Affects of Subjective Social Status on health

What is Subjective Social Status?

To put it simply, Subjective Social Status (SSS) is an individual's own perception of his or her position in society. This perception is strongly related to a person's Socioeconomic Status (SES), which is determined by one's socioeconomic resources such as education level, occupation, and overall monetary wealth. Basically, a person's Socioeconomic Status results in different members of a given society or community being perceived and judged differently by societal/community members based on what type of job they may have, what type of money they make, and what type of education they may or may not have. Generally, the way a person forms their own ideas about their standing in society(SSS) has a lot to do with the way other members of their own community/society treat them based on their social status(SES), and if a person is has a low "SES", they will most likely percieve themselves in a way that closely resembles the label that has been placed upon them by society. 

  

What does Subjective Social Status have to do with health?

While it may seem a bit unfair and perhaps cruel that individuals are judged based on their economic "successes" or "failures", there is no questioning the fact that wealthy and well-educated people are the folks who end up with high-paying or prestigious jobs, and in turn are placed on a pedestal of sorts and are seen as being much more "valuable" to society than those without all of these things. 

On the other hand, members of society who may not have absurd amounts of wealth or incredibly prestigious and well-respected jobs are obviously seen as being less valuable. So how exactly does a person's "SSS" and "SES" contribute to their health status? There are actually many variables involved here, but the most basic and obvious factor has to do with the amount of wealth an individual has. For example, a person with a low-paying job may not always be able to shell out the amount of money that it takes to follow nutritional guidelines, opting instead to grab something off of the McDonald's dollar menu as a cheaper alternative. Furthermore, when these cheeseburgers finally start to catch up to our theoretical person, how will they be able to pay for the extensive hospital bills that will result in their rapidly hardening arterial walls? The sad fact of the matter is that the people with the money and the prestige are the ones who will have a much easier time accessing quality medical care should the need arise. Last time I checked, minimum-wage positions don't usually provide great medical coverage. 

Obviously, there are many ways that a person's Socioeconomic Status can have a large impact on that person's health, and as we have seen these factors are largely dependent on the amount of money or prestige a person has. Unfortunately, that is not the full extent of the possible negative impacts on health that can result from perceived social status. The way an individual perceives him/herself can also be just as damaging, believe it or not. Just think about it for a moment. If you work a dead-end job, have a limited education, and are constantly being reminded by society how low you are positioned on the totem pole while struggling to make rent and keep your lights on, how might you feel? According to the article we discussed in class regarding a study done on the affects of "SSS" on health, people who have a negative perception of their own "SSS" are more likely to develop health problems such as hypertension, depression, diabetes, and high cholesterol, and other diseases and disabilities(Breeze, Demakakos, Marmot, Nazroo 2008). When looking at all of these factors, it seems clear that "SES" and "SSS" can have a huge impact on health, and hopefully as our society grows and moves forward more people will begin to look more closely at social factors when it comes to the health and well-being of the people within it. So, my friends... what do you think about the importance of societal factors such as SES and SSS when it comes to health? Might things change with the emergence of new healthcare options in the United States?

Sources: Demakakos,P., Nazroo,J., Breeze,E., Marmut,M. (2008). Socioeconomic status and health: the role of subjective social status. Soc Sci Med. 2008 July; 67(2) : 330-340