Social Problems | ISC Class 11 Sociology Notes

This note covers the five social problems in the Class 11 Sociology unit: over population, child labour, juvenile delinquency, problems of the aged, and problems of the differently abled, with the causes and remedial measures of each, and the social and cultural attitudes and built environment (ramps, signage and other infrastructure) that shape the last two.

What is a social problem, and how do sociologists study one?

A social problem is a condition or pattern of behaviour that a significant number of people in a society regard as harmful, that has social causes rather than purely individual ones, and that people believe should be changed through collective action. Poverty, unemployment, over population and crime are studied this way.

Sociologists distinguish a social problem from a private trouble. A private trouble affects an individual and can be explained by personal circumstances. A social problem affects many people, has structural causes, and its solution lies in social policy, law, education and changed attitudes rather than in individual effort alone.

Definition: A social problem is a widely shared condition or behaviour that is seen as harmful to society, is caused by social and economic structures, and calls for collective remedial action.

Every problem in this unit is studied through the same three questions. What are its causes? What are its consequences? What are the remedial measures, meaning the policies, laws, services and attitude changes that can reduce it? For the aged and the differently abled, a fourth question is added: how do social attitudes and the built environment help or hinder them?

Two further ideas run through the unit. Social attitude means the settled way a society thinks and feels about a group, such as pity, fear, respect or contempt towards old people or disabled people.

The built environment means the physical surroundings people use: buildings, roads, transport, schools, hospitals and public spaces. A problem can be worsened by attitudes alone, by the built environment alone, or by both together.

What are the causes and effects of over population?

Over population means a situation in which the number of people in a country or region grows faster than the resources, jobs, housing, schools and health services available to support them.

It is measured by the population growth rate, the yearly percentage increase in numbers, and by density of population, the average number of persons living per square kilometre.

At the 2011 Census India had about 121 crore (1.21 billion) people and a density of 382 persons per square kilometre, and the United Nations estimates that India overtook China as the world's most populous country in 2023.

The main causes are a high birth rate combined with a falling death rate because of better medicine and health care; early marriage, which lengthens the child-bearing years of women; poverty and low literacy, which limit access to family planning; a preference for sons in some communities, which encourages larger families; and in some places, religious and social beliefs that favour large families.

The effects are felt in everyday life. Pressure on land leads to fragmentation of holdings and to migration to cities. Unemployment and underemployment rise because the economy cannot create jobs fast enough. Schools, hospitals and transport are overcrowded.

Housing becomes scarce and slums grow. Food and water supplies come under strain, and environmental damage such as deforestation and pollution increases.

Remedial measures include spreading education, especially of girls; raising the age of marriage; making family planning and contraceptive advice freely available; improving health care so that parents do not fear losing children and so feel less need for large families; and economic development that raises incomes and literacy.

India's National Population Policy of 2000 set out such goals, and the National Family Planning Programme launched in 1952 as the first such national programme in the world, provides family welfare services through the public health system.

Note: Over population is not simply a matter of numbers. A country with a large population but high literacy, good health care and productive employment may not face the same problems as a country with fewer people and widespread poverty. India's own fertility has fallen: the National Family Health Survey of 2019-21 (NFHS-5) found a total fertility rate of 2.0 children per woman, just below the replacement level of 2.1.

What is child labour, and why does it persist?

Child labour means the employment of children below a fixed age in work that deprives them of their childhood, their education and their health, or that is harmful to their physical and mental development. In India, Section 3 of the Child and Adolescent Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986, as amended in 2016, bars the employment of children below fourteen in any occupation, except helping a family enterprise after school hours or working as an artist, and the Act bars adolescents of fourteen to eighteen from hazardous work. Article 24 of the Constitution forbids employing children below fourteen in factories, mines and other hazardous work, and Article 39 directs the state to ensure that the tender age of children is not abused.

The causes are closely linked. Poverty is the strongest: a poor family may need the child's small wage, or may be unable to afford schooling. Illiteracy of parents means they may not value education. Large families spread thin resources.

Cheap child labour is attractive to employers in agriculture, small workshops, hotels and domestic work. Weak enforcement of laws, and the informal nature of much work, make inspection difficult.

Social attitudes that see children as future earners, and the absence of good nearby schools, add to the problem.

The effects are serious. The child loses education and so remains poor as an adult, which repeats the cycle. Health suffers from long hours, dust, chemicals and poor food. Children are vulnerable to exploitation and abuse. The country loses the skilled workforce it needs.

Remedial measures include free and compulsory elementary education, which keeps children in school (the 86th Amendment of 2002 added Article 21A, making education a fundamental right for children aged six to fourteen, and the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 puts it into effect); midday meals and other incentives; strict laws with penalties for employers; rehabilitation schemes that provide education, nutrition and vocational training to rescued children; and awareness campaigns for parents and employers.

Definition: Child labour is the full-time or part-time employment of a child below the legally fixed age in work that harms health, blocks schooling or denies the child a normal childhood.

What is juvenile delinquency, and what causes it?

Juvenile delinquency refers to anti-social or illegal behaviour by children and young persons below the age fixed by law, called the juvenile or child in conflict with law.

In India this age is eighteen years under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015. Under Section 15 of the Act, a child of sixteen to eighteen accused of a heinous offence may, after a preliminary assessment by the Juvenile Justice Board, be tried as an adult. Article 15 of the Constitution allows the state to make such special provisions for children. A delinquent act may range from truancy, running away and petty theft to violence.

The causes are usually grouped into family, neighbourhood, school and personality factors. In the family, broken homes, parental conflict, neglect, harsh or inconsistent discipline, and poverty can push a child towards delinquency.

In the neighbourhood, bad company, gangs, slums and the example of adult crime matter. In the school, failure, harsh teachers and dropping out weaken the child's ties to society.

Personality factors such as low self-control, and biological or psychological difficulties, may also play a part. Films, social media and other media are often blamed for glamorising violence.

Remedial measures include child guidance clinics and counselling; probation, in which the young offender is released under supervision instead of being jailed; Juvenile Justice Boards and observation homes; reformatory schools (called special homes under the 2015 Act) and after-care services; recreational facilities and youth clubs; and family and school support. Prevention through good schooling, strong families and healthy neighbourhoods is more effective than punishment after the act.

Note: The aim of juvenile justice is reformation, not retribution. The law treats the young offender as a person to be corrected and rehabilitated, because a child's character is still forming.

What are the problems of the aged?

The aged or elderly are usually defined as persons of sixty years and above. Their problems have grown with rising life expectancy and with the break-up of the joint family, which once gave old people a secure place.

The main problems are economic, social, health-related and psychological. Economic problems arise when old people have no pension, savings or property, and must depend on their children.

Social problems include loss of status and role after retirement, loneliness, and neglect when children migrate to cities or abroad. Health problems include chronic illness, disability and the high cost of medical care.

Psychological problems include a sense of uselessness, grief at the loss of spouse and friends, and fear of the future.

Remedial measures include old-age pensions and other social security; health care and geriatric services; day-care centres and old-age homes; counselling and recreational activities; and laws such as the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007, which makes children responsible for maintaining their parents and defines a senior citizen as a person of sixty or above. Article 41 of the Constitution directs the state to provide public assistance in old age, sickness and disablement, and the Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme pays a monthly pension to elderly people below the poverty line. Respect for the aged within the family remains the strongest support.

Definition: The aged are persons in the later years of life, usually sixty and above, whose problems arise from loss of income, health, social role and companionship.

How do social and cultural attitudes and the built environment affect the aged?

Attitudes towards old age vary. In a traditional society the aged are respected as sources of wisdom and are cared for within the joint family.

In a modern society, where youth, speed and earning power are valued, old people may be seen as a burden. Such attitudes affect how families treat them and whether their needs are taken seriously.

The built environment matters too. Stairs without railings, slippery floors, poor lighting, crowded buses and long distances to hospitals make daily life hard for old people.

Special requirements include ramps and lifts in public buildings, handrails, seats in buses and at bus stops, clear signage in large print, and safe footpaths.

A city designed only for the young and the fit turns old age into a disability.

Cultural attitudes also shape the response. Where old age is seen as a natural stage of life, families and communities plan for it. Where it is feared and hidden, old people are isolated.

Public awareness, intergenerational programmes and respectful media portrayals can change attitudes, while good design can remove many physical barriers.

What are the problems of the differently abled?

A person with a disability has a physical, sensory, intellectual or mental condition that, in interaction with barriers, may hinder full and effective participation in society. The syllabus calls such persons the differently abled; Indian law calls them persons with disabilities.

Their problems are social, educational, economic and psychological. Social problems include stigma, pity, avoidance and discrimination, and sometimes over-protection that reduces independence. Educational problems include lack of accessible schools, trained special teachers and teaching aids.

Economic problems include unemployment and low-paid work, because workplaces and transport are not accessible. Psychological problems include low self-esteem caused by constant exclusion.

Remedial measures include inclusive education, in which children with disabilities learn alongside others with the support they need; reservation in education and employment; vocational training and sheltered workshops; assistive devices such as wheelchairs, hearing aids and Braille materials; and laws that guarantee rights and prohibit discrimination.

The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 recognises 21 kinds of disability and lays down rights to education, employment and accessibility. Section 32 reserves at least 5 per cent of seats in government higher education institutions, and Section 34 reserves 4 per cent of posts in government establishments, for persons with benchmark disabilities.

Definition: A disability is a physical, sensory, intellectual or mental condition that, together with social and physical barriers, may limit a person's full participation in society.

How do attitudes and the built environment affect the differently abled?

Attitudes are often the first barrier. Pity treats the disabled person as an object of charity rather than a person with rights. Rejection keeps them out of schools, jobs and social life. Over-protection denies them the chance to be independent.

A more positive attitude sees disability as a difference to be accommodated, not a defect to be hidden.

The built environment can either include or exclude. Steps without ramps, narrow doorways, high counters, buses without low floors, and toilets that cannot be used by a wheelchair user all shut people out.

Special requirements include ramps with proper slopes, lifts with Braille buttons, tactile paving, audible signals at crossings, reserved parking, and signage in large print, high contrast and Braille.

Accessible design benefits everyone, including the aged, the injured and parents with prams.

Remedial measures include accessibility audits of public buildings, mandatory accessibility standards in new construction, awareness campaigns in schools and workplaces, and the participation of disabled people themselves in planning. The Accessible India Campaign (Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan), launched in December 2015, set targets for making government buildings, transport and websites accessible.

Attitudes and infrastructure must change together: a ramp is of little use if the people inside the building still treat the user with contempt.

How do the five problems compare?

The problems differ in who is affected, in their main causes and in the remedies that work best. The table below compares them.

Two patterns stand out. First, poverty and low education appear as causes in almost every problem. Second, the last two problems show that attitudes and the built environment can be as important as economic causes.

How can social problems be studied and tackled?

Sociologists study a social problem through a sequence of steps. The same method can be applied to any of the five problems in this unit.

1. Define the problem clearly, stating who is affected and what harm is done.
2. Collect data from surveys, official statistics, case studies and interviews.
3. Analyse the causes, separating economic, social, cultural and psychological factors.
4. Assess the effects on individuals, families and the wider society.
5. Suggest remedial measures at the level of law, policy, services and attitudes.
6. Evaluate the measures by checking whether they actually reduce the problem.

Remedies themselves work at several levels. Legal remedies create rights and penalties. Economic remedies provide income, jobs and social security. Educational remedies spread awareness and skills. Attitudinal remedies change how people see the aged, the disabled, children and the poor.

Physical remedies change the built environment through ramps, signage and accessible design. A problem is usually solved only when several levels act together.

Going beyond the syllabus

These ideas extend the unit and are not needed for the questions on it.

The idea of the built environment connects to the wider sociological theme of how society shapes and is shaped by space.

A ramp, a bus seat or a large-print sign is a small physical object, but it carries a social message about who belongs in public life.

Students may also notice that the five problems overlap: a disabled child in a poor family may face child labour, exclusion from school and stigma at once, so remedies designed for one problem can help with another.

Glossary

• Social problem: a widely shared condition or behaviour seen as harmful, caused by social structures and needing collective action.
• Over population: a situation where population grows faster than the resources, jobs and services available to support it.
• Density of population: the average number of persons living per square kilometre in a given area.
• Birth rate: the number of live births per thousand persons in a population in a year.
• Child labour: employment of a child below the legally fixed age in work that harms health or blocks schooling.
• Juvenile delinquency: anti-social or illegal behaviour by a young person below the age fixed by law.
• Probation: release of an offender under supervision instead of sending the person to prison.
• Reformatory school: an institution that educates and corrects young offenders rather than punishing them.
• The aged: persons in the later years of life, usually sixty and above, facing loss of income, health and role.
• Disability: a physical, sensory, intellectual or mental condition that, with barriers, may limit full participation.
• Differently abled: the syllabus term for persons with disabilities, stressing ability rather than defect.
• Built environment: the physical surroundings people use, such as buildings, roads, transport and public spaces.
• Signage: signs and notices that guide people, which should be clear, large and readable for all users.
• Inclusive education: schooling in which children with disabilities learn alongside others with the support they need.

Common errors and misconceptions

• Misconception: Over population is only about a large number of people. Correct: It is about numbers growing faster than resources, jobs and services, so density and development matter too.
• Misconception: Child labour is caused only by cruel employers. Correct: Poverty, illiteracy and the lack of nearby schools are major causes, and weak enforcement allows the practice to continue.
• Misconception: Juvenile delinquents should be punished like adult criminals. Correct: The aim of juvenile justice is reformation and rehabilitation, because the child's character is still forming.
• Misconception: Old age is only a health problem. Correct: It is also economic, social and psychological, and attitudes and the built environment shape it greatly.
• Misconception: Disability is simply a medical condition in the individual. Correct: It becomes a problem largely because of social stigma and physical barriers such as steps without ramps.
• Misconception: A ramp alone makes a building accessible. Correct: Access needs ramps, lifts, signage, accessible toilets and welcoming attitudes together.
• Misconception: Social problems can be solved by law alone. Correct: Law must be supported by education, economic measures and changes in social attitudes.

Exam-style questions with model answers

Q1. State two causes of over population. [2 marks]

1. A high birth rate combined with a falling death rate, because better medicine and health care reduce deaths while births remain high.
2. Early marriage, which lengthens the child-bearing years of women, together with poverty and low literacy that limit access to family planning.

Q2. Define child labour and state two of its effects. [3 marks]

1. Child labour is the employment of a child below the legally fixed age in work that deprives the child of childhood, education and health.
2. The child loses education and so remains poor as an adult, repeating the cycle of poverty.
3. Health suffers from long hours, dust, chemicals and poor food, and the country loses the skilled workforce it needs.

Q3. Explain any four causes of juvenile delinquency. [4 marks]

1. Family factors: broken homes, parental conflict, neglect and harsh or inconsistent discipline can push a child towards delinquency.
2. Neighbourhood factors: bad company, gangs, slums and the example of adult crime influence young people.
3. School factors: failure, harsh teachers and dropping out weaken the child's ties to society.
4. Personality and media factors: low self-control and psychological difficulties, and films or social media that glamorise violence, may also play a part.

Q4. Describe four problems faced by the aged. [4 marks]

1. Economic problems: many old people have no pension, savings or property and must depend on their children.
2. Social problems: loss of status and role after retirement, loneliness, and neglect when children migrate.
3. Health problems: chronic illness, disability and the high cost of medical care.
4. Psychological problems: a sense of uselessness, grief at the loss of spouse and friends, and fear of the future.

Q5. Explain how the built environment can exclude the differently abled, and state three special requirements that would help. [5 marks]

1. The built environment means the physical surroundings people use, such as buildings, roads, transport and public spaces.
2. Steps without ramps, narrow doorways, high counters, buses without low floors and unusable toilets shut wheelchair users and others out of public life.
3. Special requirement one: ramps with proper slopes and lifts with Braille buttons in public buildings.
4. Special requirement two: tactile paving and audible signals at crossings, and reserved parking near entrances.
5. Special requirement three: signage in large print, high contrast and Braille, so that information is available to all users.

Q6. "Attitudes and infrastructure must change together." Evaluate this statement with reference to the aged and the differently abled. [6 marks]

1. Attitudes are the settled way a society thinks and feels about a group, such as pity, fear or respect towards old people or disabled people.
2. Negative attitudes harm both groups: the aged may be seen as a burden, and disabled people may face pity, rejection or over-protection that reduces independence.
3. Infrastructure matters too: stairs without railings and poor lighting make life hard for old people, while steps without ramps exclude wheelchair users.
4. A ramp is of little use if people inside the building still treat the user with contempt, so physical access alone is not enough.
5. Equally, warm attitudes cannot replace a missing ramp or a bus without a low floor, so goodwill alone is not enough.
6. Therefore the two must change together: accessibility standards in new construction, awareness campaigns in schools and workplaces, and the participation of the affected people themselves in planning.

Q7. Suggest four remedial measures for child labour. [4 marks]

1. Free and compulsory elementary education, which keeps children in school instead of at work.
2. Midday meals and other incentives that reduce the family's need for the child's wage.
3. Strict laws with penalties for employers, backed by regular inspection.
4. Rehabilitation schemes that provide education, nutrition and vocational training to rescued children, with awareness campaigns for parents and employers.

Key takeaways

• A social problem is a widely shared, socially caused condition that calls for collective remedial action.
• Over population means numbers growing faster than resources, jobs and services, not merely a large population.
• Poverty and low literacy appear as causes in almost every social problem in this unit.
• Child labour is tackled best by compulsory schooling, strict laws and rehabilitation together.
• Juvenile justice aims at reformation rather than punishment, using counselling, probation, observation homes and reformatory schools.
• The aged face economic, social, health and psychological problems, worsened by the break-up of the joint family.
• Disability becomes a social problem largely through stigma and physical barriers, not the condition alone.
• Ramps, lifts, tactile paving and clear signage are special requirements that make public spaces inclusive.
• Attitudes and the built environment must change together for the aged and the differently abled.

Test yourself

What is meant by density of population?

Density of population is the average number of persons living per square kilometre in a given area. It shows how crowded a region is and helps compare pressure on land and services.

Name the law that fixes the age of a juvenile in India.

The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, treats a person below eighteen years as a juvenile or child in conflict with law.

What is probation?

Probation is the release of a young offender under supervision instead of sending the person to prison. It aims at reformation within the community.

Give one example of a special requirement for the aged in the built environment.

Handrails on stairs and in bathrooms, and seats in buses and at bus stops, are simple special requirements that make daily life safer for old people.

Why is inclusive education important for the differently abled?

Inclusive education lets children with disabilities learn alongside others with the support they need. It builds confidence, reduces stigma and prepares all children for a shared social life.

State one difference between a private trouble and a social problem.

A private trouble affects an individual and has personal causes, while a social problem affects many people, has structural causes and needs collective remedies.

What does the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, provide?

It recognises 21 kinds of disability and lays down rights to education, employment and accessibility, and prohibits discrimination against persons with disabilities.