Defining the Community and Its Specific Problem
The economy is a complex system, and ensuring its security is associated with the state’s safety in all spheres of life. The greatest threat in the near future will be the problems arising in the social sector, and their number tends to increase. As the world population grows, problems with food and fresh water supply will be aggravated. A decline in economic output will lead to increased unemployment, which is already beyond all acceptable norms in the African Community.
A significant mass of the population brings employment issues to the forefront. According to expert estimates, the unemployment rate in the African Community is at least 30% (Beegle & Christiaensen, 2019). This problem impacts young people who have no opportunity to find a job, and the adult generation who are losing their jobs.
The number of unemployed is particularly high in places where the population density is up to 300 people per square kilometer (Francis & Webster, 2019). The share of people with incomes below the subsistence level is also high, aggravated by the high differentiation of incomes in different parts of the country, leading to social tensions and conflicts. It leads to increased social tension and the constant reproduction of the threat of social conflicts, which affects the entire state.
The situation in the social sphere raises serious concerns because it plays a key role in economic security and the entire system of national security. It is where the interests of the individual, family, and society, as well as those of classes, social groups, and the state, are embodied (Kloos et al., 2012). Here, the strength and harmony of the diversity of social relations and the conflict and non-conflict nature of relations between the individual and the state are tested.
Community-Wide Impact and Most Affected Groups
One of the leading causes of poverty is unemployment among the economically active population, which suffers the most. This process, negative in and of itself, is particularly alarming because it has become massive and stagnant. The issue occurs not just because unemployment increases people’s discontent. It is highly irrational and economically inefficient because it increases the burden on the employed, shifting the costs of maintaining a kind of social dependency onto them (Beegle & Christiaensen, 2019).
It can realistically be achieved only through a significant increase in labor productivity, which is not to be expected in the context of a general decline in production, which is typical. Nearly half (49%) of Africans live below the poverty line (Beegle & Christiaensen, 2019). Tropical Africa is the only region that has seen a regression, rather than progress, in per capita income levels and trends over the last quarter of the twentieth century.
Collecting Data to Understand the Scope of the Issue
As the poorest continent in the world, Africa has the fastest-growing population. This situation in the African labor market, where there is little or no demand for labor in the real sector of the economy and an excessive supply of workers, indicates significant imbalances (Francis & Webster, 2019). However, examining articles and research reports on poverty from official international organizations is necessary to collect reliable data.
It is also essential to get a real insider’s view of the problem from the people themselves. The poor African family’s dilemma is whether to send the child to school or to work, and many are forced to choose the latter. Child labor in Africa is predominantly in the informal sector, on farms, and in small businesses. Children do labor-intensive, low-skill work for little pay. In family enterprises and farms, children are usually not paid at all, as they replace adult family members working outside the home to increase family income.
Choosing Between Prevention and Promotion
The problem of reducing and eliminating child labor and balancing the labor market has moral and socio-economic aspects. First and foremost, preventive methods are required, such as increasing access to schooling and increasing family income by creating more employment and earning opportunities for adult workers. Moreover, a change in society’s attitudes toward child labor, combined with the observance of laws regulating labor, is necessary.
References
Beegle, K., & Christiaensen, L. (Eds.). (2019). Accelerating poverty reduction in Africa. World Bank Publications.
Francis, D., & Webster, E. (2019). Poverty and inequality in South Africa: Critical reflections. Development Southern Africa, 36(6), 788-802. Web.
Kloos, B., J., Hill, J., Thomas, E., Wandersman, A., Elias, M., & Dalton, H. (2012). Community psychology: Linking individuals and communities (3rd ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.