Social factors are something that
can influence someone’s behavior. Variables
like the area in which they live, gender, race, and socioeconomic status. Socioeconomic status is “an individual's or group's position within a
hierarchical social structure” (socioeconomic 2013). SES is considered a social
factor because it is something that affects a person’s actions or behaviors. Socioeconomic status is based on if a person
has or doesn’t have money, knowledge, status power, and social connections
(Cockerham 2012, 64). Occupation,
education, income,
wealth, and place of residence are all different variables that define a person’s
SES. All of these variables that define
someone’s socioeconomic status also play a role in their health. SES was thought to be a contributing factor
to poor health and mortality; now SES is a “fundamental cause” of mortality
(Cockerham 2012, 64).
There are two main SES; people can
either have a high SES or a low SES. People of higher SES tend to have more
money and live in a good environment.
Being part of higher SES has a trickle effect; the people live in better
neighborhoods because they have good paying jobs. Higher SES people tend to eat
better because they can afford healthier food, which leads to being healthier
in general. In result People of higher
SES live longer, and suffer less from disability.
People with lower SES usually don’t
have a nice neighborhood to live in. Most low-income neighborhoods have more
crime. Since the neighborhoods are more
dangerous people would be less likely to go outside and exercise. They also
don’t have as good job opportunities as the higher SES people. The result of not having very good jobs means
they don’t have much money to buy good healthy food, which causes those of
lower SES to die younger and suffer a greater burden of disease and disability.
The graph below is showing the life expectancy
for male social security-covered workers (age 60). The graph basically says that males who have
a higher income life expectancy is seen to be longer then those who have lower
income. The first two bars are the bottom half of earning distributions from 1972
and 2001. The bottom half earnings in
1972 were seen to have a life expectancy of 77.7 years. In 2001 the life expectancy for the lower
half earnings as well was 79.6 years. The
other two bars are the top half of earning distributions from 1972 and 2001. In 1972 male’s life expectancy was about 78.9
years for the higher income, and in 2001 the life expectancy was 85.4 years for
the higher income also.
So I leave you with this: do you
think that this will ever change? Will lower SES people live longer then higher
SES people at anytime?
References
1. Cockerham, William C.
2012. Medical Sociology, 12th Ed. Boston: Prentice Hall.
2. Socioeconomic status.
(n.d.). The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition. Retrieved April 22, 2013, from Dictionary.com retrieved from http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/socioeconomic status
These statistics are unfortunate. I am encouraged by your writing, to think about the social networking of low and high SES and if their friendships and family bonds are perhaps higher and sometimes stronger in a low SES community than in a high SES community. There are times when money comes between relationships and there is competition among the wealthy to outdo each other. When people who are living in at more poverty leveled income, they don't have to keep up with each other, and consider themselves more equal. Do they having each other's back rather than compete as to who has the most money and better material things. The stress involved in keeping up with the Jones' and maintaining a good image can be very unhealthy for one's body as well as the mental health issues that come along with that. If the economy continues on a downward trend and more people are finding themselves at poverty level or below, it would be interesting to see if the social support will make a difference as to the numbers shown above.
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