PAPER VIII: CONTEMPORARY INDIAN SOCIAL

PROBLEMS

CONCEPTUALISING SOCIAL PROBLEM.

A social problem has been defined as “a situation confronting a

group or a section of society which inflicts injurious consequences that can be
handled only collectively”. Walsh and Furfey have defined a social problem as
a “deviation from the social ideal remediable by group effort”. Two elements
are important in this definition; first a situation which is less than ideal, which is
undesirable or abnormal and second one which is remedial by collective effort.
According to Horton and Leslie social problem is a condition affecting a
significant number of people in ways considered undesirable, about which it is
felt that something can be done through collectively social action. Weinberg
gives some characteristics of social problems:

Social problems arise by being collectively defined as objectionable by

many members of the community.
Social problems change when the concerned behavioural patterns are
interpreted differently.
Mass media play an important role in creating awareness about the scope
and urgency of social problems,
Social problems can be viewed in the context of society’s values and
institutions,
Social problems need to be analysed in terms of the influences upon them
by group processes and social relationships.

THEORETICAL APPROACHES TO SOCIAL PROBLEMS.

 Social Disorganization Approach: Social disorganization is a

condition of a society, community or group in which there is a breakdown
of social control, or of social order, or of formal or informal norms that
define permissible behaviour. It is characterized by the lack of
cooperation, common values, unity, discipline and predictability. Social
 disorganization occurs when there is a change in the equilibrium of
forces, a breakdown of the social structure so that the former patterns no
longer apply, and the accepted forms of social control no longer function
effectively.
 Cultural Lag approach: Cultural lag is a situation in which some
parts of a culture change at a faster rate than other related parts resulting
in the disruption of integration and equilibrium of the culture. The theory
of cultural lag in particular holds that in modern societies there has been a
tendency for change in the political, educational, family and religious
institutions to fall behind technological changes. The first quarter of the
20th century thus remained a period of cultural lag.
 Value Conflict Approach: A value is a generalized principle of
behaviour to which a members of a group feel a strong, emotionally-
toned positive commitment and which provides a standard for judging
specific acts and goals. Each members of the group is expected to remain
committed to the values accepted by the groups. Value thus provides the
generalized standards of behaviour. Different groups have different
systems of values. Incompatibility between the values of two or more
groups to the extent that the role performance of individuals is interfered
which is called “value-conflict”.
 Personal Deviation Approach: Deviation is non-conformity to
social norms. It is different from abnormal behaviour because the latter
connotes psychological illness rather than social maladjustment or
conflict. Thus people who deviate from social norms are not necessarily
mentally ill. In personal deviation approach, one looks to the motivation
and behaviour of the deviants who are instrumental in causing the
problems. Two factors are required explanation in the personal deviation
approach: First, How does personal deviancy develop? And second what
types of personal deviation are frequently involved in social problem?
The first is caused because of person’s emotional, social, or biological
deficiency i.e. some persons are so constituted biologically, emotionally
or socially that they are incapable of adhering consistently to generally
accepted standards. The socially deficient do not truly violet norms;
rather they manifest an inability to learn and follow the norms. On the
other hand, an individual’s failure to accept social norms has something
to do with deficiency in socialization. These individual, though have
 learnt the norms and values but they cannot put them into practice. Their
deviance does not produce any guilt feeling or shame in them.
 Anomie Approach: This approach was propounded by Merton.
Anomie is a condition characterized by the relative absence or weakening
or confusion of norms or values in a society or a group. Anomie involves
a breakdown in the cultural structures, occurring particularly when there
is a disjunction between cultural norms and goals and the socially
structured capacities of members of the groups to act in accordance with
them.

The study of social problems in sociology arises towards a body

of valid and logically related principles, and in some cases towards a systematic
theory too. Sociological knowledge of social problems is not complete. People
have considerable knowledge about some social problems like crime, drug
abuse but inadequate knowledge about others like suicide, bonded labour, black
marketing, and mental illness. According to Weinberg, this unevenness in
knowledge about the social problems is because our approach to social
problems is generally “problem-centred” rather than “theory- centred”. Most
sociologists study social problems because of the practical interest of the
community rather than for building a theory or filling up the theoretical gaps.

References
Ram Ahuja : Social Problems in India(Rawat)

G.R. Madan: Indian social Problems (Allied)