Illness Assignment

3939 Words16 Pages

(Campbell, 2011)
Health and Illness Assignment:
To describe and evaluate the changing nature of the NHS, the main structure of this essay, will be the exploration of how social class, ethnicity and gender determine what defines health and illness, whilst attempting to identify and explain the different models used by epidemiologist to determine the reasons behind the rates of morbidity, mortality, and illness cognitions. To ascertain why Health is defined as the “ability for the individual to function in a way which is acceptable to the group from which they belong”(Browne.2008.453), the registrar general social class scale, first introduced in 1911, will be utilized to explain how social class, ethnicity and …show more content…

However, if there is a substantial movement upwards and downwards in the social system, this can have both a positive and an adverse affect on illness and health, whether individuals experience financial poverty or are considered as affluent. When an individual experiences work related stress this can affect all areas of the individuals’ life. If work based commitments are not being met, losing them their job, which would affect any future financial and lifestyle choices. No longer being employed in a professional occupation, could affect a person’s social status too. Education and Health are closely linked to social class, to a large extent; it is on the basis of success or the lack of it at school that children are unconsciously selected for manual or non-manual work. These occupational choices play an important role in the standard of living an individual can expect to enjoy. The children, who are encouraged to embrace education, can look forward to experiencing more socioeconomic success, than their parents. Careers considered as a professional occupation- class V, will offer an increase earning potential, improvements in their living standards and encourage individuals to form relationships outside of their usual social class. These young adults will leave school with a greater ability to manipulate their social and economic environment. These social economic changes have given rise to changes in the dynamics within all of the social classes, including ethnic minority groups and gender specific groups in each of the occupational class structer identified by the register generals’ social class