Social entrepreneurship through cultural heritage-CHEER - EN

A social problem is any condition or behaviour that has negative consequences for large numbers of people and that is generally recognised as a condition or behaviour that needs to be addressed. This definition has both an objective component and a subjective component.

This type of dispute points to the subjective component of the definition of social problems: There must be a perception that a condition or behaviour needs to be addressed for it to be considered a social problem. This component lies at the heart of the social constructionist view of social problems.ⁱ In this view, many types of negative conditions and behaviours exist. Many of these are considered sufficiently negative to acquire the status of a social problem; some do not receive this consideration and thus do not become a social problem; and some become considered a social problem only if citizens, policymakers, or other parties call attention to the condition or behaviour.