Social Problems - Park's Textbook of Preventive and Social Medicine

Definition and Concept

• Poverty, crime, and disease are the classic common social problems.
• Many public health problems are also social problems and vice versa.
• Alcoholism, sexually transmitted diseases, mental illness, and narcotic addiction are both public health and social problems.
• Problems such as housing, divorce, population growth, and the increased number of old people have public health implications calling for combined sociological and public health action.

Social Pathology

Individual Social Problems Described

1. Prostitution

• An age-old social evil, more prevalent in urban areas.
• Underlying causes: changes in environment, breakdown of family relations, parental quarrels, want of affection, illegitimate love, easy money, low IQ, low moral standards, poverty.
• Legislation: The Suppression of Immoral Traffic Act (1956), amended and retitled as the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1986 - covers all persons exploited sexually for commercial purposes.

2. Delinquency (Juvenile Delinquency)

• A delinquent shows deviation from normal behaviour - theft, sexual offence, murder, burglary, etc.
• Causes: social maladjustment, poverty, disturbed home conditions, alcoholism, drug addiction, modern ways of living.
• Prevention and control: The Children Act, 1960 provides for care, protection, maintenance, training, and rehabilitation of delinquent children through:
  • Juvenile/Children's Courts
  • Child welfare boards
  • Remand homes, certified schools, children homes
  • After-care facilities

3. Dowry System

• Originated as a social custom but has grown into a social evil with instances of bride-burning and suicides.
• Legislation: Under the Dowry Prohibition (Amendment) Act, 1986, the minimum punishment for taking or abetting the taking of dowry is 5 years imprisonment and a fine of Rs.15,000.
• Social customs cannot be erased by legislation alone; sustained effort addressing root causes is needed.

4. Drug Addiction

• Curiosity and natural tendency to experiment
• Disturbed home environment (broken homes, indifferent parents, lack of communication)
• Escape from tensions and frustrations (unemployment, exam failure)
• Impact of disco culture, mobile, TV, internet
• Ignorance regarding habit-forming nature of drugs

1. Psychological dependence - overpowering desire/compulsion to obtain the drug by any means
2. Physical dependence - withdrawal symptoms (irrational/violent behaviour, nausea, diarrhoea, watering of eyes and nose) on stopping the drug
3. Development of tolerance - tendency to increase the dose

• (a) Identification and motivation for detoxification
• (b) Detoxification (requires hospitalization)
• (c) Post-detoxification counselling and follow-up (clinic and home visits)
• (d) Rehabilitation
• Environmental changes (home, school, social circle) + psychotherapy
• Complete break from the addict's group - otherwise chance of relapse is 100%

5. Alcohol Abuse (Alcoholism)

• Crime, murder, prostitution
• Neglect of families, malnutrition
• Disease: cirrhosis of liver, alcohol-dependent syndrome, alcoholic psychosis
• Unemployment, indebtedness
• Child delinquency, road accidents
• Loss of friends and self-esteem

6. Unmarried Mothers

• Accurate statistics are lacking in India; the problem is relatively insignificant due to social customs and traditions.
• Such mothers need medical care (e.g., medical termination of pregnancy), understanding, warmth, and guidance.
• In Western societies where the problem is acute, special schools and counselling programmes exist for teenage mothers.

7. The Handicapped

1. Medical care facilities
2. Education for the blind, deaf, and orthopaedically handicapped
3. Vocational training
4. Job placement and sheltered workshops
5. Pensions, scholarships, and allowances for training the handicapped

Summary Table of Social Problems