Social Stratification is the hierarchical or vertical division of society according to rank, caste, or class: stratification of feudal society (dictionary.com). In addition, Social Stratification can be viewed as functional for the social order because it motivates people to undertake all the jobs necessary for the society to survive. Social stratification can also cause conflict, however different social strata with opposing interests can clash with one another over goals and resources. Furthermore, Social Stratification has three prime aspects. These aspects are power, wealth, and prestige. The particular value system of a culture decides how power, wealth and prestige interact to determine where a person is placed in the stratification …show more content…
Throughout middle and high school, the things our teacher were teacher us were always at least 2 grade levels behind what kids are learning in private schools and even some public schools. In addition, throughout middle school we had substitute teachers almost everyday, and we would learn from worksheets. There would also be fights, and other kids in the school who were not even students there. In middle and upper class neighborhoods, the schools would not be as unsecured and there would be quality teachers teaching students the appropriate course-work for their grade level. This is especially important when you are transferring to high schools and colleges because depending on the high school or college you are transferring to, you could be at a huge disadvantage. For instance, when i first applied to the Community College of Philadelphia and took the placement test, i was expecting it to be easy because it is a community college after all, and i was informed that it was basically high school level work on the test. To my surprise, on the math section there was some trigonometry, geometry, and pre-calculus on there, subjects that i never had the opportunity to learn due to having substitute teachers throughout the year. So i was set back and had to take remedial math courses, therefore delaying my graduation. This is also the case in most college "introductory" …show more content…
For this reason, more medical schools are reaching out to accept more underrepresented minorities so they be able to work in their own communities, and patients can have doctors who looked more like them. Patients generally feel more comfortable with a doctor or nurse who is of the some ethnic background as them. However, this is only speaking for those of the lower class who are fortunate enough to have health insurance. Most people of the lower class cannot afford health insurance, or are even eligible for it due to being unemployed or over a certain age. Last year around this time i was denied medical insurance because i was unemployed, over 21, in college, did not have any kids, was not married, or a veteran. In Pennsylvania, college students are not eligible for public assistance unless the work at least 20 hours a weeks, or get work-study. On the other hand, those in the higher class have good jobs that provides health insurance which covers them and their family. As a result, they generally live longer, and can afford life saving surgeries. To add, people of the lower class eat less healthy than those in the higher class which can result in a lower life expectancy. However, this is mostly due to the fact that the foods that are not good for you are generally cheaper and/or thats what you grew
Social stratification refers to a society’s categorization of its people into rankings of socioeconomic tiers based on factors like wealth, income, race, education, and power (Conley ). In the United States, we use social classes as our social stratification system. Going back to the idea of equality of condition, starting in different social classes is not fair. The underclass doesn’t get a fair chance to move up in social class. An article written by Alana Semuels called Poor at 20, Poor for Life was published in the Atlantic. Semuels considered how social mobility has gone down in recent years. In her article, she states “It’s not an exaggeration: It really is getting harder to move up in America. Those who make very little money in their first jobs will probably still be making very little decades later, and those who start off making middle-class wages have similarly limited paths.” Proving the point that social mobility has become a pipe dream. Overall, social classes provide an invisible barrier that stop people from being able to move social
Stratification in general is the formation of classes or categories. “Racial and ethnic stratification refers systems of inequality in which some fixed groups membership, such as race, religion, or national origin is a major criterion for ranking social positions and their differential rewards” (Social Stratification). An example of this would be someone who is African American may not be able
Stratification systems, categorized people by class, gender, ethnicity, wealth/income. When people are categorized, start looking at different systems within the social system or social mobility. “The four main systems of stratification have been slavery, caste, estate, and class. Each of these systems allows greater or less flexibility in terms of social mobility. Social mobility is the ability to move up or down within a social stratification hierarchy” (Larkin, 2015). Slavery is a social status began with social norms allowing people to own others. The slaves had no wealth or power while under this social status. Caste systems are all aspects of social status are assigned at births and held forever,
Healthcare disparities are when there are inequalities or differences of the conditions of health and the quality of care that is received among specific groups of people such as African Americans, Caucasians, Asians, or Hispanics. Not only does it occur between racial and ethnic groups, health disparities can happen between males and females as well. Minorities have the worst healthcare outcomes, higher death rates, and are more prone to terminal diseases. For African American men and women, some of the most common health disparities are diabetes, cancer, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and HIV infections. Some factors that can contribute to disparities are healthcare access, transportation, specialist referrals, and non-effective communication with patients. There is also much racism that still occurs today, which can be another reason African Americans may be mistreated with their healthcare. “Although both black and white patients tended not to endorse the existence of racism in the medical system, African Americans patients were more likely to perceive racism” (Laveist, Nickerson, Bowie, 2000). Over the years, the health care system has made improvements but some Americans, such as African Americans, are still being treating unequally when wanting the same care they desire as everyone else.
People of color face inequality and intersectionality in healthcare whether through insurance coverage, access, social economics, and quality of care. This leads to our health care system having disparities. It remains a big challenge today as 41% of people living in the United States are people of color (kff.org). People of color aren't getting the same care as someone who's white. Racial and ethnic minorities received lower care. Race also plays a role if someone will be uninsured or not. Another problem with health care is social economics which causes some race to have better care than others. There have been little improvements to address these issues. Today our society is becoming more diverse not less. In 2015 minorities represented
The sociological analysis for why these inequalities in health and health care happen are mainly because of racism that has happened throughout society across the United States. The racial differences between black and white was a big deal in the past for the U.S. and this brought massive attention whether a person should be treated like this because of their skin. Gender in society plays an important role in identifying social status and therefore, has more increased health care to be implemented within society. Next, Race/Ethnicity is the category in how we define ourselves within society (White, Black, American Indian, Pacific Islander, etc.). This inequality is traces all the way back to disease, and forms of social norms that fail to maintain
Today there are huge enhancements in the diagnosis and treatment of most chronic diseases, there are many studies shown that ethnic and racial minorities obtain lower health care than nonminorities.
Most health care plans do not collect socioeconomic or racial/ethnic data on their plan members. The recognition of disparities in health care as a quality issue has far-reaching implications for reducing socioeconomic and racial/ethnic disparities in health care. It is difficult to isolate racial/ethnic disparities in health care due to socioeconomic disparities because race and socioeconomic position are so closely intertwined, especially in the United States. However, socioeconomic position appears to be the more powerful determinant of health, as mentioned above. Fiscella et al. proposed five principles for addressing disparities, some of which were- 1) “disparities must be recognized as a significant quality problem”; and 2) “an approach to disparities should account for the relationships between both socioeconomic position and race/ethnicity and morbidity. Consideration should be given to linking reimbursement to the socioeconomic position and racial/ethnicity composition of the enrolled population.”
Seeking to position lower socioeconomic status above racial/ethnic biases or vice versa is irresponsible to the goal of eliminating healthcare delivery differences at large. Both these are realities of a group of people who are not receiving the same level of care from the healthcare professionals although they exist within one of the most resource rich countries in the world, the United States. According to House & Williams (2000), “racism restricts and truncates socioeconomic attainment” (page, 106). This alone will hinder good health and spur on disparities as racism reduces the level of education and income as well as the prospect of better jobs. Blacksher (2008) cites the nation’s institutionalized racism as one of the leading factors
The disparities in the healthcare system contribute to the overall health status disparities that affect ethnic and racial minorities. The sources of ethnic and racial healthcare disparities include cultural barriers, geography differences, or healthcare provider stereotyping. In addition, difficulties in communication between health care providers and patients, lack of access to healthcare providers, and lack of access to adequate health care coverage
First, the chapters cover stratification. According to study.com “Social stratification refers to a system by which a society ranks categories of people in a hierarchy. In the United States, it is perfectly clear that some groups have greater status, power, and wealth than other groups.” According to the textbook “Stratification is unequal distribution of valued
Social stratification is seen everywhere within the United States and around the world. As discussed in lecture, there are two types of stratification systems, and both are prominent in the United States. The first type is achievement based, which depends on a person’s wealth and accomplishments (Wadsworth). In the film, “People Like Us,” this system is presented. A teenage boy is embarrassed of his mother and his family’s social status, so he hides is social class from his friends. The second system is ascription-based stratification which has to do with what an individual is born with. The school that was interviewed and observed in “People Like Us,” prove that the family you are born into plays a huge role in popularity, and the group of friends you choose to surround yourself with. Another example in this film was the WASP label. The man they interviewed, explained that you are
According to Black?s definition, stratification is ?the vertical aspect of social life?, ?any uneven distribution of the material conditions of existence? (Black 11), in other words the discrimination of wealth. Stratification can be measured in quantity, delineated in style and viewed from two perspectives, as a ?magnitude of difference in wealth? (Black 11) and as the level to which the setting is stratified. Moreover, stratification explains not only law, its quantity and style, but also other aspects of social life. The relationship Black is mostly interested in is the positive correlation between stratification and law, meaning the more law, the more stratified the setting is. When utilizing this proposition by inserting other variables of social ...
Social stratification as defined by Brinkerhoff et al. is “an institutionalized pattern of inequality in which social statuses are ranked on the basis of their access to scarce resources” (Brinkerhoff et al. 152). By scarce resources, many people have to deal with poverty and having a lack of money to buy the things they need in their lives. Social class is defined as “a category of people who share roughly the same class, status, and power and who have a sense of identification with each other” (Brinkerhoff et al. 155). Your social class has to do with your socioeconomic status along with the power and connections you have. Social mobility on the other hand is “the process of changing one’s social class” (Brinkerhoff et al. 153).
Social stratification can have a big impact on poverty. Social stratification consists of social and economic institutions. These institutions generate inequality and further poverty. It creates hierarchy and classes within society. The hierarchy that forms can put people at disadvantages. This disadvantage can lead to poverty and the inability to get out of poverty.