Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
Fast food and its effect
Social class and its effect on health
Social class and its effect on health
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
More handpicked essays just for you.
Fast food and its effect
Social class and its effect on health
Social class and its effect on health
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: Fast food and its effect
The social factor that I have chosen to explain in the argumentative essay is food insecurity and housing instability which can lead to health problems. Food insecurity and housing instability is portrayed throughout the novel Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich revealing the life of a low wage worker. Once Barbara takes the challenge to live as a low wage worker she explains that minimum wage is too low to provide a good shelter and food on the table. Workers who are not paid enough have to make a decision about whether they can pay the rent with the money that the got or get food to eat. Many end up eliminating food because for them having a roof on their head is the most important so they have a place to go after long hours at work.
For example, the highest socioeconomic (SES) blacks which had an income that was greater than 50,000 dollars were more segregated than the poorest Latinos and Asians with an income of less than 15,000 dollars. Eating healthy and exercising regularly is difficult for individuals in segregated areas because they lack recreational facilities and exercising outside is dangerous due to safety reasons. Healthy food is expensive compared to junk food or fast food which is relatively cheap so those on a low-income budget will choose the cheapest food available which can cause obesity and
People in America are encouraged to become healthier by exercising, following a balanced diet, and assuming healthy habits. Unfortunately, most Americans cannot live a healthy lifestyle because their socioeconomic status limits their choices. The United States economic system functions as a hierarchy, where 1% of the population are more affluent than the rest (CNN). The economic gap makes it harder for the rest of the population to afford healthy behaviors. 15.1 percent of Americans fall below the poverty level, due to the economic disparity in America (State).
According to Conley, Poverty can be defined as “a condition of deprivation due to economic circumstances” that is severe enough that the person in this condition cannot live with dignity in his or her society. The culture of poverty theory argues that poor people adopt certain practices, which differ from those of middle-class, “mainstream” society, in order to become accustomed and survive in difficult economic situations. Therefore, I strongly agree with the statement “A person’s health varies depending on the social and ethnic groups to which he or she belongs” because if you are living under a low class social status or being part of a racial minority, it will definitely have impacts or influence a person’s health and longevity. In case
1. Even with our medical advances, the United States ranks 29th because of lack of health care for some individuals but also the lifestyle Americans have. Another reason is that class statuses correspond with our health outcomes. What I meant about this, is that lower and middle class individuals are exposed to more health threats than higher class. This is the connections between healthy bodies and healthy bank accounts and race/ethnicity.
Before we look at the different Social/Psychological Determinants of Health it is important firstly to define what a social determinant of health is. According to the World Health Organization (2017) “The social determinants of health are the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age.” These conditions are as a result of a wide range of factors that are ultimately governed by the way in which money, power and specific resources are shared at different levels including those at global, national and local levels. We have all been a part of and will experience different social determinants of health throughout our lives but it is the standard at which we experience these determinants that will ultimately lead onto them affecting our health or ultimately leaving us unaffected. The Social Determinants of Health which I am going to examine include • Education • Unemployment • Stress • Living Conditions • Cultural Norms.
For example, food insecurity is considered a major social determinant of health. Food Insecurity occurs when people do not have access to adequate and nutritional foods necessary to maintain a healthy lifestyle (Lombe et al, 2016). There is a direct relationship between one’s social economic status and the type of food they can afford. Households living below the poverty line lack the resources financially to afford healthier or organic food alternatives. What is more, they may not have the means of transportation to get to those supermarkets where healthier foods are sold.
According to the second author of the article vince Chadwick, they tell us about Australia that more people are living under the poverty line according to national analysis by a leading welfare group. Almost sixteen people who comes from other countries live in under poverty line and which is bigger than those who born in Australia. In addition, right around 66% of unemployed individuals live underneath the destitution line, contrasted with 4 percent of those utilized full time. Having an occupation was not generally enough. Wages were the fundamental source of wage for just about 33% of needy individuals; however the report discovered these were regularly low maintenance profit as individual’s juggled work and family responsibilities.
3.1 How income inequality affect on people live in America. The income gap in America affects people, who live in this country. The issue has a strong impact in America’s society; in particular, the nutritional disparity between rich and poor people. In USA, the food gap becomes the top signal for the class distinction, but it used to be clothing or fashion. The food inequality in America is not only influencing the poverty, it is also cost hundreds of billions of dollar per year because of Non Communicable Diseases (NDCs) (Ferdman, 2014).
The term social determinants of health, can be defined as a ‘set of conditions in which people are born, grow up, live and work.’ These conditions include housing, education, financial security and the environment along with the healthcare service. (http://www.rcn.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/438838/01.12_Health_inequalities_and_the_social_determinants_of_health.pdf) These factors are affected by the amount of money, power and resources that are available at a global, national and local level. Social determinants of health are linked to health inequalities according to the World Health Organisation, health inequalities are ‘the unfair and avoidable differences in health status seen within and between countries.’
This illustrates how the influence of society can be detrimental to health when individuals want to follow the “norms”. The interpersonal level of the model is the influence of relationships between people. Family dynamics are key here. It is not inaccurate to conclude that in East Harlem, the lack of resources impacts families. Most likely they all eat unhealthy, are sedentary, are stressed and do not have access to adequate health care.
Socioeconomic class is a group that consists of the same background on income, occupation, and educational level in the society which causes inequalities to different social classes. The socio-economic class still affects many people lives until now. In a world that is constantly changing, socio-economic class still has a huge impact and effects on each life that people can’t escape and destroy.
Pip shows how social classes change people and how it makes them see others differently. When Joe came to see Pip in London, Pip acted totally different than he did during his childhood. During Pip’s childhood, he and Joe were very close and for a while, Joe was Pip’s only friend. The life of a gentleman changed the way Pip saw others so much that he didn’t treat Joe with respect until Joe was leaving London. Upon hearing that Joe was going to visit him, Pip remarks “not with pleasure, though I was bound to him by so many ties” (194).
Health inequalities are preventable and unjust differences in health status experienced by certain population groups. People in lower socio-economic groups are more likely to experience chronic ill-health and die earlier than those who are more advantaged. Health inequalities are not only apparent between people of different socio-economic groups – they exist between different genders and different ethnic groups (“Health inequalities,” n.d.). The situation in which people are born, grow, develop, work and age are affected by social, economic, environmental and most importantly political factors.
Social classes are a form of social stratification that refers to the existence of structured inequalities between individuals and groups in society. A social class is a group of people of comparable status, power and wealth which are usually classified as upper class, middle class, and lower class. For each class, there are some specific opportunities available that influence their social life. We can understand about the particularity of the chances through unequal distribution of these opportunities between individuals in social classes. In here belonging to a social class seems to be an obstacle for some individuals to obtain equal opportunity, unlike upper class people.