...Throughout my assignment I will be looking at many elements of the sociological spectrum which go hand in hand with the element of health and illness. These things will include the introduction of social groups and looking at their statistics. “A social group is a collection of people who interact with each other and share similar characteristics and a sense of unity. A social category is a collection of people who do not interact but who share similar characteristics. For example, women, men, the elderly, and high school students all constitute social categories. A social category can become a social group when the members in the category interact with each other and identify themselves as members of the group.” - Anonymous, 2014. No only will I be looking at the social elements, but how it links in to health and trends in illness to find out just how the can both relate. Things such as Morbidity rates (the counted statistic rate in which disease appears in the population). Not forgetting other patterns in health including mortality rate known to be the amount of deaths calculated per annum along with many other rates that can effect the illness of social groups and reasons as to why and how these rates may effect them. As previously mentioned before a social group is a collection of people who interact with each other and share similar characteristics and a sense of unity. A social category is a collection of people who do not interact but who share similar characteristics...
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...Anthony Giovenco Political Science Inequality Paper 12-18-14 The Effects of Wealth Inequality in the United States Wealth inequality in the United States has grown tremendously since 1970. The United States continuously reveals higher rates of inequality as a result of perpetual support for free market capitalism. The high rates of wealth inequality cause the growing financial crisis to persist, lower socio-economic mobility, increase national poverty, and have adverse effects on health and well being. There is no doubt that wealth inequality in America has been escalating quickly; the portion of total income earned by the top one percent has doubled since the beginning of the 1970’s. The wealthy are the main beneficiaries regarding income inequality. In the latest consensus of wealth distribution, the top one percent of Americans owned thirty five percent of the nations private wealth, and the top ten percent took home about fifty percent of all income in 2012. This figure is greater than the bottom 90 percent combined. The question commonly asked concerning this matter: How and why is this becoming so quickly unequal is to be examined. First, we must explain what is meant by the term “wealth.” Wealth is the collection of the assets people own. This includes homes, stocks, savings for pension, and bank accounts, minus all existing debts. The main issue regarding wealth inequality is income inequality. Income equality has grown increasingly in the past 30 years....
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...it gets to a stage where you can no more provide for the necessities in your life. Poverty is caused by a number of factors; such provide as; political instability, debt, discrimination & social inequality… Inequality There are many different types of inequality such being; income inequality, gender inequality, but a broad outline of what inequality is, is that it’s a condition of being unequal towards someone or a group of people. Example would be a male and female working the same job and same amount of hours and the one getting paid more than the other due to circumstances such as discrimination and prejudice...
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...Los Angeles: A critical essay looking into increasing inequality and its root causes in the metropolitan area across the last 50 years Los Angeles is one of the most economically developed cities in the world and it represents a beacon of technological advancement, social progression and equal opportunity for people all around the world. Los Angeles (L.A.) was recently ranked 9th on the Global Economic Power Index (Florida, 2012) and 20th on the Global Power City Index that included criteria such as “livability”, “cultural interaction”, “environment” and “accessibility” (Institute for Urban Strategies, 2014). These ideas may ring true for some; however there are many who live within the city limits that experience a very different reality. In the last 20 years there has been an increasing amount of academic literature examining rising economic, social, political and underlying racial inequality within L.A. This essay will attempt to evaluate this literature so as to examine what inequalities are occurring and identify possible causes underlying them. For future reference within this essay, I am going to be looking at L.A. as the Greater Los Angeles Area, which includes the city of L.A. and other interconnected urban areas so as to avoid confusion on where possible boundaries are drawn and also to have a greater area from which to draw comparison from. Socio-Economic History Leading to Contemporary Inequality The situation Los Angeles is currently in can be attributed...
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...P2 Explain different sociological approaches to health and ill health There are different approaches to health and ill health in sociology, and these include Functionalism, Marxism, Feminism and Interactionism. The World Health Organisation (WHO) in 1974 defines positive health as a state of complete physical mental, social, spiritual and well-being not merely the absence of disease. The holistic approach is based on addressing the individual’s physical, social, emotional and spiritual health needs. The functionalist approach to health and ill health In the functionalist model, Parsons argued that illness is a form of deviance that disturbs the social function of a society; within the functionalist approach to health it studies the relationship between a sick individual and the society as a whole. Parsons stated that for the society to function efficiently the members of the society must be free from illness and must be of well health. Functionalists argued that stability and cooperation are very crucial for a society to function efficiently; functionalists explain that through the process of socialisation we learn our society’s general norms, values and social roles. An example of this is, saying “thank you or please” these are some of the values that are treasured within societies, and an example of a social role would be a grandmother fulfilling the role as a grandmother. For the grandmother to fulfil her role, the individual has to look after the grandchildren so...
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...Neuman December 8, 2011 The Problem Even Congress Cannot Fix: Inequality in America The big story that has been all over the news in recent times is none other than the massive bear of a problem: inequality in America. This not so white elephant has dominated American news stations, but nonetheless has not been resolved. There is without a doubt financial inequality in America, and the main problems with this financial inequality are the flawed educational system where rich dumb kids have a much better chance to graduate college than a hard working poor kid, and the increasingly large gap between the rich and the poor. The cause for the problem of unequal opportunity in schooling is inherently the quality of instructors and schools across the nation, and the cause for the overwhelming rift between social classes is a flawed tax system which punishes success and benefits the poor. Furthermore, the solutions for these two massive problems would be to reform the American educational system to a performance based system and a reformed tax system that broadens the tax base and encourages success. Certainly, the level of financial inequality is an issue. But, why is it such an issue? One of the major underlying problems with financial inequality is the face that rich dumb kids that maybe be in the bottom twenty-five percent of their school but come from families that are in the top twenty-five percent of the socio-economic spectrum have a significantly higher chance of finishing college...
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...Inequality begins its roots as long ago as humans started roaming this earth. Inequality can be described also as an imbalance, and with such an imbalance in terms of income, wealth, and class prosperity comes income inequality. Income inequality or economic inequality can be described as the imbalance between income of individuals or household within a country or class. When income inequality is brought up or mentioned, most people think about it in regards to the impoverished class and the ultra rich 1% but this is not the case. In a world that is becoming more and more integrated, economic inequality between the middle class and the top 1% is becoming much more relevant and much more of a problem that needs to be addressed. We live in a...
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...In order to improve population health status and reduce health inequalities, it is important to identify and understand the main factors that protect and promote good health. These factors are known as the social determinants of health. The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines social determinants of health as, “the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age” (WHO, 2012, pg. 1). These factors are shaped by a number of socio-economic variables including income and poverty, employment and occupation, education, housing, culture and ethnicity (Ministry of Health, 1998, pg. 8). It is important to consider these factors as they can have both a direct and...
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...major debate arose about the inner causes of the insurrections and the media and politicians promptly pointed out several hypothesis. The August 2011 events have been primarily interpreted, especially amongst the political class, through a lens that emphasises criminality. ,one prominent argument advocates that the cause of the unrest was the moral decay of ‘a feral underclass’ (Scrambler; Grover 2011) However, many of such explanations tend to be mostly speculative and they often fail to provide a consistent account of the causes of the riots based on solid evidence (the LSE/theguardian, 2011, Solomos, 2011). Against this background this essay attempts to disentangle the motives of the London 2011 riots, by focusing on the relations of causality between factors and events that led to the burst of the unrest. It argues that urban social inequalities as well as uneven processes of exclusion and inclusion of a marginalised class are the main factor underlying the disturbances. Yet this essay claims that these riots need also to be analysed in the very specific context in which they have arisen: the financial crisis, a society which is becoming increasingly consumerist in its orientation, the disputable role of the police, loss of faith in the political class and hopelessness towards the future amongst the urban youth. In the first part this essay analyses inequality indicators and trends embracing the multidimensional nature of social inequality (Bradley, 1996)....
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...The impact of early education as a strategy in countering socio-economic disadvantage Research paper for Ofsted’s ‘Access and achievement in education 2013 review’ Professor Chris Pascal and Professor Tony Bertram UK Research Team: Sean Delaney, Selma Manjee, Marjory Perkins and Manja Plehn International Research Team: Alice Bennett, Carol Nelson, Sarina Razzak and Maureen Saunders Centre for Research in Early Childhood (CREC) © Centre for Research in Early Childhood (CREC) 2013 The views expressed in this report are the authors’ and do not necessarily reflect those of Ofsted. Any enquiries regarding this publication should be sent to Elizabeth Boulton at publishing@ofsted.gov.uk or Aviation House, 125 Kingsway, London WC2 6SE This publication is available at www.ofsted.gov.uk/accessandachievement. No. 130155-RR-005 In June 2012, Sir Michael Wilshaw, HMCI, stated his determination to address the issue of narrowing the gap of educational achievement between disadvantaged pupils and others. To support this intention, The Centre for Research in Early Childhood has been commissioned by OfSTED to conduct a review looking at the impact of Early Childhood Education (ECE) initiatives to combat social and economic disadvantage, both in the UK and internationally. This paper: Examines the impact of nati...
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...before the Britain ruled the waves. Globalisation was focused on the economic section in the past, however, it has recently broadened to a larger range of areas such as culture, media, technology, socio-cultural, political, and biological factors (Financial Times n.d.). Since the past, trading of goods and services, knowledge and cultures have already existed, but the refined technologies at present have increased the exchange speed much faster than ever (Global Education n.d.). This global process has brought some enormous effects economically, socially and politically both between and within nations. There has been much debate in recent times about that globalisation causes only an increase in economic inequalities, however, this essay will demonstrate that globalisation also creates positive and beneficial consequences both between and within nations. Firstly, globalisation creates greater free trade. Free trade is defined as a structure of transaction among countries where no exclusive tax is charged on imported goods (Merriam-Webster n.d.). According to the World Trade Organization (n.d.), free trade empowers economic growth. One of the positive effects of free trade is that it allows a country to specialise in producing a few types of goods where that country have a comparative advantage. Therefore, the country can produce that few types of goods at a lower opportunity cost (Economic Help 2012). What is more, when nations specialise in producing certain types of goods...
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...underperformance in education of students from low socio-economic environments, therefore, is a matter of great concern. When young people enter and exit the school setting without being given opportunities to advance to a greater level of socio-economic status, our system has failed to deliver its promise of a programme “that supports 21st century learning in all Australian schools” (ACARA, 2009, p. 1). Educational design must respond to the impact of class in Australia. Curriculum, pedagogy and assessment may all be tailored to respond to and reduce the impact of low socio-economic status on academic achievement. The 1966 release of Coleman’s Equality of Educational Opportunity Study clearly showed that a child’s socio-economic background has a dramatic impact on academic achievement. Coleman (1966) found that the single most significant determinant in educational success was the child’s home life, be that influenced by upper or lower class origins. More recent research by Berends, Lara-Cinisomo, Lucas, Maggio, Pebley, and Vaiana (2004) also concluded that the critical factor in influencing educational achievement in students was not “race, ethnicity, or immigrant status” (p. 1) but rather, the impact that comes from socio-economic factors. The question can no longer be whether there is sufficient evidence to support this belief, but instead, how can this knowledge be synthesised to close the achievement gap between socio-economic...
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...“Crime is the result of individual behaviour, rather than the product of a socialisation process” Discuss. For decades sociologists from around the world have been debating what factors lead people to commit crime. Some have deduced that individual behaviour is the primary factor while others have concluded that crime is more the product of a socialisation process. In order to understand this contentious issue it is necessary to consider the credibility of a number of theories: physiological, psychological, right realism, Marxism, subculturalism, and left realism. Through the analysis of these theories, a conclusion will then be arrived at as to whether individual behaviour, rather than the socialisation process, is the main cause of crime. Physiological theories focus on the relationship between a person’s biology and crime. Therefore, this theoretical area of study clearly links the individual to crime. Today, a number of criminologists continue to support physiological explanations, even though, historically, many of theories linked to physiology have been disproved. Anne Moir and David Jessel are two such theorists who have proposed a link between biology and crime. They have suggested that a low IQ (which can be inherited) leads to impulsive behaviour, which may in turn lead a person to be more likely to commit crime. Moir and Jessel also claim that there is a link between crime and hormonal differences which make males more aggressive than females and therefore...
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...Economy of Inequality Drivers of Inequality: socio-economic mechanisms Admin • Major Essay Guidelines in UoS pages 5-6 due Monday May 11th 40% of your total mark for ecop 2616 Submit on time. 2000 words maximum. Penalty for longer essays Prepare carefully What is required? • Critical review of the content of the book, not the author! • Locate the ‘field data’ (your book) within the conceptual, historical and empirical material covered in the course material. • Book summaries receive zero marks. Intro: (1) Short précis of the book. ‘This book covers….” (2) outline the specific issues/concerns that your essay will address; (3) identify the theoretical, conceptual, historical or empirical frameworks covered in the course material that you will use to interpret and critically evaluate the dynamics of inequality highlighted in your book. Body: • a coherent and well organised discussion of the issues you have elected to focus on. • Your argument must be substantiated in a proper academic manner. Use sub-headings if they help organise your ideas. Conclusion: • summary of your argument and any outstanding issues. Where are we up to? • Weeks 1-3: theoretical questions • Weeks 5-7: historical and contemporary patterns of distribution • Weeks 8-11: causal mechanisms • Weeks 12-13: alternatives and conclusion. The cumulative character of inequality • Consequences of inequality often become causes of inequality. - eg labour...
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... • The notes contained in this PowerPoint presentation will cover LO1 (1.1;1.2;1.3) • Please print notes prior to attending lectures ICON COLLEGE (LO1) = TASK 1 2 1 08/10/2014 Learning Outcomes (LO) On successful completion of this lecture a learner will: LO1: Understand the socio-economic influences on health 1.1 explain the effects of socio-economic influences on health. 1.2 assess the relevance of government sources in reporting on inequalities in health. 1.3 discuss reasons for barriers to accessing healthcare. ICON COLLEGE (LO1) = TASK 1 3 Unit Content (LO1) Influences: social e.g. disposable income, unemployment, lifestyle choices, environment, access to healthcare facilities, access to information, citizenship status, discrimination. Sources of information: reports and enquiries e.g. Black Report DHSS 1980, Acheson Report ‘Independent Inquiry in ‘Inequalities in Health’ 1998, Health and Lifestyle Surveys (HALS), Health Survey for England (HSFE), census data ICON COLLEGE (LO1) = TASK 1 4 2 08/10/2014 Definitions (Class participation Review) • What is health promotion? • What is public health? • What do we mean by determinant of health? • What do we mean by environmental factors? ICON COLLEGE (LO1) = TASK 1 5 The main determinants of health Dahlgren and Whitehead's model, 1992 Figure 1: adapted from Dahlgren and Whitehead ICON COLLEGE (LO1) = TASK 1 6 3 08/10/2014 Health Promotion “The process of enabling...
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