Social Problems and Evils

Nepal is one of the underdeveloped countries of the world. There are different social problems

and evils in the society. Social problems and evils are issues which affect the members of a

society. A social problem is normally a term used to describe problems with a particular area or

group of people in the world. Some of the common social evils would be alcoholism, racism,

child abuse, etc. It also affects how people react to certain situations.

Social problems and evils are the things that would be considered harmful or dangerous to a

society and community.

Caste Discrimination

Fig: Caste Discrimination

Source:natureandcultureofnepal.blogspot.com

Caste Discrimination was the root cause of the 'civil war' in Nepal. It is also one of the major

social problems and evils of Nepal. The traditional thoughts that Brahmins, at the top and Dalits

(labourers, cobblers, tailors) in the lowest position within the society, is the major cause of caste

discrimination. The practice of untouchabilityis one example of discrimination against Dalits.

Caste divisions cause problems in families, employment, marriage, and general social interaction.

Unless caste system is eliminated from the society, there is no possibility of effective

development of the country.

Gender Discrimination

Source:www.emaze.com

Fig: Gender Discrimination

In the context of Nepal, still many people consider women as weak in comparison to men. Many

people still think that women are created to serve men. People still treat daughters as some

commodities which can be traded among the people. Many people still believe that girls should

not be educated. The parents aborting a baby girl is one of the main examples of gender

discrimination in our society. Although there is a good law in our country, its implementation is

not as effective as it should be.

Early Marriage and Dowry System

Source:raihaneh.com

Fig: Early Marriage

Our societies are also suffering from the problem of early marriage and dowry system. There is a

belief that grown-up daughters are not supposed to be kept in home for the too long time so

their marriage is done in the early age, which causes mental and physical problems and then

causes the pre-mature death of the mother. The problem of dowry system has become quite

terrible in many parts of Nepal. When the demand of dowry are not met, the girl is sometimes

burnt and thrashed to death by the family members. The reason why many parents don’t want

to have daughters is that the parents don't have to face the dowry demand in her marriage.

Alcoholism

Source:www.discoveryplace.info

Fig:Alcoholism
Drinking of alcohol results in problems. It is also one of the social problems and evil of the

country. The use of alcohol, smoking, addiction to drugs, is devouring the youth of the country.

Some of them really don’t know the effects of such habits. If a man gets drunk, then he behaves
uncontrollably. It affects the family, society and nation. The money isunnecessarilywasted. One

who has surrendered to such bad habits is not aware of how it disturbs the psychology of the

family members. Long-term misuse of alcohol can cause a wide range of mental health

problems.

Corruption

Source:www.globalresearch.ca

Fig:Corruption
Corruption is a form of dishonesty or abuse of entrusted power for private gain. It is an illegal

act of an office-holder. Corruption occurs when an office-holder or other government employee

acts in an official capacity for the personal gain.

Corruption is a big problem of the society as well as nation. Corruption has trickled into both

private and public sectors. Yet, fighting against corruption is difficult but not impossible. It

requires a new order of incentive structures so that individuals change their behavior to think

differently, show differently and act differently.

Child abuse

Source:hemabhattgrowingkids.wordpress.com

Fig: Child abuse

Child abuse is doing something that results in harm to a child. Child abuse can be physical,

sexual or emotional. Most abused children suffer greater emotional than physical damage. It is

also one of the social problems or evil of the society. Unemployment and financial difficulties are

associated with increased rates of child abuse. Parents who physically abuse their spouses are
more likely than others to physically abuse their children.

Poverty

Source:supportchildpovertyinzimbabwe.weebly.com

Fig: Poverty
Poverty is the general scarcity or the state of one who lacks a certain amount of material

possessions or money. It is also one of the social problems of the country. It refers the lack of

means necessary to meet basic needs such as food, clothing and shelter. It is also one of the

social problems and evil of the country. To reduce poverty, modernization of agriculture such as

fertilizers, to provide enough food to feed the population is required.

Deuki

Source:uttamko.blog.com

Fig: Deuki
Deuki is an ancient custom practiced in the Far Western Region of Nepal, in which a young girl is

offered to the local temple to gain the religious merit. After offering the girls to the temples,

neither parents nor couples who bought them provide any financial assistance or have additional

contact with deuki. This can result in various mental and physical problems.

Some Famous Nepalese Personalities

Causes and Solutions of Social Problems

DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THIS NOTE

Causes of Social Problem

Social problems are the general factors that affect the society. Social problems often involve

problems that affect real life. It also affects how people react to certain situations. People

practice and promote social evils because they are ignorant of the adversities. There are lots of

NGOs and INGOs which are working to eliminate social problems. The awareness programs they

introduce do not reach to the actual victims. Some causes of social problems are listed below:

 Unemployment Source:www.nkytribune.com

Fig: Unemployment
Unemployment occurs when a person who is actively searching for employment is unable
to find work. Unemployment is one of the causes of social problems. It leads to the
frustration. Due to unemployment, problems like burglary, loot, murder, theft arises.

 Poverty Fig: Poverty

Source:supportchildpovertyinzimbabwe.weebly.com

Poverty is the lack of a certain amount of material possessions or money. It includes

social, economic, and political elements. Poverty causes lack of food, health services and
others. Rural people in Nepal generally have large families, very small landholdings or
none at all, and high rates of illiteracy. Because of poor growth in the agricultural sector,
living standards in rural areas causes poverty. The growing population has put heavy
pressure on cultivable land.

 Rapid population growth

Rapid population growth is the increase in the number of individuals. Over-population is
caused by the number of factors. It leads to the unemployment and poverty.

 Urbanization Source:www.cnbc.com

Fig: Urbanization
Urbanization is the population shift from rural to urban areas. Urbanization creates
enormous social, economic and environmental changes, which provide an opportunity for
sustainability with the potential to use resources more efficiently. It is the cause of social
problems. It is believed that living in a city can provide opportunities, diversity, and
 marketplace competition. As against this, there may be stress, increased cost of living,
and negative social aspects that result from a mass.

 Lack of education
Lack of education is one of the causes of social problems. People without good education
are at risk from a lifetime of poor diet, long manual working and worsening mental
health. Lack of education can have serious effects on children and adults and can affect
health, living conditions and social situations. Due to lack of education, people do not
take care of themselves because they are less educated about topics such as family
planning and proper hygiene.

 Superstitious beliefs

Source:www.cbc.ca

Fig:Superstitious beliefsThe superstitious beliefs which are deeply rooted in Nepalese

societies are also promoting social problems. People believe in various traditions which
would not let an individual to progress. This happens because people are innocent. They
are not conscious about the consequences of their beliefs and practices. Such people can
be easily convinced and cheated. People in rural areas still visit dhamis and jhankris.

 Gender Discrimination
Our society is highly influenced by gender discrimination. Most of the domestic decisions
are finalized by the males. Most of the time discrimination may not be visible on the
surface. Even our religious scriptures are considered full of such stories which show
women under the subjugation of their male counterpart.

 Caste Discrimination
Lots of people are victimized in the name of caste. This happens because people have
been divided as touchable and untouchables. This sort of discrimination occurs because
the so-called higher caste does not regard others as fellow human beings. They are not
aware that everyone is born equal. Lack of education, remaining stuck to old traditions,
unwillingness to change, lack of consciousness are at the core of such discrimination.

 Lack of guidance to youngsters

Many of the younger generation fall easily to bad habits. In the absence of proper
guidance and counseling they are involved in various anti- social behaviour like stealing,
robbery, murder, kidnapping etc. They prefer expensive gadgets just to exhibit them in
front of their friends. They feel proud when they give a false impression of being rich and
wealthy. They should not copy or get impressed by the false life of the celebrities and
expensive commercial movies. Parents, teachers and educated members of the society
should give proper guidance and advise them.

Solution of Social Problems

The solution of the social problem is to be found in the problem itself. Social problems refer to

any undesirable condition that is opposed either by the whole society or by a section of the

society. Social problems and evils are the barriers to development and progress.

Nepal is facing a large number of social problems such as caste system, child labour, illiteracy,

gender inequality, superstitions, religious conflicts and much more. A single person is not

responsible for these social problems. It is high time to get relief of these undesirable social

evils. Illiteracy and poverty are also the major root causes of social evils. We have discussed the

social problems and their causes in the previous chapter.

Some of the major solutions are as follow:

 Mass awareness
 Education
 Humanity
 Positive attitude
 Tolerance

Note on Role of an Individual, Family and School to

prevent Social Problems

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 Note

 Things to remember

 Videos

 Exercise
  Quiz

Role of an Individual, Family and School to prevent Social Problems

Source:ctb.ku.edu

Fig: Group Discussion for solving problems

Social problems occur in the natural environment. Social problem refers to an issue that

influences a considerable number of individuals within a society. There may be variation in the

nature and kind of social problems but their effect is adverse and severe in every society. A lack

of social problem-solving skills and a negative problem orientation can lead to depression and

suicidality in children and adults. It would be difficult to eliminate them once they are rooted. We

can prevent them if we are careful from the beginning. Social problems emerge as the result of

human negligence, ignorance, poverty, and illiteracy etc. Social problems may be gender

discrimination, murder, theft, untouchability, kidnapping, drugs abuse, corruption, dowry system

etc. The solution of social problem involves various abilities and skills which lead to adaptive

outcomes for several different populations.

Role of an Individual in solving social problems:

Many individuals experience one or more social problems personally. Many people are

unemployed and poor, many are in poor health, many have family problems and some have

problems of alcohol. When we hear about these individuals, it is easy to think that their

problems are their alone. But an individual can play an important role in the prevention of the
social problems. He can be involved in various social organizations like clubs and welfare

communities. This will help individual to gain a certain level of consciousness. Involving in

various welfare organizations voluntarily, by making donations and by engaging oneself in

various awareness campaigns, an individual can help to eliminate social problems.

Role of a family in solving social problems:

The family is the first school and parents are the first teacher for the children. As the child

grows, the role of parents also changes and their responsibility increases. If a family is well-

educated, the children also follow the path of the parents. Children learn basic things like

respect, cooperation, helpfulness from the family. When the child comes to the parents with a

social problem, they can help him by giving guidelines. They give the child support and

encouragement and also show him a way to solve problems. They can also instruct the grown up

children about the adverse effects of many bad habits.

Role of a School in Solving Social problems:

Most of the things children learn in school last till the end of life. A school plays a key role in

shaping their character. They acquire various problems solving skills and techniques by working

together. They can teach students to make healthy food choices and decrease the number of

unhealthy food options available to students during their school time. They learn about the

importance of discipline in life, the importance of health etc. The education system is there to

produce great individuals, personally and socially. Thus, education enables people to distinguish

good and bad and become a good person in the society. After going through various areas of

knowledge, the child becomes able to distinguish good from the evil and right from the wrong.

So, school plays an important role in the elimination of social problems.

The government should utilize schools as centers of continuous learning to keep young people

away from social problems that exist in the country. Likewise, organizations like NGOs, INGOs,

civil society, political leaders, well-known person and many other local, national and international

organizations can play active role to eliminate social problems.