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Poverty As A Contemporary Social Problem Essay

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Poverty as a Contemporary Social Problem
A social problem, is “a general factor that effects and damages society”. It can be used to describe an issue or a problem within a certain group of people or an area in the world. Examples of contemporary social problems today include anti-social behaviour, drug abuse, and sexual abuse. Poverty is an example of a social problem that exists all over the world, and to different extents. In the UK, poverty has effected at least a third of the population, as shown by the Office of National Statistics, providing evidence that it is a massive social problem in the country. Tameside has a big poverty problem. 1 in 4 children in Tameside are born into poverty, and workers in Tameside earn significantly less than other workers in the rest of the North-West area. In addition, Tameside has the largest proportion of people claiming unemployment benefits compared to the rest of the North West of England.
There is evidence everywhere to suggest that poverty is a cause of crime, anti-social behaviour, and drug abuse. However, this can be counter-argued, as these can be a symptom of poverty – for example, an individual spending all their money on drugs and alcohol can lead to having no money to pay for sanitation, food, water, and shelter.
Poverty is a massive issue today, it surrounds all of life’s experiences, and it impacts on the future for people everywhere, and on health everywhere in society. Poverty is not just related to unemployment or

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