Reference no: EM133874441

Assignment:

Research has consistently shown links between education, class inequality, racial inequality, and health. Health is a resource, and as we know, resources are unequally distributed in stratification systems. In the interest of educating pre-med students on the ways that people's education, class, and race can impact their health, pretend you have been asked to make a short presentation in a pre-med class. ..... as if you are speaking to this group of students.

Start your presentation by explaining what sociology is and why sociologists study the structure of society. Address macrosociology in your discussion.

In examining the structure of society, sociologists often consider systems of inequality; in your next section, explain to your student's what stratification is generally. Discuss hierarchy, access to resources, and privilege in your explanation. Your students cannot understand specific systems of stratification until they understand it more generally.

Then, explain the class stratification system. Discuss where the four groups are positioned in the system (Upper class, Upper middle class, Lower middle class, Lower class). In your discussion, describe how wealth, education, occupation, and income work in a cyclical manner to impact where one is positioned in the system.

Next, talk about the ways the class stratification system restricts access to resources. Describe health as a resource and address the ways the class system unequally divides this resource. In this discussion, talk about what it means to say health has been commodified and then describe how this ensures health is unequally distributed based on class. Use at least two sociological research studies, statistics, examples, etc. related to the impact of class on health from our course materials as evidence. Focus on class, not other stratification systems.

Now, describe the racial stratification system. Discuss where the four main groups are positioned in the system (White, Asian, Hispanic/Latino, Black). Explain how this impacts access to resources; directly address education and health as resources. First, talk about how education is unequally divided. Use a specific sociological research study, statistic, example, etc. from the course material to illustrate this unequal division. Second, talk about how health is unequally divided in the racial stratification system.

Finish with a short conclusion where you explain what the sociological imagination is and how a doctor could use it to better understand the needs of their patients. Discuss why this information is important for a pre-med student.