HSBH 1006-W4 the class origins of
health inquality
1、 introducing class
Nota:
class tends to focus on lifestyle differences and consumption patterns, particularly regarding fashion, as a social maker of status.
upper class-who own and/or manage economic resources, such as raw materials, technology, and workplaces, and employ others to create profit for them.
middle class-a diverse group of people who possess some form of qualification and skill that allows them to attract higher wages and better working conditions.
working class-consists of unskilled manual and non-manual (blue- and white-collar) workers who gain employment solely by selling their labour power.
the differences between 'class' and 'socio-economic status'(SES)
all class models have 'grey areas'.
2、class inequality in
Australia
Nota:
one of the key indicators of class inequality is the distribution of wealth in a country.
upper class or ruling class?
intersecting structures of
inequality and the 'death of
class'
3、class and health inequlity
Nota:
poor have the highest rates of illness and shortest life expectancy.
4、Explaining health inequlity
artefact explanations
Nota:
are artificial and the result of statistical anomalies or the inability to measure social phenomena accurately.
natural/social selection
explanations
Nota:
people's health disadvantage (for example, disability) causes social disadvantage such as poverty.
cultural/behavioral
explanantion
Nota:
a focus on changing the behaviour of individuals assumes they exist in a social vacuum, ignoring the social context, social relations, and social processes that affect their lives.
materialist/structural
explanations
Nota:
concern the role of social, economic, and political factors in determining the social distribution of health and illness.
bringing class analysis back in: the
structure-agency debate and health
behaviour
psycho-social/social capital
explanations of the social gradient
of health
5、conclusion: towards health equity or
health equality?