Social Status And Social Class

Individuals within a society are grouped into certain rankings that is based on their wealth, income, race and education known as the social stratification. Sociologist use this to determine the social standings of individuals within a society. Social stratification can also appear in much smaller groups. These groups such as the work place, schools, and businesses can “take the form of a distribution of power and authority down the ranks”. (Cole, 2017) The Caste system is also another form of stratification that one does not get a choice in. They are born into it and regardless of their talents will hold positions that are given to them their whole life. Social mobility is the ability for individuals to move about their social standings.

Social class is a “tag” to define your status in a community. One of the main requirements you must have to be in the Upper class, is to have wealth and power. That is basically it, and obviously the absence of those characteristics could mean you are in a Middle or even in the Lower class. Sports are an activity that people do for pleasure that requires physical activity and sometimes has rules for the players to follow in order to play the game. It is most commonly played outdoors. It can improve your cardio, health, and physical condition. For example, it can prevent things like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer or even mental illnesses like depression.

Education within social classes have grown exponentially apart over the last couple decades because many different factors have been presented in today’s society. Education plays an important role in today’s classification of social classes, but first we need to understand the different levels of social classes. Social classes are often determined by education, occupation, wealth, and your social network. These social classes are the upper class; top 3% and the wealthiest, the middle class; 50% of the United States, and the lower/working class; typically people of poverty, unemployment, and homelessness. Each level of class has different guidelines/standards when it comes to education, the upper class has the highest level of education, of

Aging Americans, like other age groups, are feeling the effects of the declining real estate and stock markets, as well as soaring fuel and food prices. Seniors’ economic security will only increase in importance as the U.S. population ages. The nation’s health and social services resources will face unprecedented demand as 75 million people in the baby boomer generation reach retirement age—some with eroded savings and retirement accounts. Aging people of color are more likely than white

Data from the Census Bureau tell us that in 2015, there are around 47.8 million Americans age 65 and older, up from about 25.5 million just 35 years ago; demographers predict that in another 35 years, there will be nearly 88 million Americans in this age group. The rate of growth of the “oldest old” population—those age 85 and older—is even more dramatic: Their numbers currently stand at approximately 6.3 million, but by 2050, that number will have almost tripled, to 18.7 million Americans. This population explosion is unprecedented in history, and the resulting demographic shift is causing profound social and economic changes.

I was surprised at how much education level, marital status, weight, blood pressure, and stress can affect a life expectance. According to the Living to 100 Life Expectancy Calculator, I am predicted to live to 93 years old. “ A 2015 National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine report said men born in 1930 could expect to reach about age 82 if their income put them in the top 20 percent of earners and they survived to age 50. And high earners born in 1960 are projected to live to 89 a sizable seven-year gain in three decades” (Henricks, 2018, para 9).

The book says and it makes sense to an extent that people of lower social status have in general poorer health and higher mortality rate. Beyond that it makes a whole lot more sense that there are numerous and annoyingly complex factors that can lead up to the poorer health that relates to lower status. The book also talks about race, which really goes and links itself with the social status parts, since in America (which is what/where they mentioned) there is a moderate alignment of race to social status. Now when bringing up higher socioeconomic status that doesn't necessarily mean a person will live longer, regardless of race, but it certainly helps. Now to start the rant of the annoying and complex events that relate to social status. When

Just like other parts of the world, the United States is no exceptional, it is an aging society. Between the year 2000 and the year 2050, the number of the elderly is predicted to increase by 135%. Again, the population of the persons aged 85 years and above, which is the group that will mostly require health and long-term services, is predicted to

A report published by the Orgainsation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) identifies lifespan as key societal wellness barometer. [1] The group is a forum created to improve financial, physical and mental wellbeing for all global citizens. [2] Through the organization, governments collaborate to improve the human condition. Using data gathered from various global sources, the group members make recommendations designed to improve humanity’s welfare. The research scope varies from high-level census data to detailed worldwide tax rates. Among these data, the organization recognizes remarkable improvements in human life expectancy over the last half century, which is now 80-years long. [1]

Americans at the ages of 65 years and older are considered in the “elderly” classification. With advancements of healthcare and life expectancy growing rapidly, it is expected that the average American will grow to live at this age or longer. According to the Population Reference Bureau, the number of Americans at the age of 65 and older is expected to double from roughly 46 million today, to over 98 million by 2060. This means that the elderly’s portion of the total United States population will grow from 15 percent to almost 24 percent. As people obtain older age, they also obtain the health and social problems that accompany it.

This essay will be discussing the extent to which social class and poverty affects health and illness. Firstly, what is social class? Each person’s perception of social class can be different; is social class defined by a person’s accent, the area they live in, or something as simple as their income? Project Britain describes social class as “The grouping of people by occupations and lifestyle”. (Cress, 2014). To find social class Sociologists group people according to common factors, they compare people and various criteria can be conveniently used to place people in social groups or classes. Next we ask the question what determines a person’s health, the NHS defines health as “Physical and mental, it is the absence of disease”. (NHS 2017).

Depending on one’s racial minority it could be said that their lower social status would influence their health and longevity due to their lack of funding and social stigma that is created by this. If one has wealth and it can be used to get the best of everything even healthcare then it can be said that they would have a longer lifespan.

Social class is an individual’s status based on his or her esteem and prestige acquired mainly through economic success and wealth. The status is compared against a pre-set hierarchy that determines to which class the individual belongs. Social class does matter as well. Social class determines everything about an individual. It determines what neighborhood and environment the individual grows up in, the types of school they attend, and what opportunities is open up for them. Social class also determined the jobs Dolores Dante, Mike Lefevre and my mom worked.

As the population of the United States increases so will our older adult population. This population consists of individuals 65 years old and above. “ By 2030, the number of United States adults age 65 and older will more than double to about 71 million (CDC, 2012). This suggests that more people of older age will need services whether medical, financial, etc. These services include nursing homes, which are private and state institutions that provide residential accommodations with healthcare.

The American population is getting older which presents us with many challenges but also present us with potential opportunities. With the length of life and quantity and fraction of older persons rise in most industrialized and many evolving nations, a crucial question is whether this population will be accompanied by continued or better-quality health, an improving quality of life, and adequate social and cost-effective resources. This answer lies in the ability of peoples and societies, as well as modern social, governmental, financial, and health service delivery systems, to provide optimum assistance to older persons.