Society plays a large role in affecting health outcomes and these outcomes vary dependent upon socioeconomic status. With social factors such as education and income negatively affecting the less fortunate and social classes creating borders within health care, good health tends to be enjoyed by the affluent members of society. Overall, one could argue that a societal approach, rather an individualist approach, is the most effective way to confront the issues at hand.
Social factors largely impact health and disease and can wreak poor health amongst the population of the lower socioeconomic status. Education is ranked as one of the leading social factor in predicting health outcomes (Cockerham, 2012). Higher education generally leads …show more content…
1). Regarding health education in particular, cultural views deeply influence health education and unfortunately may bring about victims of misinformation. Such was the case when the South African president, Jacob Zuma, had misled his nation. A country riddled with HIV and AIDS, poorly educated, and easily manipulated, was misguided to believe that showering after having sex will reduce the risk of contracting HIV. Green and Gordin (2006) stated that due to Zuma’s statements, “AIDS activists and scientists are embarking on damage control”. From the same article, Hope Mhlongo, who was the counseling manager of the National AIDS Helpline, had said that in regards to Zuma’s comments, “Women have also been calling to find out whether they should take a shower after being raped to reduce their risk of HIV infection. We have to explain to them that this not only does nothing to reduce their risk but instead gets rid of vital evidence that they would need when they laid a rape charge”. The article also notes that the founder of Community Aids Response, Jenny Marcus, states: “South Africa was still suffering from the effects of some leaders’ denial around HIV, and have Zuma make such statements was horrendous”. Clearly, the lack of education reinforced by a preposterous theory from a role model led to …show more content…
Ideally, health should not be an item rewarded to highly competitive individuals and lost somewhere in the between for others. With a societal approach, one would hope that the borders in health care created by the gaps in between the classes would be dissolved by instilling societal values in respect to health care. Societal values have been listed by Anderson and Newman (1973) and include: “(1) a growing consensus that all people have a right to medical care regardless of their ability to pay for this care; (2) the general belief that certain population groups such as the “poor”, blacks, Spanish-speaking Americans, American-Indians, and inner city and rural residents, are not receiving medical care which is comparable in terms of quality and quantity that is available to the rest of the population; (3) high expectations concerning the extent to which medical care can contribute to the general health level of the population; and (4) public consternation over the ‘crisis in medical care’ stimulated by rapidly rising prices and growing dissatisfaction about the availability of services”. With these values, the lessened quality of care would not have been evident with the experiences of Wilson and Gora as previously
Social factors largely impact health and disease and can wreak poor health amongst the population of the lower socioeconomic status. Education is ranked as one of the leading social factor in predicting health outcomes (Cockerham, 2012). Higher education generally leads …show more content…
1). Regarding health education in particular, cultural views deeply influence health education and unfortunately may bring about victims of misinformation. Such was the case when the South African president, Jacob Zuma, had misled his nation. A country riddled with HIV and AIDS, poorly educated, and easily manipulated, was misguided to believe that showering after having sex will reduce the risk of contracting HIV. Green and Gordin (2006) stated that due to Zuma’s statements, “AIDS activists and scientists are embarking on damage control”. From the same article, Hope Mhlongo, who was the counseling manager of the National AIDS Helpline, had said that in regards to Zuma’s comments, “Women have also been calling to find out whether they should take a shower after being raped to reduce their risk of HIV infection. We have to explain to them that this not only does nothing to reduce their risk but instead gets rid of vital evidence that they would need when they laid a rape charge”. The article also notes that the founder of Community Aids Response, Jenny Marcus, states: “South Africa was still suffering from the effects of some leaders’ denial around HIV, and have Zuma make such statements was horrendous”. Clearly, the lack of education reinforced by a preposterous theory from a role model led to …show more content…
Ideally, health should not be an item rewarded to highly competitive individuals and lost somewhere in the between for others. With a societal approach, one would hope that the borders in health care created by the gaps in between the classes would be dissolved by instilling societal values in respect to health care. Societal values have been listed by Anderson and Newman (1973) and include: “(1) a growing consensus that all people have a right to medical care regardless of their ability to pay for this care; (2) the general belief that certain population groups such as the “poor”, blacks, Spanish-speaking Americans, American-Indians, and inner city and rural residents, are not receiving medical care which is comparable in terms of quality and quantity that is available to the rest of the population; (3) high expectations concerning the extent to which medical care can contribute to the general health level of the population; and (4) public consternation over the ‘crisis in medical care’ stimulated by rapidly rising prices and growing dissatisfaction about the availability of services”. With these values, the lessened quality of care would not have been evident with the experiences of Wilson and Gora as previously