Global Social Problems

DRUGS

Drugs are one of the most serious problems facing today’s world. All other problems people have can lead to drug abuse. Some others might find their present life boring or maybe they want to gain the respect of their gang or are just curious.
Drugs are divided into two cateories:

1. Soft drugs – alcohol, marijuana, hash, glue, sedatives, and mushrooms.
2. Hard drugs – ectasy, speed (amphetamine), cocaine, opium, and heroin.

You can usually tell if someone is under the influence of drugs. Some symphtoms are red eyes, slow movements and small pupils. In addition, people under the influence of drugs often smile and giggle, talk incoherently, act tired or ahllucinate. The effect vary from making you tired to giving you lots of energy, from making you friendly to agressive etc.

Questions to disguss:

1. Do you think that nicotine is addictive? Why is tobacco legal, when most of other drugs are illegal? Would it be a good idea to make tobacco illegal?
2. Some people say it would be better to legalise all drugs. What would be advantages and disadvantages of such a change?
3. Do you drink alcohol? Make a list of positive and negative points about alcohol.

Dicitonary:

Drunks – people who get get drunk often
Hangover – headache and tiredness a few hours after drinking too much
Helpline – a telephone number for people who have problems
Junkie – someone who takes drugs

RACISM

Racism is another serious problem that we have to cope with. Some people, racists, see themselves as a superior race and discriminate, prejudice or attack the one they consider worse. The victims of racism are more often dark-skin people than the white ones.
The worst level of racism is called „apartheid“. It appeared in South Africa in the 20th century and meant separated schools, separated travelling, separated parts of towns and general discrimination of black Southafricans. Even though the era of apartheid is over, we can still feel the remains.
Questions to disguss:

1. Is racism a problem in your country? What recent examples of racism have your read or heard about?
2. Some people are embarrasses to talk about race. They think it might be offensive to others. How do you feel? Should we talk about it, or is it better to keep quiet.
3. Do you have racist political parties in your countru? Why do some people support them?
4. In the USA, they have tried to increase the numbers of people in some jobs bby „positive action“. If a white person and a black person have the same qualifications, the black person gets the job. Is this a good idea?
5. Marriage between people of different races, a „mixed marriage“, was forbidden under apartheid in South Africa, and by Nazis in Germany. Why do you think these racist regimes were so opposed to it?
6. What might be the positive effects of „mixed marriages“ for society?
7. Would a difference of religion stop you marrying someone? How can couples overcome this difference?

UNEMPLOYMENT

Unemployment is what every country has problems with. It usually appears more in less developed areas of the country or where a large factory closed down. The least unemployment is in large cities where the companies always need employees. But they usually search for soemone with higher level of education, special abilities (working with computers, typing, knowledge of languages…) and specialization. The appliers with lack of edudcation this way lose a chance to work or to have a well-payed job. They often want a job which isn’t possible to manage for them and if they’re not empolyed, they complain. Another ones just took their diplomas and have no practise which is required from them. However, each country has special programmes for unemployed people to help them. They get benefits from the state.
Another thing is that there are many ilegal workers in every develoied country who are worse payed than average and they don’t complain(which is good for their employers). The state tries to empush this beacuse these jobs don’t require much education and would be solution for the less-educated ones.

Question: Can radical antiglobalists solve these problems?