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Socioeconomic Differences in Old Age MortalityConcepts of Social Inequality

Socioeconomic Differences in Old Age Mortality: Concepts of Social Inequality Chapter 3 For the analysis of socioeconomic differences in health and mortality, a basic definition and understanding of social inequality is needed. Societies consist of individuals, who are all different. The notion of social inequality only refers to differences in such parameters that have an influence on the social position of an individual. These characteristics are resources, or goods in a broad sense, that are much in demand in the society. In order to count as social inequality the unequal distribution of these goods must not be natural or accidental, e.g., the size of a person’s body, but must be systematically made by a social process. If this system- atically unequal distribution occurs regularly between the same social groups, this inequality will be perceived as inequity and can become a social problem (Hradil 2001:29). Hradil summarizes his definition of social inequality as follows: “Social inequality exists when people frequently receive more of a society’s ‘valuable goods’ than others owing to their position in the social network of re- lationships.” (Hradil 2001:30). This definition implies that differences in eye color, body height, physical handicap, etc. cannot be called social differences or social inequality because they are not the result of http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png

Socioeconomic Differences in Old Age MortalityConcepts of Social Inequality

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Publisher
Springer Netherlands
Copyright
© Springer Netherlands 2008
ISBN
978-1-4020-8691-5
Pages
29 –55
DOI
10.1007/978-1-4020-8692-2_4
Publisher site
See Chapter on Publisher Site

Abstract

Chapter 3 For the analysis of socioeconomic differences in health and mortality, a basic definition and understanding of social inequality is needed. Societies consist of individuals, who are all different. The notion of social inequality only refers to differences in such parameters that have an influence on the social position of an individual. These characteristics are resources, or goods in a broad sense, that are much in demand in the society. In order to count as social inequality the unequal distribution of these goods must not be natural or accidental, e.g., the size of a person’s body, but must be systematically made by a social process. If this system- atically unequal distribution occurs regularly between the same social groups, this inequality will be perceived as inequity and can become a social problem (Hradil 2001:29). Hradil summarizes his definition of social inequality as follows: “Social inequality exists when people frequently receive more of a society’s ‘valuable goods’ than others owing to their position in the social network of re- lationships.” (Hradil 2001:30). This definition implies that differences in eye color, body height, physical handicap, etc. cannot be called social differences or social inequality because they are not the result of

Published: Jan 1, 2008

Keywords: Social Capital; Social Status; Income Inequality; Social Position; Social Inequality

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