Socioeconomic Status

Social class is a division of a society based on social and economic status which can include levels of wealth, success, power of authority, and influence. Status is can be defined or grouped having common economic, cultural, or political interests.

Another study concerning socioeconomic status was done by a group of researchers including Vonetta Dotson, Melissa Kitner-Triolo, Michele Evans, and Alan Zonderman. They examined test scores from low and high socioeconomic status African Americans and Whites in order to determine if socioeconomic status and/or race affect cognitive abilities. The researchers hypothesized that proficiency in literacy would be a better predictor of cognitive abilities than years of education, especially for people of low socioeconomic status and African Americans (Dotson, Kitner-Triolo, Evans, & Zonderman, 2009). In order to measure the theory, cognitive tests from participants were examined and demographic questions were asked to determine incomes and race.

According to Komen (2015), "high socioeconomic status, which is most often defined by high income and high education level has been linked to an increased risk of breast cancer." ((Ww5.komen.org, 2015). African American women of lower socioeconomic status are more likely to engage in high-risk health behaviors and less likely to receive cancer-screening prevention. (ACS CAN, p.1). The increased risk is not due to the higher SES. In regards to higher income/or higher education level itself, it’s more about the differences in risk factors found in women of different education/income levels. In comparison to women of lower socioeconomic status, women of higher socioeconomic status are more susceptible to having their first child

Socioeconomic conditions may prevent patients from adhering to discharge instructions, such as not filling prescriptions for medications or failure to attend follow-up visits with physicians. Ho and colleagues reviewed patients after drug-eluting stent placements, to determine whether there was a delay in filling prescriptions for clopidogrel once they were discharged from hospital. In a sample of 7402 patients, 1 in 6 did not fill the prescribed clopidogrel on the day of discharge. The study clearly indicates a gap in the discharge teaching when the patient does not comprehend the reason and necessity to fill the prescription to preserve the stent. This is supported by Williams and colleagues’ studies, in which patients with low health literacy

Socioeconomic status serves as one of the major predictors of individual health outcomes and illnesses. Socioeconomic status is often correlated with living conditions and access to resources, which then is used to predict individual’s health outcomes in relationship to social class. As Link and Phelan argue, many variables, such as race, class, and gender, represent general trend of illnesses among the population. However, socioeconomic status is the best predictor out of all because it is a required necessity for access to resources, good health insurances, and good clinics (Cockerham 2014). Since access to good quality health insurance is highly correlated with better health outcomes, I will discuss the hardships and difficulties California

Our group’s research on socioeconomic status pertaining to choice of major has opened many unforeseen avenues for further research topics, uncovered some limitations and uncovered results specific to Luther college. The purpose of this research was to uncover the effects of socioeconomic status and parental occupation or prestige on college students’ choice of major. Additionally, this research aimed to discover the relationship between decision-making process following choice of major amongst different individuals. We were hoping to find that students from a high socioeconomic status, who’s parental occupation was of high prestige, will likely be more flexible in choosing a major. We also hoped to show that student of lower socioeconomic

Having lower education, living in poverty and poor health affects our current lifestyles and society as a whole. “With knowledge, people can make informed decisions about their health and, as a result, are more likely to engage in health-enhancing behaviors” (Hayden, 2009). All of these factors show that not having high standards of socioeconomic status can lead to poor choices. When you are fully equipped with the resources needed to educate yourself on how to make healthy choices leads to a better life. My socioeconomic status contributes positively to my life because I would be classified as middle-class range, I am able to have access to resources to keep my health in great condition. I truly believe that the higher your social status and

An important thing I have learned from our class this second week of summer 2015 is that about “social class”. I've learned the terminology associating with social class and racial society. I learned how social class is very relevant throughout society. I have become more sociological mindful of my surroundings and how privileged I am. I thought it was very interesting how much I have compared to how little the average household have. According to the film “People like Us”, class can be harder to spot than racial or ethnic differences, yet in many ways it's the most important predictor of what kind of financial and educational opportunities someone will have in life. But class is a hard subject to talk about in a society like ours, where the

I really enjoyed reading your post. I agree that socioeconomic status is a significant factor in the rising mental health problems in women. Creating support groups in poorer neighborhood is an excellent intervention. However, I am concerned about the effectiveness and sustainability of such groups. As you mentioned, due to the low paying jobs and increased responsibility at home environment, especially at single parent homes, attending such support groups can be challenging. Women in poorer neighborhoods tend to work two jobs to make ends meet. Sometimes it is harder for single mothers or working parents to find babysitters. Daycare can be expensive as well. These factors can discourage the women, who would benefit most from such groups, to

A good education can step towards the occupational ladder. Individuals in higher socioeconomic status may foster better goals and better social rewards (Schieman, 2002). An individual pursing profession, such as doctors, lawyers, engineers, and professors are considered to be in high socioeconomic status and where an individual receiving a high school diploma can enter the work force and according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), earning an hourly wage of $20 or more (Dill, 2014), therefore categorized in low socioeconomic status. Aside from earning a decent living, another factor within improving an individual’s income status in society is occupational prestige. An example of an occupational prestige is the manager position. For example, two managers with high school diplomas, one is a fast food manager and the other is a bank manager. Out of the two the bank manager is most likely to be viewed by society as holding a higher occupational prestige even if both are coming from low socioeconomic status

Poor or wealthy, the socioeconomic status of a family can have an affect on a child. Children can experience times when their family is in extreme poverty and can also experience times when the family income is sufficient to provide. A study was investigated the socioeconomic status of the family that changes such as income, education, and occupation and to see how they affect delinquency of the child. The study concluded that youth were more likely to offend when the family’s socioeconomic status was lower, rather than when it was higher If parents are educated and have a stable job, the family will be more stable. The child is less likely to commit crime and become labeled a juvenile delinquent. The crime could be coming from not having

Reflection of “why”: This is an interesting topic for me to tackle because its something that I have experienced both personally in my life, and observed throughout my high school and middle school years. My sister was friends with people who would all be considered to be more wealthy than my family, and I think it got to her and somewhat affected her own life and how she spent money and looked at herself. I went to a high school where there was a similar situation in that people from many different socioeconomic backgrounds came together. This could be an interesting topic to explore as I personal experiences.

Which social class do you belong to? Social classes, the building blocks of status all around the world. They have been a significant part of history for many years. As a way of life for many people around the world, the ones born in higher classes got thrones while others work as servants.The social classes, which are prominent in today’s world, are the upper class, middle class, and lower class. The upper class has people with the most money out of the three groups and consists of the smallest population. The lower class makes the least amount, however, they have the largest population. The middle class, of course, is a good medium between the two, even though they still work under the upper class. Nonetheless, social classes shouldn’t divide people by allowing a group of people seem more superior than the rest and get rid of equality for everyone.

It is in the human nature to be social beings, and have a social identity. Social stratification is the organization of individuals into social groups based on their access to basic needs. Aspects that affect social stratification are wealth, power, and prestige. Wealth is the amount of currency or goods that an individual or family owns. This can include money, houses, livestock, etc. Power is the ability for one to achieve their goals regardless of opposition. Wealth is directly related to power because the more wealthy, the higher the ability to pay to achieve your goals. Lastly, prestige is the respect or renown one has within a community. Social identity is shaped by many factors that are affected and effect our everyday life. Common factors include: social class, ethnicity, age, and gender. Britannica encyclopedia defines social class as “also called class, a group of people within a society who possess the same socioeconomic status.” (Editors of Britannica, 2007). Everyone belongs to a social class whether it contain many members or a select few. In essence, the more socially powerful/wealthy a social class, the less members that are associated with it. For example, making around $65,000 to $85,000 your put into the “middle class” social group (Vaz-Oxlade, Gail 2013). Social class is one of, if not, the most influential factor of your social identity because most factors that affect the social identity also affect one’s social class. Ethnicity affects your

Socioeconomic status in Canada plays a significant role in health. The socioeconomic health gradient explains the relationship between one’s socioeconomic status and their health. According to this gradient, low socioeconomic status can negatively affect one’s health. Contamination exposures can also be reflective of socio-economic status. Individuals of low socioeconomic status, usually live in low-income neighbourhoods. These communities tend to have greater exposure to environmental toxins because environmental conditions are often poor or inadequate. Air quality, work, and home environments all contribute to contaminant exposure of low socioeconomic status individuals.