Healthcare Essay: Exploring Social Class and Health Inequality

This essay explores the significant ways social class contributes to health inequalities. It delves into various factors such as culture, employment status, education levels, life expectancy, and the disparities between wealth and poverty. Drawing upon sociological theories and concepts, the essay illustrates how these elements intertwine to create unequal health outcomes across different social classes. The author emphasizes the impact of lifestyle choices, working conditions, access to education and healthcare, and overall socioeconomic status on health. The essay concludes by highlighting the importance of understanding these complex relationships to address and mitigate health disparities effectively. The essay provides a detailed analysis supported by research and references, making it a valuable resource for students studying the sociology of health.

HEALTHCARE ESSAY
SOCIOLOGY OF HEALTH ESSAY
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HEALTHCARE ESSAY
Table of Contents
Write an essay explaining the main ways that social class leads to inequality in health................1
Discuss theories and concepts from the sociology of health in the essay to support your answer.
.................................................................................................................................................................... 1
Introduction................................................................................................................................................1
How social class lead to health inequalities..........................................................................................1
Culture....................................................................................................................................................1
Employment status...............................................................................................................................2
Education...............................................................................................................................................2
Life expectancy.....................................................................................................................................3
Wealth versus poverty..........................................................................................................................4
Conclusion.................................................................................................................................................4
References................................................................................................................................................6

HEALTHCARE ESSAY
“Write an essay explaining the main ways that social class leads to inequality in health.”
“Discuss theories and concepts from the sociology of health in the essay to support your
answer.”
Introduction
Inequality in health can be characterized as disparities in the circulation of wellbeing
determinants between various groups of people or in wellbeing status (Adler, and
Stewart 2010, p.5). Differences in portability between the aged and youths or contrasts
in death rates between individuals from various social classes. Recognition of health
inequalities and health inequity meaning is a key aspect to understanding the difference
between inequalities and inequities. Biological variations and external environment and
conditions are attributed by some of the health inequalities.
Health inequalities are termed as unfair because it goes against the social justice
principles because it can be avoided (Petersen, and Kwan 2011, p.481). It is avoidable
because it does not occur by chances but rather socially determined by a variety of
circumstances beyond the individual's capability. World Health Organization (WHO)
points out that, there are evident social factors which affect the wellbeing of a given
social group, including the status of employment, income status, education level, sex,
gender, and ethnic group.
How social class lead to health inequalities
The social class encompasses status, life-expectancy, employment, culture, wealth,
education, and background in relation to health inequalities (Clougherty, Souza, and
Cullen 2010, p.102). Different concepts and theories explain how social class causes
health inequalities.
Culture
On the basis of culture; the lower the social class the more people prefer having less
healthy lifestyles compared to the middle and higher social class (Ridgeway 2014, p.
16). This is explained by more smoking cultures, less exercise, taking more fatty foods,
and drinking more of alcoholic drinks. Lower social classes tend to have less money to
spend on healthy foods, and also have limited knowledge about a healthy or balanced

HEALTHCARE ESSAY
diet. Their way of working conditions and hours limit them from accessing exercise
recreational activities to keep their bodies in shape. This is in contrary to those people in
white collar jobs who have plenty of time and have the freedom to choose on a variety
of foods and exercise time. This lack of time to take often breaks for body exercise then
makes the lower social class highly vulnerable to the cardiorespiratory system.
According to Frederich Engels, “Drink is the bane of the working classes” (Collyer 2015,
p. 35). This is because of drunkenness among the lower social class, causes health
problems which when they manifest themselves it is very hard to manage. The upper
and middle social class normally term drunkenness as amusement and hence once
they are attacked by health issues it's simpler or them to manage. Management of
alcohol addiction and health problems among social classes leads to health disparities.
It is evident that cultural behaviors basing on the social classes cause or leads to a
great chance of inequality in health according to (Phelan, Link, and Tehranifar 2010,
p.S28). People at the lower social class lead less healthy lives in comparison to those of
higher socioeconomic classes.
Employment status
Different people have different social classes based on employment, there are people of
the lower, middle and higher social class (Pampel, Krueger, and Denney 2010, p.349).
This explains why there are different working environments and it has a direct effect on
the wellbeing of the person in reference to the working environment. For the case of
lowly skilled employees who always have lower income than the supervisors and
managers or employers. The environment at which different workers work contributes
highly to how their health is catered for. Lowly skilled employees face many risks like
accidents when operating machinery than those who work white collar jobs. This shows
the gap created by employment status between the low social class or the poor and the
higher social class leading to health inequalities.
Education
On the basis of education in regards to social classes, the poor who do not have
enough resources tend to have a limitation even in accessing education which goes in
hand with better health (Stephens, Markus, and Fryberg 2012, p.723). Having a good

HEALTHCARE ESSAY
life with all the relevant factors in one's life can affect one’s education and eventually
leads to health inequalities in one way or another. Environmental conditions and the
social class affects directly success in education because of the availability or
unavailability of a good learning environment or quality education. The effect is
manifested on two aspects, high health risks, and socioeconomic status for the poor
than the rich. Lack of education can be caused by the inability to pay for it and this leads
to imbalances on heath understanding.
School preparation is improved by positive conditions for the child, for instance, fetal
prosperity, family financial status, neighborhood financial status, development of the
social emotion, and childhood education (Conger, Conger, and Martin 2010, p.685). A
portion of these resources likewise has all the earmarks of being fundamental on the
wellbeing and improvement of young people. This keeps them aware of the danger of
the adoption of unhealthy lives and diseases they grow.
People who are deprived of education due to their socioeconomic status they fall in the
trap of leading an unhealthy life and accessing jobs in environments which makes them
in high health risks.
It is also clear that people who are educated get better positions in employment in
comparison to those who are uneducated. The educated personnel is always termed as
the skilled labor and they get jobs which have fewer health risks like in offices termed as
white collar jobs. The unskilled labor or less skilled labor work in environments where
they are at a higher health risk like accidents or even death risks.
Life expectancy
Social class status affects the life expectancy of one individual to another (Adler, and
Stewart 2010, p.5). This is because of the childhood mortality rate and life health
challenges handling capability. People with better socioeconomic status and better
earning tend to live longer and always have pension wealth, this is in accordance to the
amount they earn throughout their lifetime. Individuals from lower class (lower
socioeconomic state) and low earnings have shortened life expectancies due to many
exposures of risk to death. So social class is a good prediction to a prolonged or
shortened life expectancy and hence serving as an impact of health inequalities.

HEALTHCARE ESSAY
Wealth versus poverty
Wealth is always associated with the people of the high social class or the rich as in
contrast to poverty which is associated with the people of low class or the poor (Birdsall
2010, p. 456). Wealth is is the plenitude of profitable budgetary resources or physical
belongings which can be changed over into a structure that can be utilized for
exchanges. The people who are wealthy are said to have better healthy lifestyles as
compared to those people who are poor because they can afford all the cost of well
being. They are advantaged such that they can have regular health checks as
compared to the poor.
Poverty; it is described better as the deprivation of many or all the basic human needs,
which include, clean drinking water, sanitation, food, health, education, shelter among
other basic needs (Joshi, Fawcett, and Mannan 2011, p.91). On this understanding, it
means that there is a prevalence of many treatable diseases, communicable diseases,
and malnutrition because of a lack of healthy diets. Poverty among people lowers their
social class and this affects their access even to the least health services.
Health inequalities are well shown among these social classes in regards to wealth and
poverty.
Conclusion
In conclusion, there is clear evidence now how social class can lead to health
inequalities. This is after consideration of different factors which add up for a social
class; employment or occupation, culture, wealth and poverty, education, and life
expectancy. All these contribute to the gaps between social classes either positively or
negatively and hence inequality in health.
The social status may be formless idea unmistakable focal points where the better
financial class is in relation. Most people in high socioeconomic status, by chance,
termed as the high class is likely to have preferred access to better healthcare services
over the general people of the lower class. This means that the higher class has access
to better education, better employment, better income, better healthcare service and are
wealthier.

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On the contrary, people from low social classes have limited access to all the life
pleasures, they have little they are exposed to high-risk employment, have less income,
less education, less health care services and lead more unhealthy lifestyles. This is
because of poverty which deprives them almost everything they need for basic needs.

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References
Adler, N.E. and Stewart, J., 2010. Health disparities across the lifespan: meaning,
methods, and mechanisms. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1186(1),
pp.5-23.
Adler, N.E. and Stewart, J., 2010. Health disparities across the lifespan: meaning,
methods, and mechanisms. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1186(1),
pp.5-23.
Birdsall, N., 2010. The (indispensable) middle class in developing countries; or, the rich
and the rest, not the poor and the rest. EQUITY IN A GLOBALIZING WORLD, Ravi
Kanbur, and Michael Spence, eds., World Bank, Forthcoming, 72(3), pp.465- 474.
Clougherty, J.E., Souza, K. and Cullen, M.R., 2010. Work and its role in shaping the
social gradient in health. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1186(1),
pp.102-124.
Collyer, F., 2015. Karl Marx and Frederich Engels: capitalism, health, and the
healthcare industry. In The Palgrave Handbook of Social Theory in Health, Illness and
Medicine (pp. 35-58). Palgrave Macmillan, London.
Conger, R.D., Conger, K.J. and Martin, M.J., 2010. Socioeconomic status, family
processes, and individual development. Journal of Marriage and Family, 72(3), pp.685-
704.
Joshi, D., Fawcett, B. and Mannan, F., 2011. Health, hygiene, and appropriate
sanitation: experiences and perceptions of the urban poor. Environment and
Urbanization, 23(1), pp.91-111.
Pampel, F.C., Krueger, P.M. and Denney, J.T., 2010. Socioeconomic disparities in
health behaviors. Annual review of sociology, 36, pp.349-370.
Petersen, P.E., and Kwan, S., 2011. Equity, social determinants and public health
programs–the case of oral health. Community dentistry and oral epidemiology, 39(6),
pp.481-487.

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Phelan, J.C., Link, B.G. and Tehranifar, P., 2010. Social conditions as fundamental
causes of health inequalities: theory, evidence, and policy implications. Journal of health
and social behavior, 51(1_suppl), pp.S28-S40.
Ridgeway, C.L., 2014. Why status matters for inequality. American Sociological
Review, 79(1), pp.1-16.
Stephens, N.M., Markus, H.R. and Fryberg, S.A., 2012. Social class disparities in health
and education: Reducing inequality by applying a sociocultural self-model of
behavior. Psychological Review, 119(4), p.723.