In the crazy pace of modern life, in the midst of their own kind, many people remain lonely. As an excuse, they say they enjoy solitude, or they pretend to be happy and carefree. However, in their souls, each of them is in pain that there is no one to share the bed with or simply be silent together. But that's not all - loneliness turns out to be dangerous to health.

Loneliness increases your chances of contracting many diseases, from heart attacks to dementia. In contrast, people who are satisfied with their social status sleep better, age more slowly and perceive better. treatment.

According to scientists, constant loneliness is as bad for health as smoking or obesity.

University of Chicago psychologists Louis Hawkley and John Cacioppo have conducted a number of studies on the relationship between social isolation, physical disabilities and age-related diseases, down to the cellular level. As a result, it was revealed that people who are far from relatives and friends are prone to hypertension, they often have a weakened immune system. In addition, lonely people are more likely to suffer from insomnia, and over time they may develop dementia. It follows from this that treatment loneliness can be compared to quitting smoking.

American psychologist Charles Reason from Emory University considers this discovery to be the main one in the field of human behavior. People who are in constant contact with loved ones and relatives, lead an active social life, have warm, open relationships, get sick less and live longer. John Katsioppo believes that this is partly due to the fact that lonely people take less care of themselves, but there are also direct physiological mechanisms associated with the effects of stress, although not identical to them.

The effect of loneliness on the body

In lonely people, research has shown that genes for inflammation and cartizol signaling, as well as immune cells that inhibit disease-causing bacteria, are unusually active. Scientists have suggested that the human body acquired such a property as a result of evolution: in a person who finds himself in conditions of social isolation, the cells of the immune system, which are responsible for healing wounds and fighting infections, seem to introduce a state of emergency. This is akin to a "lone wolf" situation, which is at greater risk of physical injury. The downside: the immune responses of people in a team react more actively to a possible virus transmitted by close contact.

However, it should be understood that loneliness and its absence are assessed not by the number of social connections, but by a person's self-perception. Psychologists believe that being in someone else's environment can be just as dangerous as being alone. Therefore, those who believe that the salvation from loneliness is the expansion of social contacts is mistaken. Katsioppo suggests that the main problem is in our head: for example, lonely people become extremely sensitive to social threats, therefore they look at strangers as a potential danger. After reviewing previous research, the psychologist found that coping with this problem cures loneliness more effectively than learning new social skills. If a person has one or two close friends, but he feels that he is good, then there is nothing to worry about. But in the case when there is a feeling that the whole world is against you, it is necessary to take measures.

Age and loneliness

Scientists have also suggested that in early age the impact of loneliness can be moderate or insignificant, but its impact increases over the years. Testing this version, psychologists studied a group of people aged 50 to 68 years.

The observation resulted in statements that the more a person has lived in the world, the more he is susceptible to traditional stressful situations: job change, marriage, childbirth, divorce, financial turmoil, illness.

When lonely people encounter stressful situations, they find themselves more helpless, they perceive the stressful situation as a great threat. But, ironically, finding themselves in a similar situation, such people are more actively seeking outside help.

Not only that, Hawkley and Katsioppo examined urine samples from lonely and non-lonely people and found that the analyzes of lonely people contain more adrenaline. What does this indicate? As you know, adrenaline belongs to the "fight or flight" group of substances, and its high level means that a person is in a state of excitement, and with age, this indicator becomes more unstable. After all, stress hormones inhibit the fight against infections, which means that loneliness with age only exacerbates the health situation.

Federal Agency for Education

ROWPO<Воронежский институт инновационных систем>

Department of General Socio-Economic and Humanitarian Disciplines.

Abstract on the topic:

Loneliness as a social problem.

Performed

1st year student

group UK1-1

Zabrovskaya Oksana

Checked

Ishimskaya E.V.

Voronezh 2009

Introduction …………………………………………………………… ..page 3

Single mothers …………………………………………………… page 5

Loneliness of elderly people …………………………………… ..… .p.10

Feeling lonely in adolescence .... ………………… .p.13

Conclusion ………………………………………………………… ..page 17

List of used literature …………………………………… .page 19

Introduction

Loneliness is a socio-psychological state characterized by narrowness or lack of social contacts, behavioral alienation and emotional non-involvement of the individual; also a social disease, which consists in the massive presence of individuals experiencing such states.

Loneliness is scientifically one of the least developed social concepts... In the demographic literature, there are statistics on the absolute number and proportion of single people. So, in a number of developed countries of the world (Holland, Belgium, etc.) single people make up about 30% of the population. In the United States, as of 1986, there were 21.2 million single people. Compared to 1960, this figure has tripled. By 2000, according to forecasts, another 7.4 million people will “join” them.

In sample studies, the following types were identified among the lonely. The first type is “hopelessly lonely”, completely dissatisfied with their relationship. These people did not have a sexual partner or spouse. They rarely made contact with anyone (for example, with their neighbors). They have a strong sense of dissatisfaction with their relationships with peers, emptiness, abandonment. More than others, they tend to blame other people for their loneliness.

The second type is “periodically and temporarily lonely”. They are sufficiently connected to their friends, acquaintances, although they lack close affection or are not married. They are more likely than others to enter into social contacts in various places. Compared to other singles, they are the most socially active. These people consider their loneliness to be transient, they feel abandoned much less often than other lonely ones.

The third type is "passively and steadily lonely." These are people who have come to terms with their situation, accepting it as inevitability.

At present, interest in the problem of alienation and loneliness seems to be quite natural. This is due to the nature of today's social situation, which is characterized by uncertainty and instability. Intensive changes in the political, economic, cultural spheres of the life of society actively affect the structure of interpersonal relations and a person's self-awareness. The transitional period (from the traditionally Russian collectivist culture - to the individualistic ideology) leads to the transformation of psychosocial and cultural structures that determine business and interpersonal interaction, values and social activity of a person, his emotional well-being.
The current social situation requires a person to attract additional resources to form adequate adaptive capabilities to the changing world. However, not every person is ready to accept new conditions of existence. Many people experience the rupture of old significant ties, the inability to acquire new ones, while simultaneously feeling the need for them. Lack and / or “superficiality” of meaningful relationships causes acute negative feelings of loneliness. A lonely person is a subject experiencing difficulties in social interaction. Loneliness is a deep emotional experience that can distort perception, the concept of time and the nature of social action.
Understanding the nature of loneliness will make it possible to develop optimal strategies for overcoming it, adequate for the current unstable and uncertain situation.

Loneliness of the elderly

Old age is sometimes called the "age of social loss." This statement is not without grounds: old age as a phase of life is characterized by age-related changes in the human body, changes in its functional capabilities and, accordingly, needs, role in the family and society, which is often not painless for the person himself and his social environment.

It follows from the UN forecasts that in 2001 the age of every tenth inhabitant of the earth exceeded 60 years. Western European countries, the USA, Canada and Japan are intensively "aging". At present, life expectancy in Russia reaches 67 years, in the USA - 76 years, in France - 77 years, in Canada - 78 years, in Japan - 80 years. Average age the population is getting higher, and the number of children, adolescents and young people is decreasing, which qualifies as a “demographic revolution”.

By 1995, the share of elderly citizens in the Russian population (men over 60 years old, women over 55 years old) reached the highest high level for the period since 1959 and amounted to 20.6%. Currently, 30.2 million Russians belong to the older generation.

Problems social protection elderly people are becoming especially relevant in modern conditions, when the old forms and methods of social support have proved to be unsuitable, and a new social protection system that meets the requirements of a market economy is still being created.

Our society today is experiencing a socio-economic crisis. All the signs are evident: a drop in production and living standards, disregard for morality and the collapse of trust in the norms of public civilization, an increase in crime and social disorganization, lies, corruption, apathy and distrust in the statements and actions of the authorities. The connection between generations will help to restore the morality of society by passing on the traditions of the people, norms of behavior, universal mercy and prudence. The bearers and keepers of these values are the generation of elderly people who have gone along with the country a difficult path of development, wars, change of leadership and priorities.

In old age, the reality of aging brings with it many causes of loneliness. Old friends die, and although they can be replaced with new acquaintances, the thought that you are continuing to exist is not enough comfort. Adult children move away from their parents, sometimes only physically, but more often out of an emotional need to be themselves and to have the time and opportunity to deal with their own problems and relationships. With old age comes apprehension and loneliness caused by poor health and fear of death.

In order to best adapt to the environment, a person must have someone to whom he is personally attached, and a wide network of friends. Deficiency of each of these different types relationships can lead to either emotional or social loneliness.

All researchers agree that loneliness in the most general approximation is associated with a person's experience of his isolation from the community of people, family, historical reality, and a harmonious natural universe. But this does not mean that elderly people living alone all experience loneliness. It is possible to be lonely in the crowd and with the family, although loneliness among old people can be associated with a decrease in the number of social contacts with friends and children.

Research by Perlan and his colleagues has found much more loneliness among old single people who lived with relatives than among other old people who lived alone. It turned out that social contact with friends or neighbors has a greater impact on well-being than contact with relatives.

Contact with friends and neighbors reduced their feelings of loneliness and increased their sense of their own worth and a sense of being respected by others.

The level and causes of loneliness as understood by older people depend on age groups. People aged 80 and older understand the meaning of the term “loneliness” in a different way than people in other age groups. For the elderly, loneliness is associated with decreased activity due to disability or inability to move, rather than a lack of social contact.

Old age in real life- this is often a period when help and support is needed to survive. This is the basic dilemma. Self-esteem, independence, and help that interfere with the realization of these feelings come to a tragic contradiction. Perhaps in the end you will have to give up your independence, independence, because the extension of life is a sufficient reward for such a refusal.

There is another aspect of loneliness, which is more common among men than women. This loneliness, which occurs as a result of the warehouse of intellectual activity, along with a decrease in physical activity. Women not only live longer than men, but are generally less susceptible to the effects of aging. Older women, as a rule, find it easier to go headlong into the household than men: "a hardworking bee has no time to be sad." Most older women are able to dive into the little things of the household more often than most older men. With retirement, the number of cases for men decreases, but the number of cases for his wife increases markedly. While a retired man loses his role as a "breadwinner" of livelihoods, a woman never leaves the role of a housewife. With the retirement of her husband, a woman reduces the monetary costs of housekeeping, her health deteriorates and her vital energy decreases.

Loneliness can inspire poetry, music, and paintings. But while the material may be good, research shows that loneliness is extremely detrimental to health. Science has linked this psychological condition to high blood pressure, metabolic failure, and the risk of developing heart disease and diabetes. Not to mention how loneliness leads to depression.

Also, research by the American Association of Retirees showed that 35% of those over 45 were single.

Below are 10 strategies for dealing with this sad condition.

1. Understand what loneliness is.

“There is a difference between solitude and loneliness,” says Sanam Hafiz, a licensed clinical psychologist in New York and a faculty member at Columbia University College. “Both terms essentially mean one person; however, these are different ways of thinking,” she continues. It is very common to think that in order to feel good and worthy, external confirmation of this and other people around is necessary. Solitude is rooted in choice and the world. And when someone enjoys privacy, he / she begins to value connection above all. with themselves. They can enjoy spending time with someone else, but they don't need it. "

2. Start with small steps

When you feel isolated, it can be difficult to rebuild social bonds. You need to solve this problem gradually, in small steps.

Understand that you are not alone in the literal sense of the word - go to a large supermarket, take a walk in the park, sign up for courses, let other people around you. It is important to keep moving forward and taking steps of social interaction in any form.

3. Meet people live

Social media heightens the feeling of loneliness, when all interaction with people comes down to viewing their profiles and photos on Instagram. While services such as VKontakte and Odnoklassniki offer real connections, they also overemphasize the success of others.

Close apps, put your smartphone and laptop aside, and waste time with people you know in real life. There is no alternative to personal interaction, there are only aids.

4. Smile and say nice things

A smile and a compliment given to everyone you meet during the day will cheer you up and those around you. It also initiates and strengthens bonds.

Simple rules of interaction: smile, compliment and ask something. The fourth step can be an invitation to go somewhere.

5. Walk more often

A walk is not just a path from point A to point B. Walk: notice the world around you, stop to look at beautiful things or listen to street music. Say "hello" to the person you like, wish have a good day- and you will be surprised how many positive connections you will make if you use this method.

6. Talk to strangers

It sounds embarrassing, and Bulgakov advised not to do this, but by starting to greet people in the elevator, you get to know your neighbors, and a small conversation with the seller in the store near your home provides a way out of your routine and comfort zone.

Writer Kyo Stark argues that even brief interactions with strangers increase our sense of well-being.

7. Call

Phone calls and video chats give you a sense of presence with people who are currently away from you. Schedule calls as you would a meeting: chat with a friend for half an hour, an hour; do this regularly to strengthen your connections and make them meaningful.

8. Sign up for courses

Find like-minded people with specialized events. Are fond of foreign languages? Have you long wanted to learn how to cook like a chef? Do it.

9. Reach out to someone who is also lonely.

In our loneliness, we may not notice that someone near us is also lonely. Invite someone who seems isolated to you for a walk or coffee.

This is not always an easy task, but by helping your "companion" in this trouble, you will help yourself.

10. Seek professional help if you need it

Go to a psychological consultation, discuss your problem with a psychotherapist, dial the helpline number. Our souls need healing as much as a broken leg would need it. Do this if you feel like you can't handle it yourself.

Federal Agency for Education

ROWPO<Воронежский институт инновационных систем>

Department of General Socio-Economic and Humanitarian Disciplines.

Abstract on the topic:

Loneliness as a social problem.

Performed

1st year student

group UK1-1

Zabrovskaya Oksana

Checked

Ishimskaya E.V.

Voronezh 2009

Introduction …………………………………………………………… ..page 3

Single mothers …………………………………………………… page 5

Loneliness of elderly people …………………………………… ..… .p.10

Feeling lonely in adolescence .... ………………… .p.13

Conclusion ………………………………………………………… ..page 17

List of used literature …………………………………… .page 19

Introduction

Loneliness is scientifically one of the least developed social concepts. In the demographic literature, there are statistics on the absolute number and proportion of single people. So, in a number of developed countries of the world (Holland, Belgium, etc.) single people make up about 30% of the population. In the United States, as of 1986, there were 21.2 million single people. Compared to 1960, this figure has tripled. By 2000, according to forecasts, another 7.4 million people will “join” them.

The third type is "passively and steadily lonely." These are people who have come to terms with their situation, accepting it as inevitability.

Loneliness of the elderly

Old age is sometimes called the "age of social loss." This statement is not without grounds: old age as a phase of life is characterized by age-related changes in the human body, changes in its functional capabilities and, accordingly, needs, role in the family and society, which often is not painless for the person himself and his social environment.

It follows from the UN forecasts that in 2001 the age of every tenth inhabitant of the earth exceeded 60 years. Western European countries, the USA, Canada and Japan are intensively "aging". At present, life expectancy in Russia reaches 67 years, in the USA - 76 years, in France - 77 years, in Canada - 78 years, in Japan - 80 years. The average age of the population is getting higher, and the number of children, adolescents and young people is decreasing, which qualifies as a “demographic revolution”.

By 1995, the share of elderly citizens in the Russian population (men over 60 years old, women over 55 years old) reached the highest level since 1959 and amounted to 20.6%. Currently, 30.2 million Russians belong to the older generation.

The problems of social protection of the elderly are becoming especially relevant in modern conditions, when the old forms and methods of social support have proved unsuitable, and a new social protection system that meets the requirements of a market economy is still being created.

In order to best adapt to the environment, a person must have someone to whom he is personally attached, and a wide network of friends. Deficiencies in each of these different types of relationships can lead to either emotional or social loneliness.

Contact with friends and neighbors reduced their feelings of loneliness and increased their sense of their own worth and a sense of being respected by others.

Old age in real life is often a period when help and support is needed to survive. This is the basic dilemma. Self-esteem, independence and help, which prevents the realization of these feelings, come to a tragic contradiction. Perhaps in the end you will have to give up your independence, independence, because the extension of life is a sufficient reward for such a refusal.

The burden of worries on the shoulders of older women increases with the traditional age differentiation between spouses. In addition to taking care of their health, many older women take care of their husband's health, and even more so as they age. The woman returns "back to the role of the mother", now in relation to her husband. Now, her responsibilities include ensuring that he visits the doctor on time, monitor his diet, treatment and adjust his activities. Therefore, marriage is more beneficial for older men than for women.

And so, women are less susceptible to loneliness, since they have, on average, more social roles than men.

Studies have shown that widowed men are more lonely than married men, and there is no significant difference in feelings of loneliness among married and widowed women. Men and women who are married are less lonely than people who live alone; but again, men were more influenced than women. Single men belonged to the group of people most suffering from loneliness; men in the barge were the least susceptible to a feeling of loneliness; women who were married and also living alone occupied an intermediate position between the first two groups. This data is partly explained by the difference in the organization of leisure time in older men and women. The results showed that two-thirds of single men are engaged in solitary activities, while over two-thirds of single women devote their free time to various types of social activities.

The studies carried out by sociologists have shown that the majority of elderly people (56%) live with their children, and 45% of such families have grandchildren, 59% of pensioners have a spouse. Singles make up 13%. If among the surveyed retirees the feeling of loneliness as real fact say 23%, while for single people this figure is 38%.

In solving the problem of loneliness, systems of social rehabilitation and social assistance for the elderly are becoming important. Social rehabilitation is a complex of socio-economic, medical, legal, professional and other measures aimed at ensuring necessary conditions and the return of this population group to a dignified life in society.

Single mothers

The destruction of the family at the initiative of men is very common these days. The psychological reason for such cases is male infantilism - the loss of a sense of responsibility for the birth and upbringing of children, the loss of a sense of paternity as the most important component of the male character.

At the same time, the wife also loses any reasonable orientation in her daily affairs and duties: she ceases to understand where she can count on her husband's help, and where she will have to shoulder responsibility and difficult worries on herself. As a result, the wife unwittingly begins to win the first position in the family hierarchy and to be promoted to the role of an active leader who has taken on his shoulders the care and full responsibility for the life of the family and the upbringing of children. Needless to say, this burden is unbearable and unnatural for a woman, therefore, there is always a murmur from her side about her bitter fate. And the more a man behaves more frivolously and irresponsibly, the stronger this groan and murmur of a woman's soul is heard.

Thus, the loss by a man of the functions of fatherhood and patronage, of sacrificial and active care for his wife and children, ultimately leads to the complete destruction of the order of family life conceived by the Lord. The wife acquires the function of the head of the family, which she bears out of necessity, often clumsily and hysterically, and the husband switches to the position of an adult, but an unreasonable child, who also demands maternal behavior from his wife.

Violation of the spiritual hierarchy in the family and the deformation of the socio-psychological roles of men and women create an extremely unfavorable atmosphere for the development of the child's personality. The child is either pushed into the background for the mother (while the husband, who behaves like a capricious and spoiled child), or becomes an idol, a kind of substitute for an unsuccessful marriage, on which unspent female love and affection is poured out in abundance. Needless to say, in both cases, the authority of the father and mother is undermined. Gradually growing up, sons and daughters absorb their soul negative images parental behavior, psychological scenarios and stereotypes of conflict communication, and, thus, it turns out to be prepared not for creation, but for the destruction of one's own family. As a rule, the actual breakdown of the family occurs against the background of extremely perverse interpersonal relationships. A protracted family conflict forms in a man a state of complete apathy, boredom, insensitivity and cynicism, in a woman - a feeling of a victim cornered, experiencing panic horror before the problems that have piled on her, in children - a state of being lost (homeless), loneliness and uselessness.

First of all, seven veins are needed. They are needed to stop feeling like a victim of someone's ill will, in order to overcome the feeling of fear for yourself and your children, the tendency to be nervous and panic for any reason, when you have to take a purely decision male questions... At this moment, when a woman's soul is overwhelmed with grievances, when her heart is heavy from grief, any business turns into a test of her vitality, nerves, volitional tension. A woman constantly acts through strength, stepping over her mental and physical weaknesses.

After a divorce from her husband, you sometimes have to solve many issues that have not arisen before. On the one hand, these are household and financial problems. On the other hand, the establishment of a normal microclimate in the house, where there are still traces of previous strife. On the third, the assumption of paternal functions in addition to purely maternal functions. On the fourth side - the exercise of spiritual leadership in the family, taking full responsibility for the future of their children.

Only thanks to remarkable patience can a woman carry on several roles and responsibilities every day. She now has to not only carry out everyday female duties (wash, clean, cook, etc.), but, in addition, sometimes work not in one, but in two or three jobs, running from one organization to another. Returning home in the evening brings new troubles: it is necessary to check the lessons of the younger children, as well as find an opportunity to talk heart to heart with the elders, delving into their experiences and problems. Control everything, encourage everyone, direct and, if necessary, scold, then console - and at the same time remain cheerful and cheerful! A woman has to hide her fatigue, her pain, her suffering, hide from her children, only occasionally allowing herself to cry out in prayer the anxiety about the present and future of an incomplete family.

In addition, a woman after a divorce should also be seven inches in the forehead. We can say that she must go beyond her natural abilities, since the tendency to thinking and reasoning is more characteristic of men. Now, living in an incomplete family, a woman cannot afford a purely emotional approach to business, since children will pay for any rash decision she makes.

Such reckless decisions, for example, include the desire to re-arrange their personal life by all means. Persistent searches for a new husband often bring a situation, already very difficult, to the brink of a psychological catastrophe: there is a new husband who is absolutely not ready to show generosity and take on the shoulders of raising other people's children. Invading an incomplete family, the new "mother's husband" often becomes a cruel tyrant for children. As a rule, a second marriage, entered into for emotional reasons, becomes an intolerable test for a woman and her children.

Feeling lonely in adolescence

The social situation of today creates an extremely unstable system, against the background of which the adolescent subculture is changing. Being one of the least adapted and socially unprotected groups, adolescents cannot but bear the imprint of general social uncertainty, insecurity, and anxiety. As a result of this, the problem of adolescent loneliness came to the fore, among other socio-pedagogical and psychological-pedagogical problems.

Psychologists identify several groups of factors that contribute to the onset of loneliness in adolescence.

First group . These are some of the features of this age period... Primarily, development of reflection, which gives rise to the adolescent's need to know himself as a person, to understand himself at the level of his own requirements for himself. The age crises typical of this period also play a role in the onset of loneliness in adolescence: crisis identity and self-esteem.

Another group of factors is made up of the personality traits of a teenager: shyness, low self-esteem, high demands on oneself or others, unrealistic expectations and ideas about love, friendship and communication, etc.

Social factors that lead to loneliness are also distinguished: rejection of a teenager by a group of peers (social attitude), breakdown of friendly relations or lack of a circle of friends and close friends, which may be a consequence of both the personality of the teenager and the result of the influence of situational reasons: moving to a new place of residence and school change.

As a new group, there are factors associated with the family of a teenager, including the type of family upbringing. Disharmonious family relationships(frequent conflicts, low culture of communication, lack of respect and trust between family members, physical violence) form the idea of interpersonal relationships as unpredictable and dangerous, which is better to avoid.

It should also be noted that the effect of loneliness on a teenager also depends on the duration of the experience.

It is customary to distinguish three types of loneliness:

Temporary loneliness(short-term bouts of experiencing one's own isolation and dissatisfaction with interpersonal communication)

Situational loneliness(is a consequence of stressful situations, death loved one, breakup, etc.)

Chronic loneliness characterized by a person's lack of satisfactory communication, as a result of which he suffers from his isolation.

Chronic loneliness has the most dire consequences for adolescents, which can lead to emotional and behavioral deviations.

The adolescent subculture of today includes a whole range of asocial manifestations that are regarded by adolescents as the norm. This is what B.N. Almazov, L.A. Grishchenko, A.S. Belkin, V.T. Kondrashenko, A.E. Lichko. Such a tendency indicates a change in the general outlook among adolescents, a change in the system of norms and values and, as a consequence, a change in behavioral reactions. The actual result of this is the dynamics of the adolescent's individual feelings towards instability and negativity. One of the most acute experiences is the feeling of loneliness.

In social pedagogy, there is a description of many states close to loneliness, in particular, solitude (A.V. Mudrik), social alienation (OB Dolginova). However, these states are not considered in interconnection, as well as in dynamics. Meanwhile, the analysis of adolescent loneliness allows us to build a clear series of development of many similar states, which is the basis for predicting their socio-pedagogical consequences. A detailed analysis of many psychological, pedagogical and socio-pedagogical problems allows us to identify loneliness as a basic state, on the basis of which conflicts, complexes, tension, violations of the communicative sphere are formed.

Social loneliness is the result of a state of insufficient social organization, adaptation, as well as a consequence of the rupture of significant social ties and relationships. Psychologists distinguish two types social loneliness: maladaptive, or conflict, and loneliness of "loss" (death of a loved one, divorce of parents, etc.).

Psychological loneliness is a complex of intrapersonal experiences associated with "dissimilarity", "otherness", non-recognition, resentment, as well as a consequence of the split of the self-image.

Characterizing loneliness as a psychological state, it should be said that it is associated, first of all, with the person's awareness and experience of his isolation and remoteness from other people. The painful experience of loneliness becomes if a person begins to perceive his remoteness from others as a lack of connections with people and the world, a lack of communication, attention, love, human warmth. Adolescents experiencing such loneliness feel disconnected from those around them, while experiencing sadness, sadness, resentment, and sometimes fear. As a rule, they are not satisfied with their communication with their peers, they believe that they have few friends or do not have a faithful friend, a loved one who could understand them and, if necessary, help. For a number of different reasons, such adolescents themselves do not always actively seek friends or strive for communication, but, in dire need of it, they are involved in negative or even asocial groups. Often, on the contrary, they avoid him in every possible way, which can also lead to a dangerous dead end.

Most authors emphasize the duality of the nature of the experience of loneliness and its impact on the adolescent: on the one hand, it enriches the inner world, allowing you to feel the uniqueness of your existence, on the other hand, it can lead to behavioral deviations, depression or even suicide.

The desire to be in a group, to be "like everyone else" in adolescence is very great. When a young person is asked to smoke, his decision is based on various factors. One of the most important factors is the fear of being alone, as the vast majority of teen companies are smokers. Short-term benefits are significantly more important than long-term benefits. The decision is also influenced by the young person's previous experience in similar situations. It is good if the young person himself is aware of all the factors of starting smoking (both momentary and distant). Then he will be able to find alternative actions and understand his own reasons for making decisions.

The feeling of loneliness in adolescence is very painful; it often pushes children into risky behavior and sometimes heroin. By the way, it has long been noticed that children from wealthy, so-called prosperous families, in which a son or daughter do not feel the need for pocket money, but are deprived of the emotional care of adults, are easier to get on the needle.

“The loneliness of adolescents grows in the same way as the loneliness of the elderly,” says Elena Sukhoparova, a psychologist for the emergency psychological help “Home Alone”. “Seven times a week, children come to us who want to end their lives: misunderstanding at all levels, family discord, everyday difficulties, unhappy love. A frequent topic is violence at school, fights after school: the child does not want to complain, but he cannot cope with the situation himself.

Own "I" in adolescence grows to an enormous size and overshadows the rest of the world. So it turns out that they are very, very lonely! Because of loneliness, adolescents develop suicidal thoughts. "

P. Shirikhev, Head of the Laboratory of Psychology of Intergroup Relations at the Institute of Psychology of the USSR Academy of Sciences, Candidate of Philosophy, notes: “The main reason for suicide is a person's sense of the senselessness of his existence. It has a connection with the situation in which a given society is, in particular, with economic instability, ideological confusion, and a reassessment of social norms of morality. As for big cities, including Moscow, there is a phenomenon here when a person feels terrible loneliness having a lot of friends and acquaintances. "

The socio-psychological research "Teenager 2001" was devoted to the study of the problem of adolescent loneliness. It was attended by about 4000 boys and girls from 13 to 16 years old, students of 8-11 grades of schools in Moscow. The results of the analysis of the responses of young people to the "Loneliness" questionnaire allow us to say that every third of them experiences a state of loneliness of varying intensity, and 2.3% of the respondents experience loneliness in a critically strong degree: acutely and constantly.

As a result of a study of more than 600 Russian adolescents, it turned out that every sixth of them is experiencing an acute loneliness. If in 1997 only 2.3% of adolescents experienced this feeling, then in 2003 - 17%, with 2.7% of respondents - to a strong degree. By the way, teenagers' perceptions of loneliness change with age. At the age of 13-14, loneliness is described as a state of physical isolation, bad mood, boredom, sadness, sadness, fear; at the age of 15 - as horror, depression, resentment, grief; at the age of 16 - as a difficult experience associated mainly with the lack of an understanding loved one ..

Conclusion

In Russia, according to the 1989 census, 10,126 thousand are single people, 6805 thousand of them are women. Lonely in this case is a person who lives alone and does not maintain regular contact with relatives.

The specificity of Russian loneliness is such that it is primarily the result of the high mortality rate of the male population (Russian women live much longer than men) and mortality from unnatural causes (it is estimated that approximately every third mother has the opportunity to outlive her children). In addition, the general social and family disorganization, the lack of developed technologies for helping lonely people or those at risk of being left alone turn loneliness in its Russian version into a rather malignant social disease.

Loneliness is one of the main social problems that are the subject of social work, and social work is one of the most important tools for eliminating or at least alleviating this social illness. Among the means of dealing with loneliness are socio-psychological: personal diagnostics and identification of individuals with an increased risk of loneliness, communication trainings to develop communication skills, psychotherapy and psychocorrection to eliminate the painful effects of loneliness, etc .; organizational: the creation of clubs and communication groups, the formation of new social connections among clients and the promotion of new interests to replace those lost, for example, as a result of divorce or widowhood, etc .; socio-medical: education of skills of self-preserving behavior and teaching the basics healthy way life.

Loneliness is a must and integral part human life, it has always accompanied human life, and will always exist as long as people exist. There is not a single person in the world who does not know what loneliness is. No one has been able in the past, cannot in the present and will not be able to completely avoid loneliness in the future, no matter how much he wants it.

When helping lonely people, there are a variety of factors that contribute to loneliness. Friendships, social environment and individual activities represent an alternative to medical intervention for the care of the lonely.

Helping single people sometimes should be about making a difference, not a person.

Bibliography

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3. Kiseleva V.A. Socio-pedagogical support for adolescents experiencing loneliness. Materials of the 5th Scientific and Pedagogical Readings of the Faculty of Social Pedagogy on March 28, 2002. - M., 2002.

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5. Shirikhev P. The most common causes of suicide. http://www.xa-oc.hll.ru

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8. Bondarenko I.S. For the benefit of older people. - magazine - Social worker. M.: 1997, No. 1.P.44

Federal Agency for Education

Department of General Socio-Economic and Humanitarian Disciplines.

Abstract on the topic:

Loneliness as a social problem.

Performed

1st year student

group UK1-1

Zabrovskaya Oksana

Checked

Ishimskaya E.V.

Voronezh 2009

Introduction …………………………………………………………… ..page 3

Single mothers …………………………………………………… page 5

Loneliness of elderly people …………………………………… ..… .p.10

Feeling lonely in adolescence .... ………………… .p.13

Conclusion ………………………………………………………… ..page 17

List of used literature …………………………………… .page 19

Introduction

The third type is "passively and steadily lonely." These are people who have come to terms with their situation, accepting it as inevitability.

Loneliness of the elderly

Old age is sometimes called the "age of social loss." This statement is not without grounds: old age as a phase of life is characterized by age-related changes in the human body, changes in its functional capabilities and, accordingly, needs, role in the family and society, which often is not painless for the person himself and his social environment.

It follows from the UN forecasts that in 2001 the age of every tenth inhabitant of the earth exceeded 60 years. Western European countries, the USA, Canada and Japan are intensively "aging". At present, life expectancy in Russia reaches 67 years, in the USA - 76 years, in France - 77 years, in Canada - 78 years, in Japan - 80 years. The average age of the population is getting higher, and the number of children, adolescents and young people is decreasing, which qualifies as a “demographic revolution”.

Contact with friends and neighbors reduced their feelings of loneliness and increased their sense of their own worth and a sense of being respected by others.

And so, women are less prone to loneliness, as they, on average, have more social roles than men.

The studies carried out by sociologists have shown that the majority of elderly people (56%) live with their children, and 45% of such families have grandchildren, 59% of pensioners have a spouse. Singles make up 13%. If among the surveyed retirees, 23% note the feeling of loneliness as a real fact, for single people this indicator is 38%. social problemThesis >> Sociology

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