SocioEconomic Status And Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) - Lecture #8 Flashcards
Linda Tirado shares her personal experiences which are affected by forces beyond her personal control
Linda’s Sociological Imagination
Poor people are lazy, don’t value education, abuse drugs.
Misconceptions/stereotypes people will have about those who are poor
How politics, economy, society, cultures and ideological system work in the institutions, processes and relations and how these systems shape social relations
Political Economy
Foregrounding the material conditions of life (making prominent the conditions you live in); who owns what? Who is a worker? Who is an owner?
Materialist Perspective of Political Economy
The work of caring for people (Child Care, Elder Care)
Social Reproduction
Social Reproduction drives capitalism
It’s free unpaid labour work which then eventually leads to those people moving on to get paid labour in capitalism which shows the complexity of Political Economy
Unpaid labour sustains capitalism
Foregrounds Materialist Perspective of Political Economy
Economic Arrangement between owners of the means of production (private property) and workers
Mode of Production
Private ownership of private property for the singular objective of generating profit
Capitalism
Political Arrangement and Philosophy that capitalism benefits from
Neoliberalism
Neoliberalism tells you that you’re all on your own, so if you want to make it up the capitalist ladder make sure the capitalist system works well
How Neoliberalism stimulates capitalism
The government should not be involved in one’s economic affairs
2nd point of Neoliberalism
Public Sectors are seen as inefficient, everything should go to privatized services, in terms of living in Neoliberalism. (Universities should go to a corporation to ask for money, not the government)
Living with Neoliberalism
Why are citizens good Neoliberalists if they are consumers?
Exercising your rights as a citizen by giving your labour and then using it to buy those services instead of protest or political vote
Poor people are pathologized because in a neoliberalist regime one must be able to survive and thrive, if not then seen as “what’s wrong with you?”
Pathologization of Poverty
Middle class is a feeling; you’re not rich you’re not poor
Closest Definition of Middle Class
Middle Class ideology is pervasive and it’s aspirational/normative
Everyone works up to be what they see as middle class because it’s seen as normal, a standard everyone needs to meet
What is middle class ideology sustained by?
Meritocracy
The effort that you put into something and not taking into account class privilege
Meritocracy
Problem with Meritocracy
It ignores starting conditions and structures that frame opportunities
Effort + Opportunity + Success
True Meritocratic Formula
Assuming everyone is middle class, has equal opportunities, all about effort; risk not seeing the bigger social structures and emphasize agency too much neglecting structure
Risk of assuming middle class
The economic and social factors (material conditions) that influence the health of individuals and communities
Social Determinants of Health
Biological factors do not play a role
SDOH
Where you live is apart of material conditions
Who you’re neighbours with determines health and wealth increase or decrease.
What is the greatest determinant of your health?
Income; those who go up the ladder have a greater control of their life and can decide when to do activities to stay healthy.
What’s the matter with the Traditional Health Promotion Advice?
Doesn’t take into account the starting conditions yet again, brings neoliberalism into this, be a good citizen and don’t do, x,y, and z.
U shape pattern
Middle of the U shape represents healthy and wealthy folks, but everything in the lower regions of the U shape is associated with low income and low wealth.
Food Swamps
People surrounded by food swamps tended to be less healthier
