Social Determinants Of Social Inequality

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Health inequalities are preventable and unjust differences in health status experienced by certain population groups. Health inequalities are often observed along a social gradient, thus, the more favorable your social circumstances, the better your chance of living a longer and healthier life. Health is affected, not simply by the ease by which we may see a doctor, but rather, our social position and the foundations of inequality that exist within our society. Marmot argues that these social causes of health inequality are complex, but do not arise by chance. Such conditions, known as the social determinants of health; income, employment, education, quality of housing etc., heavily influence health. In this essay, I intend to explore and discuss these social determinants of health, the casual pathways linking social factors to health, and health inequalities from a Rawlsian perspective, I will culminate with the conclusion that, existing health inequalities give us good reasons to aim for policies increasing overall social equality. …show more content…
If a given inequality in life expectancy, for example, were inevitable, then, it would be classed as an inequity, and, thus, could not be considered unjust. In analysing whether an inequality in health is unjust, it must first be reasoned preventable. Determinants such as biology and luck, are not socially manageable, are not preventable, and therefore, not unjust. However, the social conditions of one’s life that help to determine health; basic education, levels of material deprivation, occupational rank, and equality of political participation and are socially controllable, and thus inequalities that may be considered unjust and grounds for mandating

Health Disparities Research Paper

African Americas experience multiple health disparities and their disparities vary by situations caused by social determinants. Social determinants have the ability to impact a variety of health behaviors and health outcomes. The CDC, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, defines social determinants as “conditions in the places where people live, learn, work, and play affect a wide range of health risks and outcomes.” African Americans can be often over looked but African Americans have the…

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Health Inequality Sociology

treatment which is disposed to health inequality. This different treatment can be inevitable due to natural causes but it can also be due to improper policies and actions. Health inequality can be prevalent in poor countries but also present in modern countries like United Kingdom. Health inequality is always linked to social inequality and follow social gradient. The world health organization defines health as the state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing and not merely the absence…

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Influence Of The Social Determinants Of Health

collective experiences highlight the profound influence of the social determinants of health, particularly income and social status, physical environment, and employment/working conditions, on our lives and well-being. These determinants have shaped our access to resources, opportunities, and overall health outcomes, highlighting the importance of addressing structural inequalities to promote health equity. Our experiences with income and social status have varied widely, illustrating the significant impact…

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Social Determinants Of Health Essay

Question 1: The social determinants of health are the inequalities in health status across many cultures and countries based on socioeconomic status or the social and environmental condition people live in, and the circumstances people are in; the social gradient (Baum 2015). There are nine other social determinants of health and they include: stress, early life, social exclusion, work, unemployment, social support, addiction, food and transport (Wilkinson & Marmot 2003). Question 2: Out of the…

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Health Quality Improvement Programs

1. Describe three possible interventions to address the potential negative consequences of general healthcare quality improvement programs (eg. pay for performance and quality reporting) on racial and ethnic healthcare disparities. Reference: • Robin M. Weinick and Romana Hasnain-Wynia. Quality Improvement Efforts Under Health Reform: How To Ensure That They Help Reduce Disparities --Not Increase Them. Health Affairs, 30, no.10 (2011):1837-1843. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2011.0617 The three possible…

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Summary: Social Inequality In Canada

embedded in society and negative health outcomes interconnect. This correlation suggests that marginalized groups are more susceptible to health inequalities compared to the average Canadian (Power 2015). As the need for healthcare increases, many people are disadvantaged because of their position on the socio-economic ladder (Pederson and Raphael 2008:166). Social capital affects socio-economic status, which determines the opportunities that one may have available to them and, therefore, controls what…

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Maori Mental Heal Essay

leads to poorer health in general. It affects social, spiritual, physical and mental health. There are a number of factors that contribute to this public health issue. Inequities in the social determinants of health are key here in assessing why poor mental health is pervasive in the Maori population. Social determinants of health are all interrelated and therefore it is imperative to evaluate the effects of one determinant of health on another determinant of health that ultimately leads to overall…

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sociology of medicine Essay

1 The environment and diseases have played a major part in history and how the world has been shaped today. Specifically, it has played a major part in the reasons why Europeans have been so dominate throughout time. A naturalistic explanation is used in order to take the components of the environment and diseases that have surrounded us and provide a set of examples that constitute the domination of Europeans. Many people believe that Europeans had distinct technological advantages and were…

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Essay on Week 2 Summary 1

(2014). Inequality Kills. In D. C. Johnston (Ed.), Divided: the perils of our growing inequality. New York: New Press. Birn Chap. 7 Both of the readings were different and similar in some ways. Birn’s chapter covered many issues, such as the patterns of health from the societal determinants of health perspective, and factors that influence health at personal, community, national, and global levels. Something that was similar between both readings was that they both talked about how social inequalities…

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An Analysis Of Confronting Inequality By Paul Krugman And Raymond Carver

Every society is characterized by its social change. However, the direction of the social change, its nature and its direction are affected by several factors. The youth plays a big role in the social change in today’s society. Therefore, any issue affecting the youth also affect the social change either in a positive manner or negative. The main factors that are affecting the youth include the social-economics factors and the cultural factors. Paul Krugman and Raymond Carver cover these factors…

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