The Social Price of Inequality in Terms of Class, Race and Opportunity

The Social Price of Inequality in Terms of Class, Race and Opportunity

Inequality is a common social phenomenon which causes economic and social disparities among the rich and the poor. In many countries, the difference between the rich and the poor is on the increase. Accordingly, one of the prices of inequality is poverty. Tischler & Hunter (2010) believes that inequality produces a unique form of psychosocial stress which leads to deteriorating health as well as increased mortality over time. Individuals and communities that live in areas that are under-invested with regards to social and physical infrastructure are prone to poor healthy, which results in increased mortality for those in lower socio-economic class. Moreover, the effects of inequality may spill over into the society causing family disruptions and frustrations and stress which in turn increase the rate of crime, violence and homicide.

Inequality also causes poor health as a result of poverty. This is because the poor people who are disadvantaged by inequality have high levels of exposure to dangerous environments in addition to lacking the basic amenities of life. As such, it is no surprise that the negative association between socio-economic level and risk of disease pandemics is a major pervasive observation in studies of public health. Across the world, it has been observed and documented that individuals from low-income households are more susceptible to the negative effects of risky healthy behaviors. This phenomenon can have a racial dimension when inequality cuts across racial lines in the community. In addition, people from lower socio-economic classes, because of their life circumstances, are subjected to life stressors and have fewer resources to manage these stressors.

Inequality has also been found to be related to increased incidences of psychiatric conditions. According to Tischler & Hunter (2010), psychiatric disorders not only occur in high rates in socio-economically poor areas, but also in disintegrating city communities. Therefore, even though money does not necessarily guarantee good mental health, its absence can lead to mental illnesses. For a long time now, the relationship between socio-economic status and different aspects of mental health has been of interest to researchers and clinicians. There is thus a large body of research showing the importance of socio-economic status in understanding mental illnesses and disabilities. Generally, researches have demonstrated an inverse relationship between socio-economic status and psychological health. Most of the psychological disorders have been shown to be more prevalent among people in lower socio-economic communities.

Alcohol and substance abuse is another major social impact of inequality. Generally, high rates of alcohol and drug abuse are found among those people from lower socio-economic classes. Therefore, social class is a risk factor