Within economics there are many issues that are of concern, especially during the development and growth of economies. These can include environmental concerns, poverty, and gender inequality. These sort of problems that are typically a part of other social studies can be viewed under an economic perspective.
For example, gender inequality issues are typically discussed within the perspective that economies that have not developed to give equal opportunity to both genders in the work force are at a disadvantage because they greatly reduce their labour resources; women make up 50% of the population. Poverty is a self-evident issue because it comes at the detriment of the welfare of portions of the population as well as limiting those persons' contribution to the economy.
Environmental issues are economic issues in the sense that most problems stem from externalities which means an inefficiency in the system. For example there is excess car pollution because the price of cars does not account for this cost to the environment. Economic thinking would say that the price mechanism does not accurately affect the costs so the choices of the consumers are higher than normal. As long as we create a situation where the price truly reflects all the costs including the social costs then there will be a lower and more 'correct' amount of pollution that is acceptable to all. On the other hand, most environmentalists would not agree that there is a 'good' amount of pollution.
Economic issues are usually most evident within developing economies, but that does not mean developed economies do not face these same economic issues.
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