Patterns and Trends in Health and Illness
- Submitted by: emzi1997
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- Date Submitted: 03/31/2014 01:59 AM
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Social class and patterns of health and illness:
It has been shown that the standards of health and the length of life expectancy vary according to social class. People of the higher class live longer and enjoy better health than members of the lower groups. Members of the higher class tend to live longer because they can afford the correct foods which mean they are going to be living a healthier diet. They also have the money to afford to join a gym to keep their fitness levels high. Being part of a higher class may mean that they have better knowledge of how to live a more healthier life due to the fact that they may have had a better education and been taught the importance of healthy living.
The Black Report exposed such varied differences in the levels of health and illness between social classes that the government of the time suppressed its publication. The Black Report considered four types of explanation that might account for the differences in levels of illness and life expectancy experienced by different social classes. These possible sociological explanations are:
• The statistical artefact explanation- the researches argued that the people in the lowest social classes had a higher proportion of older people and people working in traditional and more dangerous industries which is expected that they would have a more higher level of illness that the more younger people working in the office.
• Natural or social selection- This explanation suggests that the healthy are more likely to move up the social classes and the unhealthy move down.
• Cultural or behavioral explanations- this explanation focuses on the behavior and lifestyle choices of people in the lower social classes. There was evidence that people in the lower classes smoked more, drunk more heavily, were more likely to eat junk food and take insufficient exercise.
• Material or structural explanations- material explanations claim that social groups whom life...
It has been shown that the standards of health and the length of life expectancy vary according to social class. People of the higher class live longer and enjoy better health than members of the lower groups. Members of the higher class tend to live longer because they can afford the correct foods which mean they are going to be living a healthier diet. They also have the money to afford to join a gym to keep their fitness levels high. Being part of a higher class may mean that they have better knowledge of how to live a more healthier life due to the fact that they may have had a better education and been taught the importance of healthy living.
The Black Report exposed such varied differences in the levels of health and illness between social classes that the government of the time suppressed its publication. The Black Report considered four types of explanation that might account for the differences in levels of illness and life expectancy experienced by different social classes. These possible sociological explanations are:
• The statistical artefact explanation- the researches argued that the people in the lowest social classes had a higher proportion of older people and people working in traditional and more dangerous industries which is expected that they would have a more higher level of illness that the more younger people working in the office.
• Natural or social selection- This explanation suggests that the healthy are more likely to move up the social classes and the unhealthy move down.
• Cultural or behavioral explanations- this explanation focuses on the behavior and lifestyle choices of people in the lower social classes. There was evidence that people in the lower classes smoked more, drunk more heavily, were more likely to eat junk food and take insufficient exercise.
• Material or structural explanations- material explanations claim that social groups whom life...