Essays on Social Issues

Free essays on social issues are available online for people to read and gain knowledge about various societal problems, such as racism, gender inequality, poverty, global warming, and more. These essays provide critical insights and perspectives on the issues plaguing our society and can be a useful source for students, researchers, and activists looking to understand and address these issues. By accessing them, individuals can get an idea about how the problems arise, their impact on society, and potential solutions to overcome them. These essays are also a great resource for writers looking for inspiration or ideas to write their own social issue essays, speeches, or articles.
The Negative Impact of Student Debt to Our Economy
Words • 2121
Pages • 9
In the years of 1970 and 1971, both public and private schools of higher education began raising the price of their tuition; a trend that has continually persisted since. Due to inflation, tuition at these universities had to triple the price of tuition of fees. Today, the average private, non-profit institution's price of tuition is $31,231, while public institutions average around $9,139 per year. Neither number includes housing fees. Price of tuition has multiplied nearly 17 times since the 1970's.…...
Social IssuesStudent LoansUnemployment
Politicians as the Causes of the Problems in Student Loans in the United States
Words • 290
Pages • 2
In this essay Thomas Sowell is taking the position that student loans have many problems that are caused by politicians. Politicians make student loans easy to get for everyone because voters will vote for them and there is a belief that there is a real need for student loans. Politicians believe that we should help those struggling with the loans. One of the points made is that the average student loan for a public college after graduation is only $7,000,…...
MoneySocial IssuesStudent Loans
A History of Eli Whitney’s Invention of Cotton Gin
Words • 548
Pages • 3
Eli Whitney was born on December 8th, 1765 in the town of Westborough, Massachusetts (Eli Whitney Biography Inventor (1765-1825)). He was educated at Yale university and went on to become creator of the Cotton Gin (Eli Whitney Biography Inventor (1765-1825)). The famous Cotton Gin was an invention that allowed a single worker the ability to separate up to 25 kg of cotton daily, an accomplishment that normally required several workers (Eli Whitney). As this invention became infamous throughout the nation,…...
Eli WhitneyHuman RightsSlavery
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The Life of 32nd First Lady of America, Anna Eleanor Roosevelt
Words • 1837
Pages • 8
Anna Eleanor Roosevelt was the 32nd First Lady of America. Born on October 11, 1884, she grew as an orphan from the age of ten. Her life took a turning point in March 1905, when she married Franklin D. Roosevelt, a distant cousin and future U.S President. In her early marriage, she was concerned with the responsibilities of parenthood, and, as such, her life was restricted to domestic chores. In her autobiography, she laments that "for ten years, I was…...
Eleanor RooseveltFeminismWomen'S Rights
Discrimination among the Voters of Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders
Words • 850
Pages • 4
Prejudice is a preconceived negative judgment of a group and its individual members. Discrimination is unjustified negative behavior toward a group or its members (Myers, 2005). Each instance begins with a negative feeling and can possibly lead to acting on said negative feeling. Everyone knows about the prejudice and discrimination that happened to black people way back in the day when we were slaves, moving into indentured servants, and finally to fully free individuals with the institution of Jim Crow…...
Bernie SandersPrejudiceRacism
Americans Oppressing Americans in the Literary Works of Phillis Wheatley
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Pages • 6
Phillis Wheatley was certainly an anomaly of her time. Having shown a keen intelligence when she was bought into the Wheatley family, Phillis, despite her slave status, was granted the right to an education, which fostered in her a love of writing and, especially, of poetry. Her writing, having emerged during colonial struggles for independence, defines Wheatley as a sympathizer to the American cause against British oppression. But, as a black servant within those very colonies that called for freedom,…...
ChristianityPhillis WheatleyPoetrySlavery
Racism and Counter Racism in the Images by Phillis Wheatley and Johann Closterman
Words • 517
Pages • 3
Colonial images of American people were in most instances colored by a racist bent which is evident in the paintings of the time. The white painters held a certain perspective and attitude towards African-Americans, and this was reflected in their paintings. The African- American painters, on the other hand, sought to counter this by painting themselves from their own perspective. In the picture, the perspective of the two races with regards to the identity of African—Americans is quite evident. In…...
PaintingPhillis WheatleyRacismStereotypes
Woman Warrior, a Book by Maxine Hong Kingston
Words • 832
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Marine Kingston’s memoir, The Woman Warrior: Memories ofa GirlhoodAmong Ghosts, integrates Kingston‘s life experiences in cahoots with spoken stories that entail Chinese history, myths, and beliefs. The feminist autobiography, more specifically the “No Name Woman" chapter, underlies the issues of sexism in early Chinese culture. Sexism is defined as “attitudes or behavior based on traditional stereotypes of sexual rolesi” Through the dichotomy of myth and reality, Kingston reveals the Chinese tradition of male dominance and female oppression. Kingston‘s use of…...
CultureGenderSexismThe Woman Warrior
An Examination of Zora Hurston’s How It Feels to Be Colored Me
Words • 577
Pages • 3
Perhaps one of the most profound pieces of African American short story literature is Zora Hurstons' How It Feels to Be Colored Me. In the conclusion of her short story, Hurston depicts her own life experiences through the personification of a brown bag and its contents. To detail my life through the mere contents of a paper bag is a difficult task, however. I am a Simple man among many, trying not to drown in an ocean of complexity more…...
CultureHow It Feels To Be Colored MeOppression
The Theme A Jury Of Her Peers of Law in Triffles, a Play by Susan Glaspell
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Trifles is a play that revolves around the law, Written by Susan Glaspell, a prominent leader of the American feminist movement, it highlights the gender biases within the law and the need for a fair jury in any case. A subsequent short story of Glaspell’s was published in 1917; it was based on Trifles and was appropriately entitled, A Jury of Her Peers. The term, “trifles”, has an important role in law, referenced to in the phrase, de minimis non…...
A Jury Of Her PeersGender EqualityJusticeSocial Issues
The Gender Barriers Faced by Women in Society in “The House on Mango Street”
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What does it mean to be a female? The definition can change depending on time, place and wealth. Women in all societies face gender barriers, whether at home, work, or school. These barriers range from unequal wages to sexual harassment. For the women who live on Mango Street, their gender barriers are built on an overwhelming dependence on men. In The House on Mango Street, by Sandra Cisneros, the women are both financially and emotionally dependent on the men or…...
GenderSocial IssuesThe House On Mango Street
The African American Oppression in Their Eyes Were Watching God
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Upon its release in 1937, long overdue from the age of African American expressionism that materialized during what we now know as the Harlem Renaissance, Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God drew widespread criticism from many prominent and contemporary writers for Hurston's failure to take on racial tensions and racial discrimination. Perhaps the most trenchant of criticism came from Richard Wright, a fellow contemporary author and civil rights activist who typically used his writing as a means of…...
PoliticsSocial IssuesTheir Eyes Were Watching God
The Journey of Janie to Find Herself in Their Eyes Were Watching God
Words • 1073
Pages • 5
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston is a world renowned novel about a woman's journey to find self revelation. Along this journey Janie, the protagonist of the novel, encounters many gender stereotypes. As if being a woman isn't tough enough, Janie is also black making it even harder for her to persevere. Though the odds are against her she manages to pre- vail. When reading the novel, one could conclude that Janie is a feminist yet others…...
FeminismSocial IssuesTheir Eyes Were Watching God
Identity and Self-Actualization in Their Eyes Were Watching God
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Pages • 7
In the novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God, written by Zora Neale Hurston, the concept of identity and self-actualization is prominent throughout the life of the protagonist Janie Crawford. The novel depicts the trials, tribulations, and triumphs that Janie experiences in life and love in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Hurston depicts Janie's life as a mixed-race woman living in a time when women were kept cleaning and cooking in the home, however, Janie goes through life wanting…...
PoliticsSocial IssuesTheir Eyes Were Watching God
Poverty and Forgotten Issues in “Nickels and Dimes”
Words • 1932
Pages • 8
Dr. Barbara Ehrenreich was a journalist, however she was formally educated and held a Ph.D. in cellular biology. She wrote Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America, after coming up with the idea to investigate what it is like to live in poverty in America. She argued that the government does not distribute aid properly and doesn't ensure that welfare recipients are able to find jobs, and that living on minimum wage is not possible. Ida B. Wells-Barnett…...
Nickel And DimedPovertySocial Issues
The Social Experiment in Nickel and Dimed, a Book by Barbara Ehrenreich
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The book Nickel and Dimed was created by a journalist who wanted to make her own news. Barbara Ehrenreich, a social change writer with a Ph.D. in Biology, did this by putting herself in shoes many people don't want to be in. In her book, Ehrenreich reflects in her social experiment of stripping away her comfortable life style and survive as a low-wage working class citizen. She would work various low-wage jobs and live off those paychecks. Her paychecks would…...
EmploymentNickel And DimedSocial Issues
An Overview of the Sociological Theories in “Nickel and Dimed”
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All Sociological theories can be discussed through Barbara Ehrenreich's Nickel and Dimed and much can be demonstrated. The length of this paper will have brief overviews of Nickel and Dimed while going over sociological concepts presented by sociologist such as Marx, Weber, and Wright. The author's opinion, while present in writing, will be compared to Ehrenreich's experiences as well. Barbara Ehrenreich is a journalist who focuses on socio- political issues and holds a Ph.D. in Biology. The novel Nickel and…...
EmploymentNickel And DimedSocial Issues
The Lives of the Working in “Nickel and Dimed”
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In the year of 1776, with a total population of roughly 2.5 million people, the United States of America was founded on the moral premise that, "by working hard, you would have a good life." And yet 237 years later, with a staggering population of roughly 314 million people, does that premise still hold true? This highly debated question was answered in the novel Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America by Barbara Ehrenreich. Here, she explores the…...
EmploymentNickel And DimedSocial Issues
Summary of Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich
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In the book, Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America, the author Barbara Ehrenreich investigates the impact the 1996 welfare reform act had on the working poor in America from the perspective of an undercover journalist. On August 22, 1996 then President Bill Clinton signed "The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996" or the 1996 welfare act which replaced the Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) program with the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families…...
EmploymentNickel And DimedPoverty
An Analysis of Commercialism in Richard Cory by Edwin Arlington Robinson
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In a society generally shaped by its commercialism, many people will fall into the unfortunate trap of trying to exceed someone elsels standards. The catalyst for this maddening condition exists all around us: in car commercials, on bumper stickers (He who dies with the most toys wins!), in stores peddling expensive passing fashions, and on billboards flaunting houses of ridiculous size and cost. Children are conditioned to covet a brass ring that is impossible to attain, and will either spend…...
Edwin Arlington RobinsonPoetryPoverty
The Issue of Slavery in The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
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When Frederick Douglass wrote this story in 1845, he wrote it is as an autobiography, beginning at the time he was born into slavery towards his escape into the north to find freedom. Throughout the 1840s and the 1850s countless ex-slaves wrote narratives regarding their lives and journeys to freedom. Fredrick Douglass's Narrative stands apart because it addresses deeper philosophical issues. This narrative is an effective argument against slavery because instead of debating the legal status and politics of slavery,…...
Narrative Of The Life Of Frederick DouglassPhilosophySlavery
The Masters of Frederick Douglass in Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
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It's easy to see that the cruel institution of slavery is very corrupt indeed. This is shown especially through the life of Frederick Douglass, who recounts in Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass the many different masters he had to deal with. Although at first glance, some of them seem to be more sympathetic and understanding, in the end Douglass is forced to acknowledge that simply being a single part in the grand scheme of slavery will induce moral…...
Human RightsNarrative Of The Life Of Frederick DouglassSlavery
The Importance of Knowledge in Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
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In this book, Frederick Douglass describes both his journey of slavery and significance or importance of knowledge versus ignorance. Frederick Douglass, a born slave, tells not only his life events and experiences in this book but also takes his readers into the mind of a child who is trying to understand what it means to be a slave. The response of critics was in words like "vivid" and "shocking" for the book, 'Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass.' It…...
Human RightsNarrative Of The Life Of Frederick DouglassSlavery
The Tragedy in the Autobiography Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglas
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The tragic life of a slave is detailed in Fredrick Douglas' autobiography Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglas: An American Slave. Douglas recounts many stories and details of his time as a slave. Early on, slavery flourished in the colonies, causing much harm and difficulties to African slaves. It is important to note that slavery was considered acceptable by many who benefitted from slave labor. The chance to become rich was more important than a human life. Slavery was,…...
Human RightsNarrative Of The Life Of Frederick DouglassSlavery
Imagery and Parallelism in Chapter 5 of Frederick Douglass’s Memoir
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In Chapter 5, Frederick Douglass uses imagery and parallelism to describe the conditions he and the other children had suffered from, persuading the reader that the slaves were not treated fairly through shock. Douglass quotes that the living conditions were terrible as to when they get allowanced, it is not consistent. They were given food in a large tray on the floor, and Douglass explains that "The children were then called, like so many pigs, and like so many pigs…...
Human RightsNarrative Of The Life Of Frederick DouglassSlavery
Analysis of the Story of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave
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In the memoir Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave by Frederick Douglass, Douglass manages to preserve his humanity as a slave through knowledge, in which he believed is a passage to freedom. When Douglass came to live in Baltimore as a child, he was introduced to the Auld family, and he especially took a liking to Ms. Auld, the wife of Hugh Auld. She was portrayed as a kind and sympathetic woman, and she also did…...
LiteratureNarrative Of The Life Of Frederick DouglassSlavery
A Personal Statement for the World Bank Young Professionals Program
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Being part of the World Bank Young Professional Program (YPP) will enable me to use my research and field experience to end extreme poverty and boost shared prosperity in our world. As a person with research skill being part of the problem will enable me to contribute to developing nations’ sustainable economic development Being raised in a Sub-Saharan country where economic inequality and gender bias were not just statistics but day-to-day realities had a profound impact on my educational and…...
EducationPovertySustainabilityWorld Bank
Potential Roles of the World Bank and Urban Sector Contributions
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Today, it is imperative for the World Bank (‘the Bank’) to search for new and stronger roles to play in international development in the light of changing development community and emerging global issues. Newcomers in the development community have been empowered with large financing resources. The emerging countries have also started to heal the development gap, now providing financial and technical support to their less fortunate neighbors. Multilateral agencies, bilateral aid agencies, and private banks and investors have made continuous…...
BankPoliticsPovertyWorld Bank
Society’s Imbalance in Bartleby
Words • 636
Pages • 3
Through characterization, setting, and theme, Herman Melville, a Romantic author, illustrates the imbalance between American social classes and the decay of social concord through his short story masterpiece, Bartleby the Scrivener: A Story of Wall Street He creates very distinct and symbolic characters that represent the different social positions in life, the worker and the wealthy employers. Bartleby, a mere worker in the company of the attorney, embodies the feelings of the “common man” and indirectly forces the narrator to…...
EmploymentPoliticsPovertyWall Street
The New Obstacle of the Occupy Wall Street Protest in Zuccotti Park
Words • 436
Pages • 2
On October 13, 2011, an article by Anemona Hartocollis was published in the New York Times about a new obstacle of the then-month-long Occupy Wall Street protest. Having made arrests throughout the streets of New York on terms of “public safety Violations,” law enforcement officials have yet to intervene in the biggest protest zone of all: Zuccotti Park. Here protesters have set down camp and maintain a constant presence The park is privately owned by Brookfield Properties but open to…...
Human RightsJusticePoliticsWall Street
Prejudice in Huck Finn and Minister’s Veil
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Pages • 6
The prejudice in today’s society causes many people to pass judgment based on appearance rather than a true character on a daily basis. For example, someone with a green Mohawk and face tattoos, wearing ripped and baggy clothing may still be in the top of his class, However, its unlikely that one of his classmates would think to ask him for help with the homework. This is because of how society has decided to characterize an “intelligent” person Individuals are…...
CulturePrejudiceThe Minister'S Black Veil
Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, a Novel by Sherman Alexie
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Pages • 3
The Absolutely True Diary ofa Part-Time Indian is a first-person narrative from the perspective of Native American teenager Arnold Spirit Jr., who is 14 years old. This novel is very controversial in its discussions of a realistic way of growing up. Becoming a man in an old world and trying to create its own, is what is hard to comprehend, since the main character is only 14 years old, and is still considered stil just a little boy. The Absolutely…...
FictionLiteraturePovertyThe Absolutely True Diary Of A Part-Time Indian
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
Words • 1924
Pages • 8
The novel “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian” by Sherman Alexie highlights problems faced by a native boy with a disorder living on a reservation. Junior is the main character of the story, and readers have the opportunity to read his diary and hear his thoughts on what goes on in his everyday life The story is about Junior’s life on the reservation where he is then encouraged to go to an all-white high school in Reardan, Washington.…...
CulturePoliticsRacismThe Absolutely True Diary Of A Part-Time Indian
Junior’s Poverty Problem in The True Diary
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Pages • 3
Poverty is a worldwide issue that many people are going through because of our national economy's unfairness. Junior is going through these third-world conditions and is just unable to balance it out with schoolwork and friends. He tries to hide his true identity because he's too shameful to tell people, Instead of degrading him as a peer of Junior they should've just helped to build him up. In the book, Junior has transitioned to a new school and has a…...
CulturePoliticsPovertyThe Absolutely True Diary Of A Part-Time Indian
Alcoholism in The Absolutely True Diary
Words • 409
Pages • 2
In Sherman Alexie’s The Absolutely True Diary of a Port-Time Indian Arnold and Rowdy suffer greatly from the loss of multiple friends and family members in relation to alcoholism. For example, Arnold states the death of his grandmother with remorse when he finds out that she got run over by a drunk driver. This shows the loss of a very important person in Arnold‘s life. Other people on the rez are affected by her death; Rowdy and the rest of…...
AggressionHealthThe Absolutely True Diary Of A Part-Time IndianViolence
Trials in Absolutely True Diary
Words • 992
Pages • 4
Throughout the Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian Sherman Alexie uses the archetype of trials to portray the tough times in life, and to give emphasis to the good times. One of the first trials that Junior came across was “everybody on the rez [calling] [him] a retard about twice a day”, Junior was born with many medical problems and everybody else made sure he was very aware of how awkward he looked. However, this isn’t the only reason…...
HeroMentorshipPovertyThe Absolutely True Diary Of A Part-Time Indian
Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse-Five Should Not Be Banned in High School Levels
Words • 595
Pages • 3
The banned book of “Slaughterhouse-Five” by: Kurt Vonnegut is a very interesting piece of work. The story revolves around Billy Pilgrim, a soldier in World War Two who does not even want to be there. This book follows him in a nonlinear order and rather sporadic change of events from Billy becoming a prisoner of war and the bombing at Dresden and how he survives. Billy has flashbacks and goes through time travel being “unstuck in Lime“ where he lives…...
CultureProfanitySlaughterhouse FiveViolence
Racial Issues in America: Hate, Anger, and Misunderstanding
Words • 945
Pages • 4
The research I’ve done for this assignment has opened up a surprisingly frank view on race in America, and how racial issues lead to hate, anger, and misunderstandings. Economics has played a role in race relations since the start: A major issue of the Civil Rights movement was the freedom of free enterprise and unrestrained entry into the free market for minorities. Free enterprise lies at the very heart of modern economics , without it, the American economy literally would…...
HatePoliticsRacism
American Partisan Politics: Hate, Anger, and Misunderstanding
Words • 1354
Pages • 6
American partisan politics — that is, the division of American political thinking along lines clearly outlined as “Democratic" or “Republican" — is an integral part of American political culture, and American economics. Speaking in very broad terms, Democrats tend to favor more intrusive, anti-corporate, globalist, and more socialistic roles in governmental—economic relations, while Republicans tend to favor more protectionist, more free-market, pro-corporate, more capitalistic, and more laissez-faire policies. The American political culture is somewhat unique in the world, in that…...
GlobalizationHateLiberalismTax
The Deep Seeded Roots of Hate and Slavery in America
Words • 2181
Pages • 9
Slavery has been outlawed in the United States starting from 1787 in the Northwestern territories and the rest of the country by 1864, a direct consequence of the Civil Wan. The thirteenth Amendment outlawed slavery and involuntary servitude except for punishment, and in essence, gave rights to the former slaves which were reserved for only the white folk at the time. Almost a century has passed since slavery was abolished in the United States, yet African Americans were still treated…...
Civil Rights MovementHateMalcolm XRacism
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FAQ about Social Issues

An Examination of Zora Hurston’s How It Feels to Be Colored Me
...She argues that while racism and discrimination exist, they should not define the experiences and identities of African Americans. Instead, African Americans should embrace their own unique experiences and perspectives. Hurston's writing style is not...
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