Societal Changes To Improve Living Conditions Essay, Research Paper

Today’s society is much different than society was a century ago, or even thirty years ago. Society is constantly changing and reforming to improve the conditions under which we live. Technology, medical health, and social acceptance are all examples of areas that were changed and reformed to improve our living conditions.

Technology has advanced more in the last century than it has since the dawn of time. We’ve seen developments to every aspect of life, from cars to microwave ovens to computers. The one thing that all of these technological marvels have in common is their goal to make life easier and more efficient. Are lives can be so much simpler in today’s society. If we need water, then we don’t have to go out to the well, we just turn on the tap in our kitchen. When we want to send a message, fax and e-mail are much faster than “pony express”. No longer do we have to get logs for the fire, today we just turn up the thermostat. However, these luxuries in life can lead to a lazy and unhealthy lifestyle.

To that end, improvements in medical and physical health have been made. Diseases which were once considered deadly and hopeless, are now considered minor annoyances. Vaccines and other treatments have led to the demise of many “killer” diseases. We now know more about nutrition than we ever cared to know before. As a result, people are more diet conscious than ever. People are able to make decisions to eat food that will benefit their physical health. Exercise is another important facet of physical health. People know what exercises they need to do and how to do them, if not they hire someone who does. All of this can be done in the comfort of their home, or at a gym. Keeping in shape is of such importance to so many people, that “workout” facilities have become a new and acceptable “social scene”.

Social acceptance has also grown over the years to make people more comfortable and improve their living conditions. Africans-Americans have gone from slavery to having prominence in our society. Not so long ago, the very idea of equality would have been beyond the grasp of both the slaves and their masters. Women have also been given equality and are being accepted into society. The handicapped or physically-challenged have more opportunities to be socially involved than ever before. It has been a difficult process for all involved, and the fight for equality continues. Society has not reached the point where total equality is present, but significant progress has been made. Discrimination is no longer acceptable, and in most cases can lead to criminal charges. Minorities have finally been given the same inalienable rights that the majority has had for since the dawn of government.

Our society is constantly changing to improve our living conditions. Society is always in search of anything that will improve our lives. It is the nature of the human mind to find the simplest and most efficient way of living. As long as there are improvements to be made, society will continue to change.