SOC102H1 Lecture Notes - Whitehall Study, Mental Disorder, Birth Weight
Document Summary
Disempowers- by depriving people of income, influence and authority. Disconnects- by reducing social connectedness and depriving people of social contacts. Misinforms- by depriving people of useful information about opportunities. Devalues- by depriving people of self-esteem and self-worth. These effects also lead to desperation, risk taking. Income inequality mediates these processes (and is well-measured), so we focus on income inequality. Recent study finds that patients from different income groups are treated in a different way. Very low income people are using the parts of the health care system that are in greatest crisis (are put in the bad parts of the hospital ). Wealthier patients are more likely to receive same-day surgery than low income patients. Currently, only drugs taken during in-hospital treatment are covered by medi-care. Research on inequality illustrates the population health perspective. A population health perspective focuses on how social variables influence the physical and psychological well-being of large groups of people.
