity in the American society. If these dominating motivations of American people and also the motivation of creation of greatest social identity can be avoided either by these people themselves or by the government of the country, then these social issues can be ignored to a great extent (Bracher, 2009, p. 97). Conclusion: Hence, it is evident that people in the country are getting deprived in respect to fulfilling their social choices to some great extent due to racial and ethnic and color discriminations. In respect to educational attainment and attainment of other economic, social, communal resources and goods or services, people in the country are getting discriminated to some great extent. These aspects are hampering the notion of collective decision-making process in the American society. Also this fact is, thus, hampering the social integration among the people of the country. Hence, significant level of social problem is getting created in almost each and every sector of the country. This is in effect hampering the process of maximization of social welfare in the country. Therefore the fundamental theoretical structure of the social choice theory is getting negatively affected in the country. This failure of the social welfare maximization process is again creating significant level of social problem in the country. Hence, unless and until these discriminations in the process of acquisition and/or allocation and distribution of social resources are not avoided, social problems cannot be reduced in the country. References: Ayers, W. et al., (2009), Handbook of social justice in education, USA: Taylor & Francis Bracher, M. (2009), Social symptoms of identity needs: why we have failed to solve our social problems, and what to do about it, USA: Karnac Books Chima, F. O., and Wharton, W. D. (2011), African Americans and the Workplace: Overview of Persistent Discrimination, Ifuchrc Publications, retrieved on June 4, 2012 from http://www.lfuchrc.org/publications/publications/article.pdf Diamant, L., and McAnulty, R. D., (2010), The Psychology of sexual orientation, behavior, and identity: a handbook, USA: Greenwood Publishing Group Gilbert, L. A. (2010), Men in dual-career families: current realities and future prospects, USA: Rutledge Kizza, J. M. (2010), Ethical and Social Issues in the Information Age, USA: Springer Loury, G. C. (1998), Who Cares About Racial Inequality?, Vanderbilt University, retrieved on June 4, 2012 from: http://www.bu.edu/irsd/files/vanderbilt_2.pdf Mooney, L. A. et al., (2010), Understanding Social Problems, USA: Cengage Learning Patty, J. W. and Penn, E. M. (2011), A social choice theory of legitimacy, Springer-Verlag, Vol. 36, pp. 365–382 Salcedo, L. L. (2009), Social issues, USA: Goodwill Bookstore Smucker, D. E. (2011), The sociology of Canadian Mennonites, Hutterites and Amish: A bibliography with annotations, USA: Wilfred Laurier University Press Read More