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SECTION‌‌2‌‌|‌‌CONTEXT‌‌AND‌‌SOLUTION‌‌BUILDING‌  ‌
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SECTION‌‌2‌‌WIKI‌‌3 ‌ ‌

SOCIAL‌‌ISSUES‌  ‌
 ‌

WHAT‌‌IS‌‌A‌‌SOCIAL‌‌ISSUE?‌‌
   ‌
A‌‌   social‌‌  issue‌‌
  (also‌‌
  called‌‌  a ‌‌social‌‌
  problem,‌‌   social‌‌ conflict,‌‌ or‌‌ social‌‌ illness)‌‌ is‌‌ ‌a ‌‌problem‌‌ that‌‌ influences‌‌ 
a‌‌
  considerable‌‌   number‌‌   of‌‌
  the‌‌
  individuals‌‌ within‌‌ a ‌‌society.‌‌ To‌‌ be‌‌ classified‌‌ as‌‌ a ‌‌social‌‌ issue‌‌ or‌‌ a ‌‌social‌‌ illness,‌‌ a ‌‌
topic‌  ‌or‌  ‌issue‌  ‌must‌  ‌both‌  ‌influence‌  ‌the‌  ‌society‌  ‌it‌  ‌is‌  ‌in,‌  ‌and‌  ‌be‌  ‌opposed‌  ‌by‌  ‌a ‌ ‌fair‌  ‌amount‌  ‌of‌  ‌individuals.‌‌
  The‌‌ 
opposition‌‌need‌‌not‌‌be‌‌the‌‌majority‌‌of‌‌the‌‌people.‌‌Social‌‌issues‌‌can‌‌be‌‌local,‌‌national‌‌or‌‌international.‌   ‌

 ‌

For‌  ‌a ‌ ‌personal‌  ‌condition‌  ‌to‌  ‌be‌  ‌considered‌  ‌a ‌ ‌social‌  ‌issue,‌  ‌a ‌ ‌segment‌  ‌of‌  ‌the‌  ‌population‌  ‌agrees‌  ‌the‌‌ 
condition‌  ‌presents‌  ‌problems‌  ‌and‌  ‌should‌  ‌be‌  ‌rectified.‌  ‌Conditions‌  ‌considered‌  ‌to‌  ‌be‌  ‌social‌  ‌issues‌  ‌may‌  ‌vary‌‌ 
depending‌‌   on‌‌
  local‌‌
  culture‌‌
  and‌‌
  customs,‌‌   and‌‌
  popular‌‌
  opinion‌‌   on‌‌
  how‌‌   specific‌‌ social‌‌ issues‌‌ should‌‌ be‌‌ handled‌‌ 
changes‌‌over‌‌time.‌‌   ‌
Research‌‌Project‌  ‌
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WHY‌‌DO‌‌I‌‌NEED‌‌TO‌‌LEARN‌‌ABOUT‌‌SOCIAL‌‌ISSUES?‌‌
   ‌
Learning‌  ‌about‌  ‌social‌  ‌issues‌  ‌and‌  ‌how‌  ‌to‌  ‌resolve‌  ‌them‌  ‌is‌  ‌important.‌  ‌It‌  ‌teaches‌  ‌basic‌  ‌values,‌  ‌such‌  ‌as‌‌ 
justice‌‌
  and‌‌ equality,‌‌ which‌‌ are‌‌ the‌‌ foundation‌‌ of‌‌ modern‌‌ society.‌‌ Social‌‌ studies‌‌ are‌‌ often‌‌ based‌‌ around‌‌ being‌‌ a ‌‌
good‌‌member‌‌of‌‌the‌‌community‌‌at‌‌the‌‌local‌‌level.‌‌   ‌

Social‌‌  studies‌‌ are‌‌ taught‌‌ because‌‌ they‌‌ build‌‌ social‌‌ understanding,‌‌ encourage‌‌ civic‌‌ efficacy,‌‌ teach‌‌ critical‌‌ 
thinking,‌‌
  instill‌‌
  character‌‌
  and‌‌  provide‌‌  you‌‌
  with‌‌  an‌‌
  understanding‌‌   of‌‌
  your‌‌  role‌‌
  as‌‌
  a ‌‌citizen‌‌
  in‌‌
  a ‌‌democracy.‌‌ The‌‌ 
democratic‌  ‌process‌  ‌requires‌  ‌that‌  ‌citizens‌  ‌take‌  ‌an‌  ‌active‌  ‌role‌  ‌in‌  ‌their‌  ‌future‌  ‌and‌  ‌the‌  ‌future‌  ‌of‌  ‌their‌‌
  country,‌‌ 
which‌‌social‌‌studies‌‌can‌‌teach‌‌you‌‌to‌‌do.‌‌   ‌
The‌‌
  elderly,‌‌
  the‌‌
  poor,‌‌ minorities,‌‌ women,‌‌ and‌‌ people‌‌ from‌‌ geographic‌‌ areas‌‌ that‌‌ are‌‌ underrepresented‌‌ 
in‌‌
  government‌‌  are‌‌
  most‌‌   affected‌‌
  by‌‌
  many‌‌  social‌‌
  issues,‌‌
  which‌‌ often‌‌ arise‌‌ because‌‌ of‌‌ inequality‌‌ in‌‌ educational‌‌ 
and‌‌economic‌‌opportunities.‌‌   ‌

WHAT‌‌ARE‌‌SOME‌‌EXAMPLES‌‌OF‌‌SOCIAL‌‌ISSUES?‌‌
   ‌
Social‌  ‌issues‌‌   vary‌‌  among‌‌   countries.‌‌
  Maintaining‌‌   a ‌‌clean‌‌
  water‌‌
  supply‌‌  and‌‌
  proper‌‌  sanitation‌‌  are‌‌
  major‌‌ 
concerns‌  ‌in‌  ‌India‌  ‌in‌  ‌2014.‌  ‌In‌  ‌China,‌  ‌inequities‌  ‌between‌  ‌urban‌  ‌and‌  ‌rural‌  ‌residents,‌  ‌poor‌  ‌infrastructure‌  ‌and‌‌ 
censorship‌  ‌of‌  ‌the‌  ‌media‌  ‌are‌  ‌primary‌  ‌social‌  ‌issues.‌  ‌In‌  ‌the‌  ‌United‌  ‌States,‌  ‌same­sex‌‌  marriage‌‌  and‌‌
  abortion‌‌  are‌‌ 
often‌‌debated‌‌as‌‌social‌‌issues‌‌in‌‌2014.‌‌   ‌
Every‌  ‌newspaper‌  ‌is‌  ‌filled‌  ‌with‌  ‌stories‌  ‌about‌  ‌undesirable‌  ‌social‌  ‌conditions.‌  ‌Examples‌  ‌include‌  ‌crime,‌‌ 
violence,‌  ‌drug‌  ‌abuse,‌  ‌and‌  ‌environmental‌  ‌problems.‌  ‌Such‌  ‌social‌  ‌problems‌  ‌can‌  ‌be‌  ‌found‌  ‌at‌  ‌the‌  ‌local,‌  ‌state,‌‌ 
national‌‌and‌‌international‌‌levels.‌‌   ‌

 ‌  ‌  ‌
DRUG‌‌ABUSE‌  ‌ VIOLENCE‌  ‌ WASTE‌‌DISPOSAL‌  ‌
 ‌
Corruption,‌  ‌poverty‌  ‌and‌  ‌human‌  ‌rights‌  ‌are‌  ‌the‌  ‌major‌  ‌social‌  ‌issues‌  ‌in‌  ‌the‌  ‌Philippines.‌  ‌However,‌  ‌there‌‌ 
may‌  ‌be‌  ‌more‌  ‌localized‌  ‌social‌  ‌issues‌  ‌in‌  ‌your‌  ‌community‌  ‌that‌  ‌can‌  ‌be‌  ‌addressed‌  ‌through‌  ‌an‌  ‌information‌‌ 
campaign‌‌   (such‌‌
  as‌‌
  a ‌‌PSA).‌‌
  To‌‌
  find‌‌
  out‌‌
  what‌‌   the‌‌
  specific‌‌
  social‌‌ issues‌‌ in‌‌ your‌‌ area‌‌ are,‌‌ you‌‌ need‌‌ to‌‌ get‌‌ in‌‌ touch‌‌ 
with‌‌members‌‌of‌‌your‌‌community.‌‌   ‌
Research‌‌Project‌  ‌
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HOW‌‌DO‌‌I‌‌DETERMINE‌‌THE‌‌IMPORTANCE‌‌OF‌‌A‌‌SOCIAL‌‌ISSUE?‌‌
   ‌
As‌  ‌a ‌ ‌member‌  ‌of‌  ‌a ‌ ‌democratic‌  ‌society,‌  ‌it‌  ‌is‌  ‌important‌  ‌that‌  ‌you‌  ‌take‌  ‌part‌  ‌in‌‌   helping‌‌   to‌‌
  alleviate‌‌
  social‌‌
  issues.‌‌ 
However,‌  ‌choosing‌  ‌a ‌‌social‌‌   issue‌‌
  to‌‌
  tackle‌‌  can‌‌   be‌‌
  difficult‌‌
  ­‌ ‌especially‌‌
  when‌‌   you‌‌   think‌‌  about‌‌  the‌‌
  time,‌‌
  money,‌‌ 
and‌‌   effort‌‌   you‌‌
  will‌‌
  invest.‌‌  While‌‌
  most‌‌   causes‌‌   are‌‌
  worthwhile,‌‌ it‌‌ is‌‌ important‌‌ to‌‌ consider‌‌ the‌‌ difference‌‌ we‌‌ can‌‌ 
make‌‌   or‌‌ how‌‌ much‌‌ of‌‌ change‌‌ we‌‌ can‌‌ influence.‌‌ For‌‌ example,‌‌ as‌‌ students,‌‌ you‌‌ are‌‌ more‌‌ equipped‌‌ to‌‌ help‌‌ solve‌‌ 
a‌‌
  community's‌‌   bullying‌‌  problem‌‌   than‌‌   one‌‌
  on‌‌   poverty.‌‌   This‌‌  makes‌‌ the‌‌ latter‌‌ a ‌‌more‌‌ important‌‌ social‌‌ issue,‌‌ but‌‌ 
remember‌‌that‌‌this‌‌measurement‌‌is‌‌completely‌‌relative.‌‌  

Here‌‌are‌‌a‌‌few‌‌tips‌‌for‌‌selecting‌‌a‌‌social‌‌issue‌‌to‌‌address:‌‌   ‌

START‌‌WITH‌‌THE‌‌INTENDED‌‌AUDIENCE‌‌
   ‌
Instead‌‌   of‌‌
  choosing‌‌
  from‌‌  a ‌‌list‌‌
  of‌‌ social‌‌ issues,‌‌ start‌‌ by‌‌ interviewing‌‌ members‌‌ of‌‌ the‌‌ local‌‌ community.‌‌ Find‌‌ out‌‌ 
what‌‌   problems‌‌   they‌‌
  are‌‌
  actually‌‌   facing.‌‌   When‌‌ you‌‌ see‌‌ similarities‌‌ in‌‌ their‌‌ responses,‌‌ you‌‌ get‌‌ a ‌‌picture‌‌ of‌‌ what‌‌ 
the‌‌
  community‌‌ actually‌‌ needs.‌‌ It's‌‌ better‌‌ to‌‌ address‌‌ a ‌‌social‌‌ issue‌‌ that‌‌ most‌‌ of‌‌ the‌‌ community‌‌ care‌‌ about,‌‌ as‌‌ it‌‌ 
increases‌‌participation‌‌and‌‌social‌‌accountability.‌‌   ‌

CONSIDER‌‌YOUR‌‌CONNECTIONS‌‌
   ‌
The‌  ‌most‌  ‌important‌  ‌factor‌  ‌when‌  ‌choosing‌  ‌a ‌ ‌social‌  ‌issue‌  ‌is‌  ‌your‌  ‌ability‌  ‌to‌  ‌help‌  ‌solve‌  ‌it.‌  ‌All‌  ‌social‌  ‌issues‌  ‌are‌‌ 
relevant‌  ‌to‌  ‌the‌  ‌right‌  ‌people,‌  ‌but‌  ‌only‌  ‌a ‌ ‌handful‌  ‌are‌  ‌solvable‌‌   through‌‌
  an‌‌
  information‌‌   campaign.‌‌   Think‌‌   of‌‌
  the‌‌ 
resources‌‌   you‌‌   have‌‌  now.‌‌   With‌‌  these‌‌ talents,‌‌ skills,‌‌ and‌‌ connections,‌‌ what‌‌ social‌‌ issues‌‌ are‌‌ in‌‌ your‌‌ capability‌‌ to‌‌ 
address?‌‌  For‌‌   example,‌‌   if‌‌
  you‌‌
  have‌‌  a ‌‌relative‌‌
  that‌‌
  works‌‌   in‌‌
  an‌‌ orphanage,‌‌ choosing‌‌ a ‌‌social‌‌ issue‌‌ that‌‌ is‌‌ closely‌‌ 
related‌‌to‌‌that‌‌organization‌‌may‌‌be‌‌a‌‌smart‌‌decision.‌‌   ‌

THINK‌‌OF‌‌YOUR‌‌PERSONAL‌‌EXPERIENCE‌‌
   ‌
If‌‌
  you‌‌
  start‌‌
  the‌‌   thought‌‌   process‌‌   by‌‌
  identifying‌‌   what‌‌   other‌‌   people‌‌   are‌‌ facing,‌‌ you‌‌ may‌‌ lose‌‌ interest‌‌ in‌‌ solving‌‌ a ‌‌
social‌‌  issue.‌‌  It's‌‌
  always‌‌  a ‌‌good‌‌  idea‌‌  to‌‌
  think‌‌
  of‌‌
  your‌‌  own‌‌   experiences‌‌ and‌‌ determine‌‌ which‌‌ social‌‌ issues‌‌ affect‌‌ 
you‌‌  the‌‌  most.‌‌   Not‌‌  only‌‌
  will‌‌
  you‌‌  have‌‌  more‌‌  incentive‌‌   to‌‌ alleviate‌‌ these‌‌ problems,‌‌ but‌‌ you‌‌ yourself‌‌ will‌‌ feel‌‌ the‌‌ 
impact‌  ‌of‌  ‌your‌‌   information‌‌   campaign.‌‌   Remember,‌‌   you‌‌   can't‌‌  influence‌‌   others‌‌  if‌‌
  you‌‌
  yourself‌‌  aren't‌‌
  100%‌‌   sold‌‌ 
on‌‌what‌‌you're‌‌doing.‌‌   ‌
To‌  ‌summarize,‌  ‌there's‌  ‌no‌  ‌single‌  ‌way‌  ‌to‌  ‌determine‌  ‌the‌  ‌importance‌  ‌of‌  ‌a ‌ ‌social‌  ‌issue‌  ‌because‌  ‌what's‌‌ 
important‌  ‌to‌  ‌person‌  ‌A ‌ ‌is‌  ‌completely‌  ‌different‌  ‌from‌  ‌what's‌  ‌important‌  ‌to‌  ‌person‌  ‌B.‌  ‌To‌  ‌select‌  ‌a ‌ ‌social‌  ‌issue,‌‌ 
simply‌‌as‌‌yourself‌‌the‌‌following‌‌questions:‌‌   ‌
1. What‌‌do‌‌I‌‌care‌‌about?‌‌   ‌
2. What‌‌do‌‌the‌‌members‌‌of‌‌my‌‌community‌‌care‌‌about?‌‌   ‌
3. Which‌‌problems‌‌can‌‌I‌‌make‌‌the‌‌most‌‌impact‌‌in‌‌solving?‌‌How‌‌so?‌‌   ‌
 ‌

ADDITIONAL‌‌RESOURCES‌  ‌
What‌‌are‌‌the‌‌problems‌‌facing‌‌the‌‌Philippines?‌‌   ‌
https://www.quora.com/What­are­the­...pines‌   ‌ ‌
In‌‌this‌‌Q&A‌‌thread,‌‌find‌‌out‌‌what‌‌netizens‌‌think‌‌are‌‌the‌‌social‌‌issues‌‌of‌‌the‌‌country.‌  ‌
 ‌
Research‌‌Project‌  ‌
Page‌‌27‌  ‌
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CITED‌‌SOURCES‌  ‌
Social‌‌issue.‌‌(2016).‌‌Wikipedia.‌‌Retrieved‌‌21‌‌September‌‌2016,‌‌from‌‌   ‌
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_issue‌‌   ‌

What‌  ‌are‌  ‌examples‌  ‌of‌  ‌social‌  ‌issues?.‌  ‌(2016).‌  ‌Reference.‌  ‌Retrieved‌  ‌21‌  ‌September‌  ‌2016,‌  ‌from‌‌ 
https://www.reference.com/world­view/examples­social­issues­87fa05aa00d225ab‌‌   ‌

What‌  ‌are‌  ‌the‌  ‌social‌  ‌problems‌  ‌in‌  ‌the‌  ‌Philippines?.‌‌

  (2016).‌‌
  Reference.‌‌
  Retrieved‌‌
  21‌‌
  September‌‌
  2016,‌‌ 
from‌‌https://www.reference.com/geography/social­problems­philippines­52f943646461658d‌‌   ‌

What‌  ‌is‌  ‌a ‌ ‌social‌  ‌problem?‌  ‌(2016).‌  ‌Www2.maxwell.syr.edu.‌  ‌Retrieved‌‌   21‌‌  September‌‌
  2016,‌‌
  from‌‌ 
http://www2.maxwell.syr.edu/plegal/tips/sp.html‌  ‌
What‌  ‌is‌  ‌the‌  ‌definition‌  ‌of‌  ‌social‌  ‌issues?.‌  ‌(2016).‌  ‌Reference.‌  ‌Retrieved‌  ‌21‌  ‌September‌‌
  2016,‌‌
  from‌‌ 
https://www.reference.com/world­view/definition­social­issues­d1c0b5c769501820#‌‌   ‌

Why‌  ‌are‌  ‌social‌  ‌studies‌  ‌taught?.‌  ‌(2016).‌  ‌Reference.‌  ‌Retrieved‌  ‌21‌  ‌September‌  ‌2016,‌  ‌from‌‌ 
https://www.reference.com/education/social­studies­taught­b2a69a526767830?‌‌ 
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SECTION‌‌2‌‌|‌‌CONTEXT‌‌AND‌‌SOLUTION‌‌BUILDING‌  ‌
 ‌

Research‌‌Project‌  ‌
Page‌‌28‌