The benefit to relying on existing data pertaining to social problems is that individuals have already done the groundwork for the information that a scholar is looking for. Starting study from the beginning is to be inefficient with the scholars’ time and the resources it would take to complete the study. Using existing data helps not only in saving time and resources, but it’s also helpful in correlating former data with the latest data. If there are any dramatic discrepancies, comparisons can be made to ensure accuracy and integrity of the study.

One source of change to social problems is social science theory and research. This source focuses on solving/addressing social problems. A second source of change is through the legislative process through the creation of new policies. Elected/appointed officials aid on governing social problems through these means. A third source of change is the actions and lessons collected by other groups or nations. Having a publicly visible response to social issues teachers all others that observe the response on how to respond or not respond to social issues.

One of the most interesting points concerning social problems is the evolution of concern. Referring to the natural history/steps of social concern, a concern may start for one reason or another and evolve into a completely different movement. Going back to my comparison but the Black Lives Matter movement, it started with acknowledgement of high rates of shootings of African Americans. Over time, the movement turned into more than just that, to include more progressive changes in equal rights and opportunities, extending to all facets such as law enforcement and Hollywood.

The steps of social problems entail four stages. The first stage is “emergence” or proposal of the issue. This often occurs through media coverage. The second stage is “legitimacy” of the issue by bringing it to the attention of government in order to garner funds and policies for the issue. The third stage includes “renewed claim making” which involves pushing the issue further even if attempts to remedy the issue have begun. The fourth stage is the “development of alternative strategies” where the group that brings up the concern are not satisfied with the results/progress and typically take matters into their own happens by attempting to resolve the concern themselves. The Black Lives Matter is an example of a movement to address a social problem.

Social problems are situations that have undesired consequences for the affected population. Social problems and their merits are often contested or debated. One example of a social problem is global warming. The social issue can be very emotional for some or most as the issue can be tied to a shared view of a political party.