Changing attitudes and their social impacts

Teenage Pregnancy as a Social Problem

Changing attitudes

Teenage Pregnancy

Teenage pregnancy is an established phenomenon in any social setting as Albarracin and Handley (2001) observes. Recently, the phenomenon has turned out to be a social problem moving from an empirical social fact. The move comes from the realization of rising costs to governments while the teenage girl is robbed-off the opportunity to embrace education. Once this observation is made the phenomenon assumes a reality position and becomes a concern to individuals, families and communities.

According to (Bonell, 2004), teenage pregnancy is regarded as a social problem owing to the fact they are closely associated with childrearing unsupported by men or strong family background. The result is higher social cost to government through single young mothers uptake of welfare provision from the government (Bonell, 2004)). (Albarracin & Handley, 2001), adds Teenage pregnancy can spur cycles of deprivation that fuel the expansion of a poor, unemployed and undereducated community. Teenage pregnancy is in turn viewed as encouraging further economic marginalization of the individuals concerned. Young people are often portrayed as agents for the transmission of social values, be these linked to continuity or change. In situations where mechanisms that promote social integration are called into question, the tendency is to see young people's questioning as potentially disruptive.

African-American population is considered to comprise of the highest level of poverty in the America. This population is also identified as the largest recipient of government's social welfare, and their economic dependence is a growing concern among government policy makers as well as social welfare organizations. The potential for teenagers to attain a higher level of education is falling among the African-Americans. This is attributed to the social challenge of early pregnancy and most recently-teenage pregnancy.

Young women who experience early pregnancy are frequently targeted by attempts to control and to label their conduct as undesirable. With this in mind, there is a need to change the mindset of the society on teen pregnancies. Changing the society's mindset understanding on stereotypes in society about teenage pregnancy is a relevant measure to attend resolving the phenomenon. The words used to describe the issue often convey negative messages. Identifying teen pregnancy as a crisis, epidemic, tragedy or disaster positions teen pregnancy as a social problem that needs resolving. This notion needs to be changed and the society will embrace teenage pregnancy as an occurrence that needs to be embraced. This will in turn make the society aware of measure to control the overwhelming occurrence of teenage pregnancy and subsequent eradication of the problem (Albarracin & Handley, 2001).