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Distinction unit 10 Task 2: Sociological Perspectives
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Task 2 achieved a distinction grade. Level 3 BTEC Health and Social Care.
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Kisenyi Mukalere26/5/23
Can inequality make us ill?
Unit 10: Sociological Perspectives - Task 2
This report will focus on evaluating different sociological explanations of
patterns, trends of health and ill health in differing various social groups. This
evaluation will also consider how demographic data is utilised when it comes
to service provision in order to reduce social inequalities that affect specific
groups within a healthcare setting such as Chelsea and Westminster Hospital.
This report will also focus on evaluating the importance of different
sociological perspectives that are used within Chelsea and Westminster
Hospital, more specifically the perspectives that are in relation to the
understanding of society, the reduction of social inequality and the
improvement of service provision for differing social groups.
In society, people may be discriminated against due to their sex, social class,
disability and age. Angelina M is a 51 year old woman with a hearing
impairment. This means she can be affected by both age discrimination,
specifically pertaining to those who are approaching retirement age, sex
discrimination, specifically towards women, and disability discrimination. There
is research that points to a distinctive correlation between poverty and
disability. People may experience inequality through prejudice, stereotyping,
attitudes, and discrimination. Prejudice may not be easy to define, however it
can be viewed as an individual or group having a fixed attitude towards other
ethnic and or social groups that they are unwilling to deviate from.
Stereotyping is resemblant of prejudice in the sense that it has a monolithic
way of describing the characteristics and traits of a group of people. Attitudes
and discrimination are closely linked as having a prejudicial attitude against a
group of people can easily lead to them being treated in a less favourable
manner which is discrimination (Billingham et al., 2015).
The impact of social inequality when pertaining to sex has many implications.
A study carried out by Oxfam notes that worldwide, 1 in 3 women experience
abuse and or violence during their lifetime (Oxfam International, 2022). Being
more susceptible to violence and abuse can have a significant negative impact
on an individual's life. This is because it can lead to low-self esteem, physical
pain, anxiety, substance abuse and depression. It is possible for things like this
to escalate which can cause an increase in ill health if they remain untreated,
for example, someone with depression may begin to physically self harm which
can lead to infections and even death. Physical pain from violence can also
become chronic if treatment is not sought out, individuals who are dealing
with low self-esteem may be less likely to seek and or accept professional help.
It can be said that violence and abuse towards women may be a result of
negative attitudes and prejudice towards women in past and present society.
Although it can be argued that changes have been made to increase gender
equality in contemporary UK society such as the introduction of legislation like
,the Equality Act 2010, research still points to elements of prejudice against
women. An example of this could be a study that was carried out by Women’s
Aid which featured 2,151 adults aged 16 and above discovered that there was a
17 percent drop in adults in the UK who thought it was wrong for a husband to
control what his wife wears after she has been unfaithful. This plays into
victim-blaming, the objectification of women and the viewpoint that women are
incapable and or lack the intelligence to make their own decisions (Women’s
Aid, 2022). This can also contribute to low self-esteem in women and may make
them less likely to seek help as a result of them becoming accustomed to
having a lack of control over their life. Kensington and Chelsea Social Council
does provide counselling for women who have or are experiencing domestic
abuse through a charity called Woman’s Trust (www.kcsc.org.uk, n.d.). This has
the potential to reduce social inequalities through improving mental wellbeing
and health of women who have experienced abuse. However this strategy does
not attempt to tackle the abusers and abuse itself.
Social inequality can also manifest itself in the form of ageism, in this case
towards those who are approaching retirement age. This is most notable in the
case of an employer discriminating against an elderly person. For example an
employer overlooking an individual who is 50+ for a job or promotion because
they think that the individual will retire soon or due to stereotypes that
reaffirm the idea that they are not capable of performing well at a job due to a
decline in senses associated with ageing. This discrimination which stems from
prejudice can cause those over 50 to experience poverty and fall into a lower
social class due to higher unemployment rates. This can also have a negative
effect on a person like Angelina’s mental health as poverty can cause stress
due to a constant fear of not being able to afford bills. Chronic stress itself
can have a negative effect on mental health as it can lead to severe anxiety
and depression (Watkins, 2022). However, stress can also have further health
implications such as heart disease and high blood pressure (Mayo Clinic, 2019).
Angelina has been noted to be a builder and the typical salary of an individual
working in this profession is approximately £33,053 per year (uk.indeed.com,
n.d.). This salary could label her as middle class. However, it is important to
note that qualifications and experience do influence how much she is making.
This is because lower salaries are often attributed to less experienced
individuals (www.checkasalary.co.uk, n.d.). Those of a higher class are noted to
live longer and experience better health, there is overwhelming evidence of
differences in health and wellbeing when measured by social class (Billingham
et al., 2015). The lower and working class tend to have negative stereotypes
attributed to them such as being more likely to steal and abuse substances
due to stress revolving around financial constraint. There is evidently room for
classism in the UK as the Equality Act 2010 does not list ‘social class’ as a
protected characteristic, therefore employers are legally free to discriminate
against these classes and assert prejudice in this way (www.lse.ac.uk, n.d.).
Although Kensington and Chelsea does show signs of a higher performance
economically, social inequality in specific reference to social class shows that
inequality is pervasive in the borough. These inequalities are said to be
prevalent in the borough for quite some time, during COVID-19, food banks
, were being utilised by those who could no longer afford to feed themselves (C B
Understanding Inequalities in a Borough of Extremes POVERTY AND
PROSPERITY IN KENSINGTON + CHELSEA, n.d.). During the pandemic, Chelsea
and Westminster hospital reported to be offering treatments for the clinically
vulnerable to help them recover from the comfort of their own homes. This had
the potential to benefit those from a lower social class as they would not have
to pay for travel to receive treatment and could get back to work sooner which
would allow them to afford their basic amenities such as food. However, this
strategy alone fails to pinpoint and tackle the reasons behind such a long
term economic disparity that exists within the borough of Kensington and
Chelsea (www.chelwest.nhs.uk, n.d.).
As mentioned before, poverty can lead to stress which has multiple negative
health implications. According to the British Psychological Society, individuals
who come from higher social classes are more likely to have high self esteem
and are generally encouraged by their parents to speak up for themselves
from a young age, unlike the working class (Warren, 2022). This relates to the
Marxist perspective which suggests that the education system is inherently
made by the bourgeoisie to prepare the proletariat for work through the
promotion of routine and obedience. In relation to the clinical iceberg, this can
mean that individuals who stem from a working or lower class background may
feel discouraged against speaking up about and addressing their needs when
it comes to professional healthcare. This in itself leaves potential for
pre-existing health concerns to progress and worsen. Specifically in relation to
conditions revolving around mental health, a survey taken by Priory involving
1,000 men uncovered that 40% of men have never spoken up about their mental
health, with 35% believing that they have indeed had a diagnosable mental
health condition at a given point in their life. Of the 1,000 men, 77% were found
to have experienced mental health symptoms such as stress, anxiety and or
depression (Priory Group, 2018). This is important because it highlights the
reluctance towards reporting ill mental health, in specific relation to the male
sex. It is important to talk about the initiatives that exist within Kensington and
Chelsea as Chelsea and Westminster hospital can work in partnership with
them in order to ensure enhanced service provision that caters to service user
emotional, physical and social needs. The Campaign Against Living Miserably
(CALM) is a helpline that was designed to support men of all ages who are
feeling down and feel they need to talk to someone (www.rbkc.gov.uk, n.d.).
However such a strategy does rely on service users reaching out for help when
they need it in order to truly enhance service provision for this social group.
According to the Guardian 4 out of 5 companies pay their male employees
more than their female counterparts. This relates to both sex and social class
social inequalities. Only one in 10 companies give men and women equivalent
pay with the gender pay gap closing at a slow pace (Duncan, García and Jolly,
2023). This may lead to more negative prejudicial attitudes and against women
such as stereotyping women as lazy and limited to being housewives. This
phenomena is also explained by Marxist feminism which states that women are
exploited by men through capitalism. Since women are making less money, this
can mean they do not have access to private healthcare and may have to rely
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