Psych/Soc Deck 7: Social Inequality, Demographics & Health

Social Stratification

The hierarchical arrangement of people into social classes based on wealth, power, and prestige

Socioeconomic Status (SES)

A person's social standing based on:

• Income

• Education

• Occupation

Social Class

A group of people with similar socioeconomic status.

Social Mobility

Movement between social classes.

Vertical Mobility

Movement up or down the social hierarchy.

Example:
Getting promoted from cashier to manager.

Horizontal Mobility

hanging jobs or roles without changing social class.

Example:
A nurse becomes a teacher with similar income and status.

Vertical vs Horizontal Mobility

Vertical→ Up or down in status.

Horizontal→ Same level, different position.

Intergenerational Mobility

Social mobility between generations.

Example:
Parents worked minimum wage jobs, child becomes a physician.

Intragenerational Mobility

Social mobility within one person's lifetime.

Intergenerational vs Intragenerational Mobility

Inter
Between generations.

Intra
Within one lifetime.

Absolute Poverty

Not having enough resources to meet basic needs like food, shelter, and clothing.

Relative Poverty

Being poor compared to others in the same society.

Social Exclusion

Being prevented from fully participating in society because of social or economic barriers.

demography

The statistical study of populations.

Fertility Rate

Average number of children born per woman.

Mortality Rate

Number of deaths in a population over a given time.

Infant Mortality Rate

Deaths of infants under 1 year of age per 1,000 live births.

Often used as a measure of a country's overall health

Life Expectancy

Average expected lifespan in a population.

Population Pyramid

A graph showing the age and sex distribution of a population.

Health Disparities

Differences in health outcomes among different populations due to social, economic, and environmental factors.

Healthcare Disparities

Differences in access to healthcare services or quality of care.

Health Disparities vs Healthcare Disparities

Health Disparities
Different health outcomes.

Healthcare Disparities
Different access to healthcare.

Social Determinants of Health

Conditions in which people are born, grow, work, and live that influence health outcomes.

Examples:

• Education

• Housing

• Income

• Neighborhood

• Employment

Race

A socially constructed category based on perceived physical characteristics.

Ethnicity

Shared cultural background, traditions, ancestry, or language.

Race vs Ethnicity

Race
Socially defined based on physical characteristics.

Ethnicity
Shared culture, ancestry, or traditions.

Minority Group

A group with less social power, regardless of numerical size.M

Majority group

A group with greater social power and influence.

Individual Discrimination

Discriminatory behavior carried out by one person toward another.

Institutional Discrimination

Policies or practices within institutions that systematically disadvantage certain groups.

Individual vs Institutional DiscriminationSocial Capital

Individual
Person to person.

Institutional
Built into systems or organizations.

Social Capital

Resources and benefits gained through social relationships and networks.

Cultural Capital

Knowledge, education, language, and cultural experiences that provide social advantages.

Social Capital vs Cultural Capital

Social Capital
Who you know.

Cultural Capital
What you know and the cultural knowledge or skills you possess.

Incidence

Number of new cases of a disease during a specific time period.

Prevalence

Total number of existing cases of a disease at a given time.

Incidence vs Prevalence

Incidence

NEW cases.

Prevalence

ALL existing cases.

Morbidity

Illness or disease within a population.

Mortality

Death within a population

A child grows up in a low-income household but later becomes a successful attorney.

Intergenerational upward mobility.

A physician leaves one hospital to work at another with similar pay and status.

Horizontal mobility.

A community has high rates of diabetes because residents have limited access to healthy food and safe places to exercise

Social determinants of health leading to health disparities.

A study reports that 250 people developed influenza this winter.

Incidence

A report states that 10,000 people in the city currently have diabetes.

Prevalance

Two patients have the same disease, but one receives delayed treatment because of insurance barriers.

Healthcare disparity

A student from a family of physicians knows how to navigate the medical school application process because of experiences growing up.

Cultural capital.

A job applicant is hired because a family friend works at the company and recommends them.

Social capital.

A hospital policy unintentionally results in one racial group receiving fewer specialty referrals than another.

Institutional discrimination