Social Influences And Class Structure Affect People s Health

Social influences and class structure affect people’s health. People who live in poverty and are at the bottom of the socioeconomic ladder have worse health than those who have more money. In essence, inequality in society is making people sick. For example, the United States is a country that has very wealthy people along with a staggering amount of poor individuals, yet it is one of the richest countries in the world. It is clear that there is a widening gap of inequality in America, and according to the film Unnatural Causes: Is Inequality Making Us Sick? (2008), the United States spends $2 trillion per year on medical care, but American citizens live shorter, sicker lives than most industrialized countries. But how is this possible? The stresses of every day life for middle and low class citizens greatly contributes to their health issues. According to Williams and Rosenstock, â€Å"differences in income are associated with differences in occupations and work environments , potentially exacerbating the overall effect of income inequality on workers’ health† (2015:616). Basically, those who work in poor conditions and make a lower income, who are clearly unequal to the richer citizens who work under better conditions, are prone to greater health risks. This gap in health between unequal classes is not coincidental. In Williams and Rosenstock’s article, they state that one measure of income inequality is the pay gap between that of a production worker and a company’s CEO andShow MoreRelatedIs Diabetes A Common Disease?1358 Words   |  6 Pages The disease that we mostly discuss that causes illness to people’s health in our society is diabetes. It is believed that 50 percent of people living in Canada have been determined to have diabetes. Diabetes is a common disease that mostly occurs with people who are in old age along with specific group of individuals. Healthcare experts are trying to find ways to improve the healthcare of individuals with diabetes by anticipating ways by providing preventing and treatment measures for patientsRead MoreArgument Essay : The Land Of Opportunity 1146 Words   |  5 PagesOpportunity, which comes from his book Lies My Teacher Told Me. In Loewen s excerpt, he discusses how many of his first time college students answer a very broad question; Why are people poor?( 213). He states that a vast majority of them answer him with half-formed and wide-eyed answers (213). Loewen claims, They have no understanding of the ways that opportunity is not equal in America and no notion that social structure pushes people around, influencing the ideas they hold and the lives they fashionRead MoreSocial Class And Its Relevance1702 Words   |  7 Pagesbeen an ongoing debate about social class and its relevance in contemporary society. Marx’s social class theory was relating to man and his access to the means of production. He stated there are two classes the bourgeo isie, those who own the means of the production and the proletariat who only possess their labour power to sell ( Ollman, 1976). Pakulski and Waters argued that social is dead, due to changes in economic and social structures along with adaptions in social identity and belonging (1996)Read MoreDrug Addiction And Socioeconomic Status1467 Words   |  6 PagesAddiction and Socioeconomic Status Noah Rewis Desert Vista High School Author’s Note This literature review was written for Mrs. Boggs Advanced Composition class Abstract Drug addiction has historically been associated with impoverished minorities. However, in recent years, drug addiction has spiked amongst the suburban middle class. While this is obviously an issue, the reasons behind drug addiction are still not entirely unclear, making responding to addiction crises difficult. The followingRead MoreEvaluating The Effectiveness Of Foreign Aid And The Millennium Development Goals978 Words   |  4 Pagesat times of crisis. Women who are also affected by class status can be greatly limited because of the resources they have. Strategies towards alleviating poverty and types of aid such as multilateral and bilateral aid will be critiqued in this essay. This essay will examine the research question through a social justice perspective. It will help to explain how foreign aid has impacted impoverished countries such as Bangladesh and Nepal. Social justice is a concept that brings to light injusticesRead MoreThe Impact Of Social Stratification On Minorities1195 Words   |  5 Pagesof this class I have learned about social problems within the society in which we live and around the world. It is disturbing to learn that poverty, social inequality, race and cultural discrimination, gender stratification, environmental damage, population growth, and urbanization are among the social problems and controversial issues that still exist in the United States. What is Social Stratification Social stratification is defined as a system by which society ranks categories of people in a hierarchyRead MoreHealth Is Not Determined Solely By Genetics1493 Words   |  6 Pagesof â€Å"medical doctor† typically elicits connections to health, medications, and the extensive field of science. Physicians are individuals to whom people consult when illness strikes and care is needed; however, few associate these doctors with issues thought to be outside the realm of medicine’s teachings, such as politics, social services and economics. Unnatural Causes: Is Inequality Making Us Sick? (2008) highlights the point that good health of their patients, the ultimate goal of any physicianRead MorePoverty Is A Growing Problem Around The World With Millions Of People1267 Words   |  6 PagesPoverty is a growing problem around the world with millions of people lacking the basic elements necessary for stable living and Hamilton is no exception. Nearly one fifth of Hamiltonians li ve below the national poverty line (Social Planning Research Council, 2012). Moreover, one third of all private housings are rentals (or tenant housings), and seven percent of residents live in derelict housing (Social Planning Research Council, 2012). This abundance of poverty is structurally maintained throughRead MoreWhat Is Identity? Who Defines Such, And How Is It Constructed?1570 Words   |  7 Pagesits meaning is not captured by the definition. Identity has a double sense, it can refer to one’s self, a personal identity; but at the same time can also be socially constructed. People have unique identities which may be partly determined by family influences and personal development, but also biological influences such as a sex, ethnicity, age and disability. As far back as 1690 John Locke wrote an essay concerning human understanding, he considered that personal identity was founded on consciousnessRead MorePolitical And Economic Theories And Systems That Influence Community Services Work1399 Words   |  6 Pagesthe political and economic theories and systems that influence community services work. The Commonwealth of Australia is both a representative democracy and a constitutional monarchy with Queen Elizabeth II as Australia s head of state. (How government works, 2016). Since the 1990s globalization has gained widespread currency in Australia on a social, economic, political and cultural level. (Holmes, 2012, p. 340) Laws and politics have an influence on Australia’s economic system, which is capitalism