Overview of urban social problems

The most striking feature of a city is its dense population, so social problems are concentrated in the city. Urban social problems are the product of economic development to a certain stage. Different stages of economic development produce different social problems; Different social systems have different forms of social problems, so urban social problems are complex and diverse, and the severity of the problems is also different. This is just a common and increasingly serious social problem in modern western cities.

I. Employment problem

In modern society, employment is a means for people to make a living. A variety of employment opportunities are also the basic conditions for a city to maintain and develop. The employment problem in modern big cities, as well as social contradictions such as class differentiation, the gap between the rich and the poor and the disparity in status, are important aspects of urban social problems.

Urban residents are closely connected with urban economy through employment. The main manifestation of the employment problem is unemployment. As a social problem, unemployment is mainly reflected in the composition and distribution of unemployed people. In developed countries, most of the unemployed are workers with outdated skills, ethnic minorities, women and the elderly. In the United States, racial discrimination makes the black unemployment rate higher. For example, in 1982, the unemployment rate of black men in the United States was 17.7%, while that of white men was only 8%. The unemployment rate of black women is 14.3%, and that of white women is 7%. The distribution of unemployment is as follows: ① The unemployment rate in urban areas is higher than that in suburbs, because urban areas are areas where poor people and ethnic minorities are concentrated, while most white-collar workers live in suburbs. The unemployment rate in industrial cities is higher than that in other cities, because the unemployment problem is mainly concentrated in the industrial sector. Focusing financial resources on one or several departments in urban areas and making major changes to the regional economy may alleviate the unemployment problem, but it is quite difficult to implement politically. Big cities in developing countries are usually more serious than those in developed countries. Due to the large proportion of young workers, the labor market is further concentrated in big cities, and the unemployment rate is as high as 30-40%.

In the highly developed urban society, the demand for jobs has changed greatly, and some technologies are outdated or even no longer needed, resulting in some people who only have outdated technologies losing their jobs. At the same time, there is a great demand for some people with advanced technology in the market, and such people are in short supply. In order to solve this structural unemployment problem, many public and private training institutions have been established in developed countries to provide vocational training for the unemployed, so that they can master advanced technology as soon as possible and find jobs again. However, this way to solve the employment problem has little effect. Because of the rapid development and change of technology, the pace of training can't keep up with the pace of technological change. Most new technologies are technology-intensive and knowledge-intensive, and the demand for technicians is gradually decreasing, resulting in an oversupply of trained personnel.

Another manifestation of the employment problem in developing countries is underemployment. When workers' skills are unpopular in the market, or they lack skills, they are forced to do jobs that are not suitable for their skills or potential, such as driving a taxi with a doctor. These people are underemployed. In developing countries, underemployment is basically a lagging effect of unemployment. In order to solve the unemployment problem, the redundant personnel are employed or self-employed by the service industry. Although the employment of these people is passive, after all, hiring more labor than needed is a solution to unemployment. Although informal sector employment helps solve the employment problem to some extent, it also brings some new problems, which are not easy to be brought into the national macroeconomic track.

Second, the problem of poverty.

Most cities in western countries have a legal poverty line. When the proportion of urban poor people below the poverty line exceeds a certain proportion, it means that the city is in poverty. Urban poverty is more serious in urban areas than in suburbs. Poverty is difficult to solve. In the west, the urban poor are called the "lower class" and have become an integral part of the urban social and economic system. Most poor people are unemployed for a long time and need relief. Discrimination, unsanitary environment and lack of education make it impossible for this class to improve the poverty situation, so it is impossible to get rid of poverty.

To a great extent, urban poverty is the product of a modern, technically complex and highly differentiated social and economic system. In this complex society, high-paying jobs require excellent skills, and people without skills or education are not easy to get high-paying jobs; The fluctuation of technical demand and general labor demand has changed the unemployment rate and underemployment rate, and these socio-economic conditions have produced the unemployed, the technologically outdated and the poor who lack adequate education or skilled skills. Prejudice and discrimination are another cause of urban poverty. Poor economic conditions and poor reputation lead to prejudice and discrimination. Prejudice and discrimination put them at a disadvantage in education and economic competition. The third cause of urban poverty is norms. The theory of "poor culture" put forward by western scholars holds that the value standard, belief mode and lifestyle of the poor are different from those of the mainstream culture, because the poor are often concentrated in this area, and form the same way of communication and enjoy the same living conditions. This "cultural model" has been passed down from generation to generation and has become a special way of life. This way of life is incompatible with the requirements of the middle class, so it is difficult for the poor to integrate into the mainstream of society. Although this theory has attracted criticism, it reveals the fact that poverty is related to norms. Because the norms of the poor are different from those of mainstream social groups, the poor often suffer from some social and psychological obstacles, which are reflected in their lifestyle.

Third, the problem of the elderly.

In traditional society, the elderly constitute a part of the family group. The older you get, the higher your social status and the more respected you are. However, with the development of modernization, urbanization and industrialization, the social and cultural background has also undergone tremendous changes, and the situation of the elderly has changed, and the elderly are no longer respected. They lost their status and were forced to play a dependent role with low income. In the United States, 1/3 of the elderly have incomes below the poverty line. Most elderly people are in poor energy and poor health, so they give up or are forced to give up their original positions, which are very important to establish their social status.

Most of the elderly in western countries live in cities, and their proportion in the population is growing rapidly. As a part of urban social problems, the problems of the elderly are mainly manifested in their special needs for social services, housing and neighborhood structure. However, these needs have not received much attention. Although social institutions provide them with basic income and medical care, in many cases this is not enough. Now, although some cities have formulated programs specifically for the needs of the elderly and implemented them, the social welfare and income level of the elderly have actually declined. With the improvement of medical level, people's life expectancy is prolonged, and the number of elderly people is increasing. The problem of the elderly has attracted more and more attention from the society.

Fourth, lack of social responsibility.

Overcrowding in cities hides a subtle effect and weakens people's sense of social responsibility. With more and more people scrambling to use the limited urban space and social services, the competitive trend breeds some people's selfish thoughts. Some people refuse to wait in line for services, turn a blind eye to the phenomenon of disturbing public order and destroying public property, ignore traffic laws and regulations, ignore the rights and interests of others, and only seek their own convenience. Although many civilized cities in the world are famous for their courtesy and respect for others, during the rapid growth of urban population after the war, they all suffered from the enormous pressure of urban population growth, so that more and more people who are used to stabilizing the environment find urban life unbearable.

Verb (abbreviation for verb) racial and social disputes

The unemployment problem is accompanied by other factors, which leads to many sub-level urban problems, among which racial and social disputes are one. In the United States, relative economic prosperity has caused a surge in illegal immigrants. They flocked to American cities in order to find jobs and pursue a better life. In the past decades, asylum seekers and legal immigrants were allowed to live in cities, and illegal immigrants flooded into cities, which made them and other locals become employment competitors, resulting in resentment and even direct violent conflicts. There is a similar situation in western Europe.

Six, the inner city problem

The problem of inner city generally includes four aspects: economic recession accompanied by the reduction of industrial base in inner city area and its influence on employment; The deterioration of the natural environment, lack of service facilities and living facilities; Social recession with urban poverty as the main content; Community and racial disputes. All kinds of urban social problems and some housing problems mentioned above can be included in the inner city problem, which is called the inner city problem because the urban problems are most concentrated in the inner city. Here is a brief summary of all the inner city problems involving the above problems.

Since the war, with the development of economy and the rapid increase of automobiles, large-scale suburbanization of urban industry, population and commerce has been triggered. The middle class moved to the suburbs, using private cars as the main means of transportation, commuting between the offices in the city center and the houses in the suburbs, which led to the influx of cars into the city center from all directions during the morning work hours, resulting in extremely heavy traffic congestion in the inner city, people and cars vying for roads and other chaotic situations. The houses in the urban area have been in disrepair for a long time, and the equipment is outdated. After the middle class moves out of the city, it is often the poor and ethnic minorities who can't afford private cars and work in the city. The inner city has gradually become a slum and a place where ethnic minorities are discriminated against. Due to poverty and inability to maintain houses, the old houses have further deteriorated and the environmental sanitation has further deteriorated. As for public facilities, such as schools, parks, medical facilities, etc. Relying on the inner city tax revenue, the local governments in the region have less income and more expenses, which can only simplify the complex and the service quality is poor, leading to the lack of good educational opportunities, poor health and easy to go astray. When they grow up, it is not easy for them to find good jobs, so they have to stay in the inner city slums and live for generations. In the west, this is called a space trap, and the poor people trapped in the inner city are like falling into a trap, unable to extricate themselves and out of the scope of the inner city. Therefore, the inner city problem of western cities is becoming more and more serious. Just like a time bomb, it is only a matter of time before it explodes.