Foundational Concept 10A! Flashcards
Spatial Inequality, Social Class, Health (Care) Disparities
MCAT Behavioural Sciences - Social Inequality
Which of the following best describes the component of socioeconomic status attributable to direct individual efforts?
1. Ascribed status
2. Meritocratic competition
3. Anomic condition
4. Achieved status
What are the definitions of each?
4) Achieved Status
Ascribed socioeconmic status is based on identifiable external characteristics. Achieved status may be due to meritocratic competition or other individual efforts. Anomic conditions are those that cause a breakdown between the individual and society
MCAT Behavioural Sciences - Social Inequality
Which of the following displays a correct association?
1. High social networking and low social capital
2. High social mobility and low social capital
3. Low social class and low social capital
4. Low social networking and high social capital
3) Low social class and low social capital
Members of the lower class often have smaller number of weakc ties in social networks, and therefore have less opportunity to invest in society and reap its benefits
MCAT Behavioural Sciences - Social Inequality
Which of the following concepts are LEAST likely to coincide?
1. Hazardous waste facilities and low-income neighbourhoods
2. Tuberculosis and poor living conditions
3. Environmental pollution and high minority population
4. Globalisation and global equality
How do each of these concepts coincide?
4) Globalisation and Global Equality
Globalisation tends to create further global inequalities. Higher numbers of hazardous waste facilities tend to be found in low-income areas. Poor living conditions tend to be associated with greater health problems. Environmental pollution is more prevalent in areas with minority populations
MCAT Behavioural Sciences - Social Inequality
Which of the following trends is most likely FALSE?
1. Mortality rates are increased in low-income racial and ethnic minorities
2. Life expectancy is decreased in high-income groups
3. Birth weights are decreased in children of low-income women
4. Rates of lung cancer are increased in low-income groups
2) Life expectancy is decreased in high-income groups
MCAT Behavioural Sciences - Social Inequality
A small town has 1000 residents, including 500 men and 500 women. In this town, 20 of the men have prostate cancer. During a calendar year, 10 more men are diagnosed with prostate cancer. Assume none of the men are cured or die during the year.
What is the prevalence of prostate cancer in this population at the end of the year?
1. 10 / 480
2. 10 / 1000
3. 20 / 500
4. 30 / 1000
What is the incidence of prostate cancer in this population during the year?
1. 10 / 480
2. 10 / 1000
3. 20 / 500
4. 30 / 1000
What is the definition of prevalence and incidence?
4) 30 / 100
1) 10/480
Prevalence is the number of cases divided by the the total population during a period of time. Incidence is the total number of cases divided by the at-risk population during a period of time.
MCAT Behavioural Sciences - Social Inequality
A low-income single mother works a part-time job and lives in a small apartment in the city. When her children grow up, they take similar jobs and live in similar housing. This is an example of:
1. Upward social mobility
2. Downward social mobility
3. Social exclusion
4. Social reproduction
4) Social Reproduction
The children remain in the same socioeconomic class as their mother, indicating a lack of social mobility
MCAT Behavioural Sciences - Social Inequality
Which of the following is true with regard to relative poverty?
1. Individuals in relative poverty have incomes below the poverty line
2. Individuals in relative poverty exhibit downard social mobility
3. Individuals in relative poverty may be in the upper class
4. Individuals in relative poverty exhibit upward social mobility
3) Individuals in relative poverty may be in the upper class
Relative poverty describes being poorer than those in the surrounding population
MCAT Behavioural Sciences - Social Inequality
In comparison to urban centers, suburbs tend to have:
1. Larger racial and ethnic minority populations
2. Higher rates of poverty
3. Larger high- and middle-class populations
4. Higher rates of crime and homicide
3) Larger high- and middle-class populations
MCAT Behavioural Sciences - Social Inequality
Which of the following terms refers to the burden or degree of disease associated with a given illness?
1. Morbidity
2. Mortality
3. Second sickness
4. Chronicity
Define each term.
1) Mobidity
Morbidity refers to the burden/severity of the illness. Mortality refers to the deaths caused by a given illness. Second sickness describes the exacerbation of health outcomes due to social injustice. Chronicity refers to the duration of a disease.
MCAT Behavioural Sciences - Social Inequality
Compared to white Americans, which of the following racial or ethnic groups tends to have a better overall health profile?
1. African-Americans
2. Asian-Americans
3. Hispanic Americans
4. Native Americans
B) Asian-Americans
MCAT Behavioural Sciences - Social Inequality
Which of the following best describes the populations targeted by Medicare and Medicaid, respectively?
1. Medicare: mostly patients without employer-guaranteed healthcare; Medicaid: mostly patients who have recently immigrated
2. Medicare: mostly patients who have recently immigrated; Medicaid: mostly patients without employer-guaranteed healthcare
3. Medicare: mostly patients in older age groups; Medicaid: mostly patients with low socioeconomic status
4. Medicare: mostly patients in older age groups; Medicaid: mostly patients with low socioeconomic status
3) Medicare: mostly patients in older age groups; Medicaid: mostly patients with low socioeconomic status
Medicare covers patients over the age of 65, those with end-stage renal disease, and those with amyotrophic lateral scleorsis.
MCAT Behavioural Sciences - Social Inequality
Morbidity is increased in low-income groups because of all the following EXCEPT:
1. Higher rates of obesity
2. Less access to healthcare
3. Higher rates of homicide
4. Lower rates of physical activity
Why?
3) Higher rates of of homicide
Morbidity is the burden/severity of disease. High homicide rates cause increases in prevalence of the disease
MCAT Behavioural Sciences - Social Inequality
Hypertension can be diagnosed by having two or more blood pressure readings higher than 140/90 on two different occasions, separated by a week. Suppose that the criteria were changed to include anyone with a reading higher than 130/80 on at least one occasion. How would this change the prevalence of diagnosed hypertension in the population?
1. The prevalence would increase
2. The prevalence would decrease
3. The prevalence would remain the same
4. There is not enough information to determine the change in prevalence
Why?
1) The prevalence would increase
If the threshold is lowered, more people will fit the criteria, so the prevalence will also increase.
MCAT Behavioural Sciences - Social Inequality
Which of the following trends regarding healthcare disparities has NOT been documented?
1. Females are more likely to be insured than males
2. Primary care use is more likely among males than females
3. Low-income individuals have more difficulty accessing care than high-income individuals
4. LGBT individuals have more barriers to healthcare to heterosexuals
2) Primary care use is more likely among males than females
MCAT Behavioural Sciences - Social Inequality
Define Ascribed Status
Involuntary and dervies from clearly identifable characteristics, such as age, gender, and skin colour
MCAT Behavioural Sciences - Social Inequality
Define Achieved Status
Acquired through direct, individual efforts
MCAT Behavioural Sciences - Social Inequality
Define Social Class
A category of people with shared socioeconomic characteristics, and similar lifestyles, job opportunities, attitudes, and behaviours
MCAT Behavioural Sciences - Social Inequality
Define Prestige
The respect and importance tied to specific occupations or associations
MCAT Behavioural Sciences - Social Inequality
Define Power
How is power created?
The capacity to influence people through real or percieved rewards and punishments
It depends on the unequal distribution of valued resources
MCAT Behavioural Sciences - Social Inequality
Define Anomic Conditions
The erosion of social solidarity by means of excessive individualism, social inequality, and isolation
MCAT Behavioural Sciences - Social Inequality
Define Social Capital
The investment people make in their society in return for economic or collective rewards
MCAT Behavioural Sciences - Social Inequality
Define Meritocracy
A society in which advancement up the social ladder is based on intellectual talent and achievement
MCAT Behavioural Sciences - Social Inequality
Define Social Mobility
Allows one to acquire higher-level employment opportunities by achieving required credentials and experience
MCAT Behavioural Sciences - Social Inequality
How is the poverty line (US) determined?
The poverty line is the government’s calculation of the minimum income requirements for families to acquire the minimum necessities of life
MCAT Behavioural Sciences - Social Inequality
Define Social Reproduction
The passing on of social inequality, especially poverty, from one generation to the next
MCAT Behavioural Sciences - Social Inequality
Define Absolute Poverty
When people do not have enough resources to acquire basic life necessities, such as shelter, food, clothing, and water.
MCAT Behavioural Sciences - Social Inequality
Define Relative Poverty
When one is poor in comparison to a larger population
MCAT Behavioural Sciences - Social Inequality
Define Social Exclusion
The sense of powerlessness when individuals feel alienated from society
MCAT Behavioural Sciences - Social Inequality
Define Spatial Inequality
A form of social stratification across territories and their populations, and can occur along residential, environmental, and global lines
MCAT Behavioural Sciences - Social Inequality
Define Environmental Injustice
How does environmental injustice occur?
An uneven distribution of environmental hazards in communities
Lower-incomer neighbourhoods may lack the social and political power to prevent the placement of environmental hazaerds in their neighbourhoods
MCAT Behavioural Sciences - Social Inequality
Describe the effects of Globalisation and how they occur
Globalisation has led to further inequalities in space, food and water, energy, housing, and education, as the production of goods shift to cheaper labour markets. This has resulted in significant economic hardship in industrialising nations
MCAT Behavioural Sciences - Social Inequality
Define Incidence (of a Disease)
The number of new cases of a disease per population at risk in a given time
MCAT Behavioural Sciences - Social Inequality
Define Prevalence (of a Disease)
The number of cases of a disease per population in a given period of time.
MCAT Behavioural Sciences - Social Inequality
Define Morbidity (of a Disease)
The burden/degree of illness associated with a given disease
MCAT Behavioural Sciences - Social Inequality
Define Mortality (of a Disease)
The number of deaths caused by a given disease
MCAT Behavioural Sciences - Social Inequality
Define Second Sickness
The exacerbation of health outcomes caused by social injustice
MCAT Behavioural Sciences - Social Inequality
Describe three health-insurance schemes that aim to improve healthcare for underserved populations
Affordable Care Act (ACA) - attempts to increase coverage/affordability of health insurance
Medicare - government-funded insurance covering those over the age of 65, those with end-stage renal disease, and those with ALS
Medicaid - government-funded insurance for those in significant financial need
MCAT Behavioural Sciences - Social Inequality
Define Caste System
Determined by the position they were born/married into
MCAT Behavioural Sciences - Social Inequality
Define Plutocracy
Ruled by the upper classes
MCAT Behavioural Sciences - Social Inequality
Define Class Consciousness
Compare to false consciousness
Awareness of a social class regarding their shared interests, societal position, and potential for collective action within a larger societal structure
False consciousness is the misconception of one’s actual position in society, making them unlikely to see their alleged exploitation and oppression
MCAT Behavioural Sciences - Social Inequality
Define Spatial Mismatch
Low-incone segregated communities would have better opportunities further away from their community, making it harder for them to access
MCAT Behavioural Sciences - Social Inequality
Define Social Disorganisation Theory
Why does this occur?
That a residential location is more significant than a person’s characteristics when predicting criminal activity.
Criminal activity requires social control - enforcement of conformity either by law or social pressure
