Selfishness, Greed and Family Breakdown Characterize Present-day "social Evils"

A new study projects selfishness, greed and family breakdown as present-day "social evils".

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation, a social policy research and development charity, compiled a list of top 10 evils on the basis of consultations with more than 3,500 people.

The organisation revealed that most evils were associated with the breakdown of community and family.

The study report suggests that people felt "a strong sense of unease" about some of the changes shaping British society.

"People are concerned about the way our society has become more individualistic, greedy and selfish, seemingly at a cost to our sense of community," the Scotsman quoted the report as saying.

"Connected to all of these issues was the perception that we no longer share a set of common values and that we have lost our 'moral compass'," it added.

The study revealed that many evils were inter-linked. The misuse of drugs and alcohol was identified as both a cause and consequence of many other social problems, such as family breakdown and poverty.

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The research also brought to the fore conflicting responses over the role of family, with criticism for "bad parents" and sympathy for those doing their best in difficult circumstances.

People had different views on the importance of having both a mother and a father.

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So far as the issue of immigration is concerned, again there were a range of responses, with some respondents feeling that pressure was being put on resources and others calling for tolerance.

The study also suggested that people considered the Government to be "out of touch with the real issues people face" and "ineffective at tackling social problems".

The respondents also criticised the media for propagating negative and damaging attitudes, and described religion as a "cause of conflict and confusion".

Their responses also suggested that big businesses had been "fuelling inequality and consumerism".

"This consultation will help the Foundation to further Joseph Rowntree's mission: to search, demonstrate and influence by undertaking programmes of work on key social policy issues, and through our practical housing and care work," said Julia Unwin, the director of the JRF.

"As well as helping to inform our own work, we hope that the views expressed will influence the work of other organisations seeking to address social ills," Unwin added.

Source-ANI
SPH/L