Socioeconomic Status Essay

There is much debate about the issue of social class in the United States. There are arguments about whether social classes are distinctly separate or fluid, dependent upon one’s community or society as a whole, and if they are subjective or objective (Hughes and Jenkins). However, despite the debate surrounding social classes, it is still important to try to define them and analyze their effects, as they are such an important part of our identity and our opportunities in society. Although our society has tried to appear as though we have no classes, and it is becoming harder to tell what class someone is in by material goods, classes do still exist today (Scott and Leonhardt). The trend has been to divide the U.S. into four major

The Hispanic ethnic group comprises more than 50 million of the American population; this about 16 percent of the population 1. The USA Census Bureau forecasts that in 2050, one out of three people living in America will be of Hispanic origin 2. Hispanics refer to people of Puerto Rican, Cuban, Mexican, Central or South American background 3. They also include people of other Spanish culture despite their race. This paper focuses on the impact of socioeconomic status of Hispanics on the incidence of Type II diabetes in East Harlem. East Harlem is located on the northeast corner of Manhattan, New York. East Harlem, also known as Spanish Harlem or El Barrio. In addition, about one-third of the East Harlem residents live below the poverty line, compared to the NYC in general East Harlem has one of the highest proportions of households in poverty 4 . Relationships between socioeconomic status, ethnicity, and chronic disease undoubtedly have complex explanations. The socioeconomic status has been used to explain the higher prevalence and higher

Social class has been always been in our society since its establishment. Back then, white,

Diabetes  is a serious health condition that is a chronic illness for the African Americans. Diabetes preventions strategies in African American community can be a tricky task to contain and prevent for several reasons I will discuss in this paper.

Many studies have examined the link between poverty and diabetes. The CDC (2015b) have identified the following as primary factors that lead an individual to have an increased risk of developing diabetes: being overweight or obese; having a parent or sibling with diabetes; having African American, American Indian, Asian American, Pacific Islander, or Hispanic American/Latino heritage; having a history of gestational diabetes; having blood pressure measuring 140/90 or higher; abnormal cholesterol; and being physically inactive.

In this essay I am going to talk the patterns and trends of health and ill health among different social groupings. I will talk about each pattern and trend in its own paragraph, Social class, Gender, Ethnicity, Age and Geographical location. I will talk about the links between these to health issues. I will back these up through the use of evidence such as statistics. I will then conclude what I have found out. Firstly I will talk about each pattern and trend.

Diabetes is a metabolic disease and caused by high blood sugar level over a long period of time. It generally occurs when pancreas fail to produce enough insulin. Symptoms of diabetes include frequent urination, increased thirst and increased hunger. There are three forms of Diabetes. Type I Diabetes Mellitus, Type II Diabetes Mellitus and gestational diabetes. It is a growing epidemic and apart from the economic burden, diabetes inflicts severe societal costs in terms of decreased quality of life of people afflicted with diabetes. Social determinants of health are defined as surroundings in which people are born, live, spend their life and grow old (Healthy People 2020). The association of social determinants with disparities is important

The Mississippi Delta has many good aspects: heavenly food, ideal land for farming, the culture, and being the home of the Blues are just a few. However, there are many downsides to living in the delta, such as the racial segregation that still exists today, the poverty levels, the percentage of people alcohol and drugs, and health issues. These health issues include obesity, cancer due to the pesticides used in farming, drug/alcohol abuse, and diabetes. Diabetes is such a problem in the South that that it affects majority of the population, Dr. Joseph Assini said, “The Delta is the epicenter of the worldwide diabetes epidemic.” There are nearly twenty seven million people in the United States with Type 2 Diabetes, the disease prohibits the

An aggregate-level health problem that I have identified in the Berks county community is the lack of understanding of diabetes care management within the community. The host within this problem is the large population of patients who are diabetic within the community that remains noncompliant with their diabetic care managements. I truly believe that the primary causative agent is the language barrier that stands between care givers and the patients that they serve. Another reason causing the continuance of this issue is the patients' cultural cuisine background that has been engraved and nurtured in them, which makes it highly difficult for the patients to be able to change their diet despite the negative effects that it poses on their medical conditions. Another factor that poses as a causative agent to this health problem within the community is the lack of economic resources that is within many patients reach. A lot of patients simply cannot afford the medications necessary to manage their

Social class refers to the system of stratification of the different groups of people in a society. These different forms of classification are, in most instances, based on gender ethnicity and age. Social class makes everyone’s lives extremely different. For example: How long one can expect to live. In a wide range of ways, from success, to one’s health class, social class influences people’s lives (Grusky,2003).

The individuals that were observed, were estimated to be between the ages of 45 to 60. However, this was disregarded with researched data from the ONS which suggests that the area was inhabited by working class residents aged 20 to 35. Within a community, there are expected similarities in the health decisions as well as health related issues amongst the residents. For the individuals of Tower Hamlets, it is expected for the residents to have higher reported cases of heart disease and diabetes when compared to London’s average. The main factors contributing to ill- health is due to their genetic variations, the socio-economic factors, and their diet intake.

According to a study provided in USNews, there are regional issues when it comes to the rates of type-2 diabetes within the United States today (Seppa, 2011). The "diabetes belt" that can clearly be seen in the Southeast part of the country is one of these regional issues. Southern people, on average, tend to have a higher incidence of diabetes than people in other areas of the country. With that in mind, it is important to realize that there are various reasons why that is the case. It is not just one factor causing the problems, and it is not just the Southeast where diabetes is seen. There are other areas of the country where pockets of diabetes are seen, so no specific place or region of the country is immune to problems with diabetes. The following map shows the basic breakdown of diabetes across the country for the latest year where statistics on the issue are available (Seppa, 2011).

Universal basic income, (UBI), has become one our leading topics for a solution towards socioeconomic inequality. Billionaires such as Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg, have advanced the idea of going through with UBI (Kaza, 2018). UBI tackles many diversity challenges our society seriously needs solutions too. However, due to the enormity of UBI, it’s important to evaluate our decision to go forward; not only finically but ethically. For governments to implement a UBI, it would take a major overhaul of their welfare and tax systems. For example, the United States would need to spend over 3 trillion dollars a year just to provide a yearly distribution of $12,000 for each person over 18. This does not include illegal immigrants or the cost of running the program. I will evaluate the potential effects and ethics of UBI on minority groups in three areas: gender inequality, social conflict and the effects of automation on the work force.

1. How may a student's social class origin and related factors impact on her/his learning outcomes and how can teachers intervene to effectively address any resulting disadvantages and injustices for students?

I think that my three most important ascribed social statuses are that I am an American, I am eighteen years old, and I am a white male. Ascribed social statuses are the social status that a person is assigned at birth or given later in life. First and foremost, being an American is something that many people take for granted. We have the chance to obtain a great life that not everyone has the chance at. It has opened so many doors for me including an education, security, opportunity, and so many more. Growing up an American has taught me many lessons. I have learned that while not everything is easy, I could have it much worse off, and I should be grateful for the opportunities that present themselves. I have also learned not to take anything for granted. I am very blessed with the life I have, but nothing is guaranteed. You have to enjoy the good things in life, and embrace the hard ones. One more lesson is that life is full of choices, and the life that you end up with is more or less a result of those choices. I'm not saying that it is a completely fair playing field, but I do believe that everyone generally has the opportunity at a successful life.