The first thing we are going to do is know the etymological origin of the two words that make up the term social issue:
-Question, first of all, derives from Latin. Specifically, it comes from “quaestio”, which can be translated as “inquiry”, “examination” or “investigation”.
-Social, secondly, emanates from the Latin “socialis”, which can be translated as “belonging to a community of people”.
The term issue has several uses. On this occasion we are interested in its meaning as a subject , a theme or a topic . Social , for its part, is that linked to society : a community of individuals who live together in a territory and have common interests.
The idea of a social issue is usually used with reference to the effects of certain processes or the consequences of the application of a certain economic model, which must be addressed by the rulers since they affect the quality of life of the population.
The concept began to develop in the 19th century , after the Industrial Revolution . Classical liberalism attributed to each individual the responsibility for the satisfaction of their material needs. However, the liberal economic system of the time proved incapable of providing solutions to the problems of the working class. In this framework, the notion of social issue emerged, encompassing those difficulties in people's lives that the authorities could not ignore or neglect.
Many sectors, therefore, began to demand that the State address the social issue. The staunchest defenders of liberalism, however, opposed laws and measures that provided protection or support to vulnerable sectors.
Specifically, a series of circumstances occurred within what was the working class that gave rise to the beginning of talking about the working class social issue. Under that term were included all the circumstances that made the work of these people difficult and that worsened their quality of life. Circumstances that, therefore, needed to be taken into account and resolved by political leaders.
In this sense we can state that these were facts such as that salaries were insufficient, there was no labor legislation to regulate work, there were children working and in places as complicated and dangerous as the mines...
The push for attention to the social issue continues today. If a government promotes a cut in state spending and dictates laws that favor job insecurity so that businessmen can reduce production costs, the opposition will surely demand that it address the social issue linked to the increase in unemployment, the fall in salaries and other problems.
In addition to everything indicated, we cannot ignore the fact that there is also talk of a social issue within the scope of religion. In this case, it is used to refer to the fact that within the Catholic Church it is considered that the material progress that takes place in society brings with it, at the same time, a constant and clear decline in what are the ethical and social principles.