Inequalities in Health and illness Essay

returned to work and therefore continue to make profits for the owners of capital. Marxist believes that inequalities in health are related to how productive people are. The low levels of expenditure on the working class is explained by the presence of social class division throughout society, whereby working class people consistently receive worse treatment across the range of services in housing, education and health (Moore, 2008,…

All aspects of health and illness have come to be understood as social phenomena, and are thus inexorably tied to the organization of society and the social factors that contribute to the outcomes of day-to-day life for all. The following essay is going to critically assess the correlation between themes of health inequalities and race with ethnicity and mental health. Despite significant research, there does not seem to be a biological connection between ethnicity and mental illness, however…

application of sociological theories in the understanding of human health and illness. Sociological theories defined by Ritzer (2010: 5) as "a set of interrelated ideas that allow for the systemization of knowledge of the social world". They represent frameworks derived from empirical observations and systematic reasoning about the social world. These theories are then used to understand, explain, interpret and predict social phenomena and human society in general (Ritzer and Goodman, 2004).…

Health is the absence of disease or illness and is the state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing. (WHO, ND) Epidemiology is the study in measuring health and illness by using mortality rates (the number of deaths of individuals), infant mortality rates (the number of deaths among children under 1 per 1000 live births), morbidity rates (the ill health status of an individual or population group) and finally, life expectancy (the number of years of life remaining to a person at a…

used to advance and enhance health. Alternative medicine is usually combined with palliative care to serve as a method to reduce chronic pain and illnesses. Examples of alternative medicine are acupuncture and aromatherapy. Complementary medicine is a health system that uses holistic approach to health care where it addresses medicine through the body, mind and spirituality. Complementary medicine is…

The Public Health Agency identified mental health as a major public health challenge in United State and is a priority for the Government. It is estimated, that every year, one in five America experiences a mental illness. Furthermore, one in three American experience a mental health issue within their lifetime. Positive mental health and well-being is a crucial dimension of overall health, it contributes to our quality of life and to our ability to enjoy life. Good mental health in work…

explanations of class and how they contribute to the understanding of major health inequalities between the working, middle and upper class. • The main explanations include cultural/behavioural explanations, materialistic/structuralist explanations and psychosocial/social capital explanations of class. • By understanding the explanations of class and its contribution to health inequality, the Australian government can understand which area of health its funding and research should focus on. •…

and physical health. “The world’s most ruthless killer and the greatest cause of suffering on earth is extreme poverty.’’ (World Health Organization, Bridging the Gaps) Poverty and mental illness have a linkage to each other as one leads to another. My topic is poverty and mental illness. I chose this topic because I personally know how having the resources such as a steady income, healthcare insurance, housing, education can make a difference on people’s mental health while the lack of these…

medicalization frequently reproduces power dynamics and social structures, it may create both new inequalities and exacerbate existing ones. This results in some groups being subject to greater social control than others, as well as new forms of medical discrimination. These consequences of medicalization have often been attributed to its individualizing effects, as it is people’s bodies and not the surrounding social environment that is seen as the cause of illness. According to Erik Parens,…

1.1 Mark Lynas’ article “Africa’s Hidden Killers” alludes to many inequalities in the village of Misisi and in the country of Zambia as a whole. Also, in how other more powerful countries see developing countries. The article graphically depicts how the impoverished and malnourished people of Misisi struggle everyday to not only put minimal food on their tables, but how they scavenge to make the equivalent to $0.60 a day all while trying to survive from preventable diseases. Lynas’ article…