Essay: Socio-Economic Class and Social Situation Impact on Health

This essay delves into the significant impact of a person's socio-economic class and social situation on their health. The introduction defines socio-economic class as a combination of social and economic measurements, emphasizing its influence on health outcomes. The main body of the essay discusses how social class, categorized into lower, middle, and upper classes, affects health through factors like access to resources, healthcare, and social support. The lower class often faces challenges due to poverty and limited access to healthcare, while the middle class experiences varied health impacts depending on their income and education levels. The upper class, with greater financial resources, generally has better access to healthcare and a higher standard of living, leading to better health outcomes. The essay highlights health inequities, the unequal distribution of resources, and the role of government policies in shaping these disparities. It concludes by emphasizing the need for policies that ensure equal distribution of resources and opportunities to improve overall health outcomes and reduce health inequities within society.

Introduction to Health
and Social Care

Table of Contents
TITLE..............................................................................................................................................1
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................1
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................5
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................6

TITLE
“Discuss the ways in which a Person’s Socio-Economic Class And His/Her Social
Situation Can Have An Impact Of His/Her Health”
INTRODUCTION
Social-economic class is a combination of social and economical measurement of work
experience of a people and their family's social position with compare to others. It is based on
education, occupation and income. These are make a large impact on their health and social
economical condition (Glasby, 2017). Aim of this essay is to identify the different ways through
which a person’s socio-economic class and their social situation can have an impact of their
health. Objective of this Essay is to determine various ways through which an individual's social
economic class and their social situation can have highly influence on their health. In this
research report, there is a discussion about different ways of a person's social economic class and
its impact on their health and care.
MAIN BODY
Class is all about categorising and distinguishing each people and individuals on the basis
of their economic position in the society. As there is a saying that, higher the class, power and
status have direct influence on the society. According to Karl Marx “ Class is mainly related to
the means of production which consist of monetary and physical things which are used to make
money such as retain estate, computers etc. Whereas social economic class refers to as social
standing or class of peoples or groups which is measured in terms of education, occupation and
income level of the individuals. In addition to this examination of social economic class revel
the fact about the inequities on approach of resources, power and control.
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There are different social economic class where a social situation of a person make an
impact on their health issues. Social economic class can be divided in three parts such as lower
class, middle class and upper class. The Lower Class, it can be indicated by poverty,
unemployment and homelessness. They don,t have enough money to satisfy their basic
requirements and also don't have adequate food, safety, decent clothing and safety facility
(Barrington, 2018). They have lower social economic class and make a negative impact on their
health because they do not have enough money to pay fees of doctors for check up and buy
medicines. If check up is not done on time or regular basis then it may become a big disease
which make a large negative impact on their health. Social situation of lower class people have
lower social social situation by which they are not able to check-up their injury and any other
diseases. The Middle Class, these are the people who have income of more than lower lower
class but less than upper class. It can be divided into two groups i.e. upper middle and lower
middle. Upper middle people are highly educated with high income and they aware about their
health and have high social situation (Dickinson and O'Flynn, 2016). They are not highly
influenced influenced with causes of health because they have enough money to pay for check
up and treatment in hospitals. Lower middle people are those who are less educated and with
income level in social situation. Lower middle people are highly influenced with their health
issues because they are not able to pay fees to doctors which make negative impact on their
health. The Upper Class, there are approximately more than 25 percent of nation's wealth hold
by upper class people. There are mainly two groups in this class i.e. upper-upper and lower-
upper. In upper-upper class those persons are include who have high society families with their
old wealth or income and who have been rich for generation. Lower-upper class includes those
people who generate more new money from business ventures and investment. Both of these
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groups have more money that they can easily spend in any sectors or situations such as
education, health and care and social situation. They live in exclusive society, admit their family
members in finest hospital, send their children in exclusive schools and gathering at expensive
social clubs. Social situation of upper class people is much better with high standard, respect,
status and value. It does not make any large impact on their health, because in case of any health
issue they can go in any luxury hospital and pay high fees to doctor and can also hire a personal
doctor for their check up. Generally, upper class people are more health conscious and they
believe in regular check up and visit for a routine check-up. So, health issue does not make a
large impact on health of a person who belongs from upper class (Gradinger and et. al., 2015) .
Social class refers to the people or group of people who all are distinguished on the basis of
income and status level. There are mainly three types of social class people living in the society
lower class, middle class and upper class and each of their social situation have an influence and
impact upon the their health and they are explained as Lower class people, This type of people is
typed by poverty and are homeless just because of unemployment that is taking place. Individual
of this class specifically suffer from lack of medical care just because they do not have much of
income level. In addition to this, unequal distribution of power, resources and money are also the
main reason behind which creates health inequities. It is being witnessed that approx 20% of
population who are rich live a life longer than the poorest people. In United Kingdom who are
socially in disadvantage position due to status, income and education lead to suffer from higher
diseases like diabetes, heart diseases, cancer and depression. Indeed, the existence of differences
that is taking place due to the social status in the health outcomes specifies that in the modern era
society is creating unequal distribution of opportunities to be healthy(Moss, 2017). Such health
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differences are both unfair and avoidable. Like individual need basic material requisites so as to
have control over their lives.
Social and economic policies distribute and generate income and political power.
Individual status helps in accessing the quality and health care services that they acquire. In
addition to this, nutritious foods, good work and leisure conditions also helps in accessing the
social economic status of the peoples. All these factors helps in determining social health
inequities. Social determinant health approach specifically suggest that inequities in health is due
to the policies within the health aspect. According to the instruction of health minister its states
that co- payment for a visit to doctor should be around $6. However, it impacts on people having
low income as they become capable to gain appropriate health services easily. But mostly health
of the people is affected due to the policies in different sectors like taxation policy, transport
policy and education policy (Manners, 2017). Equips people require resources in order to sustain
throughout the life so as to achieve good income and to cope up with diseases. Specifically
children from family who are suffering economically are more likely to do poor in school as
well as suffer from diseases.. In addition to this decent work which consist of wages of the
individual also plays an important role in health care as it render financial security, protection
from physical and psychological hazards. Moreover deregulation of working condition also
directly impact on health not on job, it was founded that adverse job condition is the main reason
for the worse of mental health of the individuals.
To reduce health inequities is not something which can be achieved overnight , it require
long period of time so as to sustain political will. Individual are not convinced with the argument
that health inequities are unethical, but they specifies that they should stimulate actions so as to
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reduce them. If the government takes into consideration the fact that preventing health inequities
would result in saving around $2.3 billion specially in hospital expenditure.
All over it can be conclude that the government of the nation should analyse the reason behind
why their takes place differences in the social status which indirectly effect the health of the
individuals and should overcome them (Redmond, 2017). Thus the government should also
make equal distribution of resources, income and power to the individuals in order to sustain and
prevent health of the society.
CONCLUSION
From the above mentioned research report it can be concluded that there are different
social economical classes which impacts on health of a person. Due to unequal distribution and
wealth through which some people are not able to go for treatment of any disease in hospitals or
health care centres. Moreover the aim of this assignment was to identify different ways through
which a person’s socio-economic class and their social situation can have an impact of their
health. So taking into consideration aim of the report it has been identified that unequal
distribution of power, resource and money was the major reason behind which impact on the
health of the people. In order to overcome this government should make such policies so that
people can get equal distribution of resources, income and power.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Barrington, R., 2018. Health, medicine and politics in Ireland 1900-1970. Self.
Dickinson, H. and O'Flynn, J., 2016. Evaluating Outcomes in Health and Social Care 2e. Policy
Press.
Glasby, J., 2017. Understanding health and social care. Policy Press.
Gradinger, F., and et. al., 2015. Values associated with public involvement in health and social
care research: a narrative review. Health Expectations. 18(5). pp.661-675.
Manners, R.A., 2017. Professional dominance: The social structure of medical care. Routledge.
Moss, B., 2017. Communication skills in health and social care. Sage.
Redmond, B., 2017. Reflection in action: Developing reflective practice in health and social
services. Routledge.
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