Inequality

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1 Health Inequality Student’s Name Institution Class Date

2 Health Inequality Introduction Health inequality is a disparate health resources and outcomes distribution among various population categories, incorporating gender, race, and ethnicity. It is mostly brought about by an array of factors, for instance, poverty, lack of healthcare access, and care quality disparity (Zhang et al., 2020). This paper aims to explore historical and contemporary sociological perspectives on inequalities in health and illness. It will then analyze how gender and class can influence health outcomes and how these inequalities are illustrated in the case studies of Jo and Annabel. Historical and current sociological perspectives on inequalities in health and illness Throughout history, sociological perspectives on health and illness inequalities have evolved and our social determinants of health and illness comprehension. From early classical theories of social stratification and health to more modern theories of health inequalities, sociological theories attempt to explain the health and illness disparities within society. Sociologists have long perceived that health and illness are unevenly distributed in society, with certain groups experiencing higher health risks and worse health results than others from a historical perspective. This view has been used to explain the origins and health inequalities persistence caused by social, economic, and political variables. Karl Marx, for instance, contented that a capitalist system develops an inequality system that results in disparities in health because of disparities in resource access, leading to poorer health results for those in lower classes (J Fox & Powell, 2021). Also, Émile Durkheim pointed out that social inequality results in health disparities, with people in higher classes having more resource access and better health results and people in

3 lower classes having inadequate resources and worse health results. Moreover, Max Weber contended that social stratification and imbalances in power could also result in disparities in health and illness, as those with higher social class status have more resource access, improved access to medical care, and enhanced health results (Scambler, 2019). Therefore, sociologists have long perceived that factors, for instance, social class, race, and gender, can result in health disparities and have worked to comprehend how disparities in health and illness can be resolved to develop a more evenhanded society. In the present day, sociologists continue to study how inequalities in health and illness are created and maintained. The present various sociological perspectives on inequalities in health and illness include functionalism, the political economy approach, and social constructionism. Functionalism is a structuralist approach to sociology that views society as made up of interconnected parts that function collaboratively to keep up stability and order. Health and illness, according to functionalism, are essential components of a functioning society, and as such, they must be viewed as social products. This viewpoint holds that health and illness imbalances are brought about by structural factors, for instance, poverty, gender, and class (Wilson, 2021). Functionalists view health and illness as an unequal power dynamics reflection, which can bring about access to health care and uneven treatment disparities. A poverty and illness cycle can be created by these disparities, leading to further social and economic imbalances. Health and illness are seen as outcomes of the economic, political, and social structures of capitalist societies from the Marxist-based perspective of the political economy approach. The suggestion of this perspective is that economic, political, and social forces have an impact on health and illness and that these forces are often used to maintain unequal distribution of

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4 resources and power. Unequal access to resources and treatment by the medical system is argued to cause health and illness inequalities. This uneven resource access can result in unequal results in terms of health and illness, thereby perpetuating social and economic disparities. Social constructionism is a postmodernist approach to sociology that views health and illness as socially constructed phenomena. This perspective argues that health and illness are not objective realities, but rather, they are shaped by social and cultural forces (Wilson, 2021). This indicates that health and illness are not inborn or predetermined, but instead, they are molded by various factors, for instance, knowledge, values, and beliefs. Social constructionism views health and illness as the product of social and cultural forces and argues that these forces can lead to inequalities in health and illness. Analyzing sociological explanations (gender and class) in case studies Jo and Annabel are 34-year-old women residing in the same urban region and have two children each. Nevertheless, their lives are extremely distinct in terms of the resources they have at their disposal, both their health results and their children's, and how they can cope with daily living. Gender is a social belief, implying it is established and upheld by society and changes over time. Gender is a powerful indicator of health, as it determines the duties, obligations, and expectations society has of people, which influences how people view and manage their health and the resources accessible to them. From the case studies, Jo is a single mother and unemployed, and the father of her children is unknown. Single mothers are highly likely to experience poverty and poor health because of the challenges of balancing work and childcare and the social stigma associated with single parenting. According to Azcarraga (2022), single

5 mothers have a greater frequency of poor psychological health and are more inclined to struggle monetarily, which can result in subpar housing and nutrition. Jo's single motherhood and lack of employment mean she is more likely to experience poverty and poor health, as evidenced by her history of alcohol and drug abuse and depression and her children's impetigo and dental problems. In addition, Jo's fear of social services taking her children away and her low literacy levels demonstrate the unique difficulties single mothers face and the lack of resources available to them. Conversely, Annabel is married to Greg and has access to the resources from his media business. Annabel has used the resources available to access private counseling for her post-natal depression, private tuition for Poppy, and frequent trips to the Cotswolds. This illustrates the financial and social advantages Annabel and her family have access to due to her marriage (Weida et al., 2020). Annabel's resource access has enabled her to deal with her children's health and is evident in the way that they have overall been healthy and have access to music and dance lessons, sports, and social activities. In addition to gender, class is another powerful determinant of health. Jo and Annabel come from different class backgrounds, and their social class significantly influences their access to resources and health outcomes. Jo is from a working-class family, and subsequently, she is highly likely to experience financial challenges, for instance, inadequate housing, dietary habits, and healthcare access. This is reflected in her family's frequent hunger, the problems with dampness in her living space, and her children's asthma and dental problems. Alternately, Annabel is from a middle-class family and, therefore, has resource access; therefore, she needs to deal with her health and her children's, for instance, private counseling and educational cost.

6 Conclusion Historical and modern sociological perspectives on health and illness disparities have provided insight into the social health determinants of health, for instance, gender and class, and how these can result in health and illness inequalities. The case studies of Jo and Annabel demonstrate the effects of gender and class on health outcomes, with Jo's single motherhood and lack of resources leading to poor health outcomes and Annabel's access to resources allowing her to manage her health and the health of her children. It is important to recognize these health and illness inequalities to create a more equitable society. List of References

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7 Azcarraga, A.W., 2022. The Role of Self-Esteem and Shame in Single Parenting (Doctoral dissertation, The Chicago School of Professional Psychology). J Fox, N. and Powell, K., 2021. Non‐human matter, health disparities and a thousand tiny dis/advantages. Sociology of Health & Illness, 43 (3), pp.779-795. Scambler, G., 2019. Sociology, social class, health inequalities, and the avoidance of “Classism”. Frontiers in Sociology, p.56. Weida, E.B., Phojanakong, P., Patel, F. and Chilton, M., 2020. Financial health as a measurable social determinant of health. PLoS One, 15 (5), p.e0233359. Wilson, L., 2021. Why They Know Not What They Do: A Social Constructionist Approach to the Explanatory Problem of False Consciousness. Journal of Social Ontology, 7 (1), pp.45-72. Zhang, X., Carabello, M., Hill, T., Bell, S.A., Stephenson, R. and Mahajan, P., 2020. Trends of racial/ethnic differences in emergency department care outcomes among adults in the United States from 2005 to 2016. Frontiers in medicine, 7, p.300.

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