Social Structure in Sociology
Social structure in sociology implies the difference in class of people regarding economic status, job groups and race. Variance in class in a society sometimes rises the social problems, for example, unemployment, racism, sexism and the illegal immigration. Many individuals’ understanding of the social problems dwells on the social imagination perspective. People who are unemployed, commit crimes and take too much alcohol face criticism on their difficulties in experiencing the problems. In addition to that, the individuals facing the social problems are assumed to be experiencing the problems alone. The social structural solution in sociology aims at ending the recurring pattern and understands that the roots of the problem from some of the aspects in society. This essay delineates unemployment as a social problem in society and the social structural solutions to the causes of the problem. The social structural solution aims at solving the problem as a whole in society instead of improving the lives of the affected parties alone.
Unemployment
Unemployment is a social problem in a society because it accompanies financial hardships, poverty, crime, and stigma. Many families risk separation in case one of the individuals in the marriage serves unemployment. Unemployment leads to the extent of low self-esteem and confidence. Some of the society understands bad work habits and being lazy is what leads to unemployment for some individual who is not the main case. Assumptions based on laziness and lacking good work habits makes people think unemployment is for own making and not a social problem. Unemployment is only seen as a social problem and collapsed structural opportunities if most of the population are working in a variety of sectors.
In the sociological point of view, it is a requirement of each to consider different institutions in the society that leads to unemployment. Political and the economic institutions may be the main targets and drive force to the social problem. Jumping to the conclusion that unemployment is people’s trouble without assessing the possible parameters is an unfair judgment.
Structural Forces
High rates of unemployment are sometimes as a result of economic downfall in the society. During the economic downturn, many individuals risk losing their jobs leading to the unemployment social problem. Some people do not have jobs because of their laziness or poor working habits instead it is because of the economy recess. Also, government policy and regulations in employing workers may not favor the unfortunate in the labor markets. It is advisable for individuals to equip themselves with a structural explanation of the possible causes of unemployment. In the end, unemployment will be a social problem rather than a personal issue if people focus on the lack of job opportunities as the structural force.
Corruption in some public and private sectors contributes to unemployment. The introductory part of this essay attributes that poverty accompanies unemployment. Some people due to their wealthy status bribes some of the private and government sectors to acquire jobs irrespective of their qualification status. The rich have an advantage over the poor to get anything they want whether they qualify for the job spots or not. The qualified person for a certain job misses a job spot because of no money to bribe. Consequently, with an added advantage of money, the high economic class people in the society are the ones that slam the unemployed to be lazy in getting jobs.
Unemployment arises in some societies due to the high population growth rate. The government may be unable to create enough jobs that accommodate a high population in various societies. High population growth affects employment opportunities in a state that many people will have to apply for a few job vacancies at once. In the case of ten job vacancies, a population of 100 people or even 1000 may apply for the same job. Societies with many people will undoubtedly face the unemployment problem because the employed will be few as compared to the unemployed. To accommodate the high population, the employers will even have to pay low wages to the employees below the market rate and their qualification rate.
Advanced technology where one person can work on a task previously handled by hundreds of people leaves a huge number of individuals without jobs. Labor markets, for example, the companies are hiring a few people to do some of the operations that are mainly automated. The main purpose of automation in the companies is to cut the costs that they incur in paying the employees. The companies’ employers will, in turn, decide to hire the experienced individuals only rather than the freshers in their business. The individuals who are fresh graduates from their schools are undoubtedly unemployed because of the new strategies in the labor market.
Structure Solutions
Social structural solutions in sociology aid in changing the causes of the social problems in a macro-based society. It is better to come up with structure-based solutions that focus on avoiding the recurring pattern rather than improving the situation of the affected individuals alone. Structure-based solutions will ensure the next generations avoid the unemployment social problems. One of the social structural solutions is to control the high population growth rate in the society. The government and Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) should set up initiatives and motivational programs to control the population. Effective ways to control the populations, for instance, legislative actions and medical programs will stabilize and improve the population-vacancy ratio.
Fast industrialization will help create more jobs for the unemployed. Next generations will benefit from rapid industrialization in accessing job opportunities. Industrialization will help ensure the diversity in job groups of different qualification. Also, rapid industrialization boosts the economy preventing it from the downturn. In efforts to diversify employment opportunities, it is advisable to welcome foreign companies or business partners in the society only if they are of good intentions and legal.
Setting up of tough legislative laws to curb corruption is key to end the unemployment. Individuals that take bribes to give jobs should face criminal charges and even jail for their malicious behaviors in disadvantaging others. Unemployment rate based on corruption course will be extinct, and the next generations will have a better place to live.
Conclusion
Changing the causes of unemployment is more recommendable than improving the lives of the affected individuals. The main structural forces that cause unemployment are the high population growth rate, corruption in public and private sectors and the economic downturn in the society. It is important to consider unemployment as a public social problem rather than the social imagination of laziness and poor work habits. The structural solutions for unemployment are by setting up the repercussions of corrupt people, legislative and medical actions on the population growth, and rapid industrialization for job diversification help address unemployment in a macro-based society.
