We live in a world where our society tends to affect our health in a variety of ways. As a result, this often leads to numerous health inequalities amongst each other. The social class one is identified under has a considerable effect on one’s individual’s health status, as well as the benefits they receive or do not receive. Germov (2015, p. 510) states that an individual’s social class is based on unequal distribution of power, wealth, income, and status. There is countless of evidence that will demonstrate my thesis to be true. Throughout this essay, the inequalities will be seen by the differences in life expectancy, along with many other factors. Finally, the context of my essay will be focusing on the Indigenous population. There
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It is said that before the British took over they stood in good health. This was possible by the resources nature provided for them, which could be classified as natural/social selection explanation stated above. Gray, Saggers, and Stearne (2015: p. 151) states, “the health status of indigenous Australians at the time of the British invasion was better than that of most people then living in the UK.” The Indigenous population was quite sizeable as well; there were roughly around 750,000 people. Once the Europeans started taking away their resources their health status only got worse. In fact, Harris (2003, p. 81) states that between 1788-1990 the Aboriginal population was reduced by 90 per cent. This outstanding decrease was due to the contact of new diseases the Europeans brought along. The Indigenous population was often not classified as “high class” therefore it was not easy for them to seek treatment for these diseases. A term that could better explain this is social gradient of health. Germov (2015, p. 516) defines the term social gradient of health as a continuum of health inequality in most countries from high to low. Meaning the poorest group has the worst health status, while each group above the poorest has a better health status. An example of this injustice would be the indigenous
It is said that before the British took over they stood in good health. This was possible by the resources nature provided for them, which could be classified as natural/social selection explanation stated above. Gray, Saggers, and Stearne (2015: p. 151) states, “the health status of indigenous Australians at the time of the British invasion was better than that of most people then living in the UK.” The Indigenous population was quite sizeable as well; there were roughly around 750,000 people. Once the Europeans started taking away their resources their health status only got worse. In fact, Harris (2003, p. 81) states that between 1788-1990 the Aboriginal population was reduced by 90 per cent. This outstanding decrease was due to the contact of new diseases the Europeans brought along. The Indigenous population was often not classified as “high class” therefore it was not easy for them to seek treatment for these diseases. A term that could better explain this is social gradient of health. Germov (2015, p. 516) defines the term social gradient of health as a continuum of health inequality in most countries from high to low. Meaning the poorest group has the worst health status, while each group above the poorest has a better health status. An example of this injustice would be the indigenous