The United States Social Class, Race, Ethnicity, And Health

I. Introduction The American Medical Association (AMA) approximates that at least 25 cents of every dollar spent on health care in the U.S. is allocated to the management of diseases or debilities that stem from personal behaviors that can be changed by the individual (Andre et al)1. To what extent are people responsible for their own personal conduct and poor health decisions that result in serious yet avoidable illnesses and disabilities? Will charging people higher health insurance premiums help curb poor health habits? In Health Disparities in the United States: Social Class, Race, Ethnicity, and Health - Edition 1 by Donald Barr, the author explores the questions, â€Å"What is health? How should we define it? How should we measure it?† Barr addresses the â€Å"danger of approaching health as a moral imperative† and references Faith Fitzgerald, who points out the â€Å"tyranny of health†, where those who are unhealthy in some way are deemed to have behaved poorly. The author explains that people cannot be judged for their bad habits and resulting poor health2. Yet, in some cases, how can people not be held liable for their poor decisions? It is unfair to burden those citizens who make healthy lifestyle decisions with the health care costs of those who have made detrimental choices and behave in manners that create risks to their health and wellbeing. This essay will address voluntary health risks and preventable health care costs. People should be held reliable for theSh ow MoreRelatedThe United States : Social Class, Race, Ethnicity, And Health1447 Words   |  6 Pagesspent on health care in the U.S. is allocated to the management of diseases or debilities that stem from personal behaviors that can be changed by the individual (Andre et al)1. To what extent are people responsible for their own personal conduct and poor health decisions that result in serious, yet avoidable illnesses and disabilities? Will charging people higher health insurance premiums help curb poor health habits? In Health Disparities in the United States: Social Class, Race, Ethnicity, andRead MoreHealth Disparities Of The United States : Social Class, Race, Ethnicity, And Health1606 Words   |  7 Pagesis that of healthcare. The United States is the only developed nation without a universal healthcare system, but spends the most for health services. With so many Americans lacking the adequate care needed or facing bankruptcy due to piling medical bills, one must look at the health disparities that are causing this super power nation to inadequately serve its citizens. Donald Barr’s text Health Disparities in the United States: Social Class, Race, Ethnicity, and Health examines the various factorsRead MoreGender Stratification : The Classification Of People Based On Their Biological Features984 Words   |  4 Pagesthis situation, men have greater access to prestige, wealth, and power in a society. Different societies tend to have different levels of gender stratification. In the United States, the main consequence of gender stratification is economic and social inequality between men and women. Men and women in the United States are not equal economically. Men make more money than women who have similar levels of education or work experience, due to gender stratification. For example, women areRead MoreThe Film Crash By Paul Haggis992 Words   |  4 PagesThere are many social issues that plague our society and many of these problems are closely related to social class and race. Some of these issues include prejudice, individual discrimination, institutional discrimination, relative poverty, absolute poverty, and social class. Much of this is touched upon in Paul Haggis’ 2004 film Crash that even over a decade after its release the social issues brought up in the film still apply. The film Crash depicts many scenes of discrimination that all applyRead MoreCorrelation between Social Strata and Levels of Stress1614 Words   |  6 Pagesbetween social hierarchy and health the seminal Whitehall civil servant study. Marmot et al. (1991) found that those who held higher occupational prestige had better health outcomes and lower risk of mortality than peers in lower occupational strata. One explanation was that those in lower social strata experienced greater daily stress than their peers (Marmot, 2004). This has been extended beyond occupational hierarchies; experiencing racism—the result of a social hierarchy patterned around race/ethnicity—hasRead MoreEssay on Multicultural Matrix and Analysis Worksheet1483 Words   |  6 Pagesthe group’s history in the United States? | What is the group’s population in the United States? | What are some attitudes and customs people of this group may practice? | What is something you admire about th is group’s people, lifestyle, or society? | 1. White Americans | Whites here in the United States are classified as individuals that have origins with the Middle East, Europeans, and North Africa (U.S. Census Bureau, 2001). | A large part of the United States population of 230 million (approximatelyRead MoreThe Impact Of Social Stratification On Minorities1195 Words   |  5 Pagesinequality†¨Introduction †¨During the course of this class I have learned about social problems within the society in which we live and around the world. It is disturbing to learn that poverty, social inequality, race and cultural discrimination, gender stratification, environmental damage, population growth, and urbanization are among the social problems and controversial issues that still exist in the United States. What is Social Stratification Social stratification is defined as a system by whichRead MoreRace And Race Relations : The Root Of Public Health Crises785 Words   |  4 Pageswhen I would shy away from an in-depth conversation about race and race relations in social situations. I would participate in class, when studying race and health disparities, however when stepped out of the classroom and converse amongst my peers, I became more reserved. There’s something about asking those hard questions and discussing disparities as a result of oppressions and transgressions which made me uncomfortable to talk about race outside of the structured, politically-correct world of academiaRead MoreAfrican Americans The Face Of Poverty1461 Words   |  6 Pagesmore intense punishment than the rich or the white.† says a writer of the â€Å"why are African Americans the face of poverty in the United States (Why Are Black Americans the Face of Poverty in the United States? Is This View Supported by Evidence?).It s a serious question to ask. African Americans are usually represented as the lower class and in this case the main ethnicity dealing with poverty. They are used as the display of poverty programs and to show how poor people live.Government funded PovertyRead MoreInstitutional DIscrimination is Unjust716 Words   |  3 Pagesinstitutions based on gender, race, and social class with negative judgment. The negative judgments leads to the unjust treatment such as unequal payment, healthcare coverage and inaccurate stereotypes. In article, â€Å"Gender Gouging† from Multinational Monitor Magazine’s January/ February 2009 Edition, the unjust treatments of women compared to men is revealed. â€Å"†¦women on an average earn less than men to begin with, that they are more likely to face challenges paying for their health care,† (Multinational