Social issues are matters which directly or indirectly affect many or all members of a society and are considered to be problems, controversies related to moral values, or both.
Social issues include poverty, violence, pollution, injustice, suppression of human rights, discrimination, and crime, as well as abortion, gay marriage, gun control, and the teaching of evolution, to name a few.
Social issues are related to the fabric of the community, including conflicts among the interests of community members, and lie beyond the control of any one individual.