Social Stratification and Self-Management of Health

Data from the 1984 Illinois Comparative Health Survey are used to examine whether the poor have adopted a consumer orientation toward professional health services in view of the reduction of financial barriers and clear signs of increased physician utilization. It was found, however, that lower-stat...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of health and social behavior 1986-03, Vol.27 (1), p.1-14
Main Authors: Cockerham, William C., Lueschen, Guenther, Kunz, Gerhard, Spaeth, Joe L.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Alcohols
Attitude to Health
Biological and medical sciences
Consumerism
Diseases
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Health Services - utilization
Health status
Humans
Illinois
Life Style
Lifestyle
Physicians
Poverty
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychophysiology
Sick Role
Social behavior
Social Class
Social classes
Social psychology
Social stratification
Socioeconomic Factors
Socioeconomic status
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Summary:Data from the 1984 Illinois Comparative Health Survey are used to examine whether the poor have adopted a consumer orientation toward professional health services in view of the reduction of financial barriers and clear signs of increased physician utilization. It was found, however, that lower-status persons stand as more or less passive recipients of such services, with a significantly greater tendency to invest responsibility for their own physical health in the health-care delivery system itself. Yet there was a general lack of difference with respect to health lifestyles involving food habits, emphasis on appearance, sports and exercise, smoking, and alcohol use. A culture-of-medicine thesis was found to provide a stronger explanation of this situation than a culture-of-poverty perspective. Medicine and the mass media have promoted the practice of a healthy lifestyle, but have not encouraged consumerism in the physician-patient relationship. Consequently, it appears that where social institutions provide positive sanctions, self-management and consumerism seems to grow for the poor; but where negative sanctions exist, consumerism does not seem to flourish.
ISSN:0022-1465
2150-6000
DOI:10.2307/2136499