140 Plus Social Issues and Research Topics
Last Updated: 13 July 2023
The world is plagued with endless problems or phenomena affecting numerous people or groups. These problems are collectively referred to as global issues because they affect many people worldwide. Global issues include social, economic, and environmental issues.
You will find a list of global issues when you look at certain websites, such as United Nations, World Economic Forum, and Globalissues.org. The focus of this blog post is on social issues, which is one of the global issues affecting a multitude of people around the world.
Suppose you are assigned to write a research paper, report, term paper, white paper, grant proposal, dissertation or thesis, or essay on a social issue. In that case, you will find a comprehensive list of social issues, topics, and ideas.
Our expert writers have put together this post so that you get consolidated information and decide on the most appropriate social issue to pursue a related topic.
What is a Social Issue?
Before we delve deeper, it is essential to understand what social issues, or social problems, are to move confidently and from the point of information.
A social issue is a problem that negatively affects many people within a society. It refers to a group of common problems or challenges within society that many people try to solve. Notably, social issues are a consequence of factors beyond individual control.
They are often a source of debate, given a moral compass and individual decision-making. Although social issues are distinguishable from economic and environmental issues, some have economic and environmental significance. Take, for example, immigration, which is a socio-economic issue.
Under social problems, we have valence issues and position issues. The valence issues are social problems that people agree on or interpret similarly, such as human, drug, and arms trafficking. On the other hand, the position issues are the social problems that attract divided opinion, such as abortion or same-sex adoption/marriage.
There is usually a debate on the social issues to prioritize. However, different societies have a means of prioritizing what and when to address first. Some of the most obvious routes to solving such issues include government interventions, meetings among global representatives and presidents to vote on issues that are a priority, and voting for the issues. At personal levels, some aspects such as volunteering, community organizing, and philanthropy also help address social issues.
Related reading: Steps and tips for writing an enduring issues essay.
List of 110 Plus Social Issues
When writing a problem-solution essay, cause and consequence essay, position paper, or reaction paper, you can focus on one of the social problems affecting millions of people globally. Below is a list of potential social issues to consider.
- Poverty
- Hunger
- Racism and Inequality
- Gun Violence
- Income Inequality
- Unemployment and Underemployment
- Corruption
- Public debt
- Quality of life
- Recession and depression
- Refugees
- Political polarization
- The rising cost of education
- High cost of living
- Epidemics
- Food quality
- Fraud
- Travel Advisories
- Crime statistics
- Social media crimes
- Pedophilia
- Indigenous rights
- Modern slavery
- Prisoner rights
- Toxic wastes
- Air quality
- Cronyism
- Church-state separation
- Over taxation
- Poor working conditions
- Incivility
- Racial profiling
- Rural-urban migration
- Shrinking arable lands
- Terrorism
- Population Explosion
- Homelessness
- Deprived Neighborhoods
- Political Extremism
- Racism
- Antisemitism
- Gender inequality
- Media propaganda
- Obesity
- Hate crimes
- Aging
- Environmental racism
- Violence
- Exploitation
- Discrimination
- Drugs and substance abuse
- Wars and conflicts
- Conflict minerals
- Mental health issues
- Poor governance
- Access to clean water
- Access to contraceptives and maternal care
- Technology and information divide
- Affordable housing
- Animal testing
- Artificial intelligence
- Bureaucratic red tape
- Greenwashing
- Child marriage
- Child soldiers
- Climate change
- Social classes and caste systems
- Domestic violence
- Medical errors
- Human trafficking
- Sex Slavery
- Sex tourism
- Prostitution
- Poor infrastructure
- Unequal access to vaccines
- Biological warfare
- Water scarcity
- Water pollution
- Cultural pollution
- Workplace discrimination
- Literacy rates
- Voter suppression
- Wage gap
- Youth unemployment
- Global pandemics
- HIV/AIDs
- Gentrification
- Gerrymandering
- Human overconsumption
- Urbanization
- Growth of slums
- Protests and picketing
- GMOs
- Forced Marriages
- Female genital mutilation
- Net neutrality
- Ocean pollution
- Piracy
- Hoarding
- Energy crisis
- Digital divide
- Climate justice
- LGBTQ+ rights
- Banning books in schools
- Reproductive Rights
- Surrogacy
- Organ trafficking
- Violent extremism
- Religious Cults
- Scams and Ponzi schemes
- Religious persecution
- Student debt
- Mass graves
- Weapons of mass distraction
- Displacement
- Housing crisis
- Immigration
- Malnutrition
- Social isolation
- Disability discrimination
- Child labor
- Stereotyping
- Inequality in service delivery
- Glass ceiling
- Healthcare access
- Unequal wealth distribution
- Desertification
- Wildfires
- Aging population
- Nuclear waste and wars
- Child poverty
- Landfills
- Food insecurity
- Poor sanitation
- Water privatization
- Global warming
- Community extinction
- Cultural loss
- Disease outbreaks
- Bullying
- Poor leadership
- Civil rights
Social Issue Topics and Research Ideas
Even with our comprehensive list of social issues, it might be challenging to develop a good essay or research paper title. We know how demoralizing that can be and have listed a few social issues topics that can be a starting point as you brainstorm ideas. Below are some social issues, topics, and ideas to consider. Our research paper writers have categorized them depending on their expertise.
Social Issues in America Topics
- Impacts of Immigration on America
- Impacts of violent extremism in America
- How racial profiling affects minority communities in the USA
- Impacts of the housing crisis on Homelessness in America
- Effects of increased poverty and Hunger in America
- Consequences of Unemployment in the USA
- How declining marriage rates affect America
- Rising college costs and literacy levels in America
- Impacts of reckless government spending in America
- Impacts of Gerrymandering and electoral injustices in the USA
- The impacts of the growing digital divide in the USA states
- Should sanctuary cities in the USA be closed?
- Are illegal immigrants a threat to USA’s security and safety?
- Is illegal immigration responsible for destabilization in the USA
- Should the USA cooperate with Mexico to curb illegal immigration?
- Why is the USA a preferred destination by immigrants?
- Inequality in Healthcare access in the USA
- Impacts of rising costs of Healthcare in the USA
- How the aging workforce affects service delivery in the USA
- Impacts of the opioid pandemic on the youth
- Impacts of police brutality
- How ballooning student debt affects the social welfare of US citizens
- Impacts of fake news on Perceptions of citizens
- Social causes and Consequences of eating disorders among American Youths
- Consequences of childhood obesity in the USA
- Impacts of prison overcrowding in the USA
General Social Issues Topics for Essays and Research Papers
- Negative Consequences of Immigrants in Europe
- How the Russian-Ukraine war affects the world
- Contribution of social media top fake news
- How social media contributes to Discrimination and Racism
- Impacts of college loans on the financial stability of Families
- How human trafficking affects families
- Child Labor and the textile industry
- Blood minerals and the technology industry
- Inequality in accessing vaccinations globally
- Impacts of stealing cultural heritage
- Impacts of global population explosion on resource availability
- Impacts of increased cost of living on quality of life
- How increased droughts influence global hunger
- The link between water scarcity and conflicts
- Impacts of increased domestic violence cases on women
- Impacts of poor waste management in Cities
- How corruption affects every sector of a nation
- Impacts of unequal distribution of global wealth
- How much wealth is too much?
- Assault of domestic workers in the Middle East countries
- Impacts of Surveillance on personal rights
- Social media and body shaming
- Social media as a catalyst of immorality
- Hollywood as a platform to pollute culture around the world
- Consequences of cultural isolation
- Impacts of poor mobility in Cities
- Social media as a hub for hate crimes and hate speech
- Causes and Consequences of food shortage in Africa and Asia
- Impacts of deprived neighborhoods
- College attainment rates of children from poor backgrounds
- Impacts of racial profiling on nursing school college admissions in the USA
- Impacts of sex tourism on child prostitution
- How the media promotes sexism
- Impacts of organ trafficking on Society
- Consequences of increased school dropout rates
- Causes of increased slums in urban areas
- Influence of poor governance on Patriotism
- Child labor in Vietnam and Taiwan factories
- Role of multinational companies in solving social problems
- Impacts of war on Women’s health
- Gender discrimination in government appointments
- Impacts of Consumerism on global sustainability
- The link between illiteracy and poverty
- Impacts of arms trafficking on global peace
- How genocide affects children and Women
- Racial discrimination in South Africa and the USA: A comparative analysis
- Impacts of Over-dependence on relief and Donations by African Countries
- Social media and Pedophilia
- How social media promotes child pornography
- How TikTok promotes lust and Pedophilia
- Twitter as a tool for social change
- Should foreign countries set army bases in Africa?
- Impacts of employment discrimination
- High cost of living and rising crimes
- How fraudsters target retired women and Men
- Impacts of Globalization on organized crimes
- Impacts of wage gaps
- Impacts of high taxes and Over-taxation in Africa
- Should African countries rely on foreign aid to address social problems?
- How sports violence affects its perception among fans
- Effects of violent video games
- Impacts of neo-colonialism in Africa
- How the West imposes LGBTQ+ rights on the East and African nations
- Impacts of Macroaggressions on marginalized communities
- How football hooliganism affects the society
- Consequences of gangs taking control of cities and towns
- Impacts of civil wars on Development
- How sexual abuse affects the mental health of Children and Youths
- Impacts of Misogyny in the Middle East nations
- Impacts of forced child/early marriages
- Impacts of labor exploitation through Sweatshops
- Impacts of control on Agriculture and food security
- How tax evasion by large corporations affects society
- Consequences of increasing rates of Femicide
- Impacts of Overdependence on food aid
- Human-wildlife conflicts
As you wind up …
Social issues touch on every individual on earth. Our custom writing experts have put together a guide that explores all the potential social issues you can discuss in a paper. You can select any issue and write a powerful essay or paper. With all this information, it is possible to get confused or lost. Therefore, if you need help writing a social issues paper, do not hesitate to contact our expert writers. Place your order by filling out the form on our homepage and leaving the rest to us. Check out our custom writing services page to get an insight into what we can help you achieve. But before you go, also read our guides on:
