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Social class, social disadvantage and child health
Author(s) -
GRAHAM PHILIP
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
children and society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.538
H-Index - 58
eISSN - 1099-0860
pISSN - 0951-0605
DOI - 10.1111/j.1099-0860.1988.tb00322.x
Subject(s) - disadvantage , social class , set (abstract data type) , class (philosophy) , psychology , quality (philosophy) , sociology , social psychology , political science , computer science , philosophy , epistemology , artificial intelligence , law , programming language
SUMMARY. The examination of the contribution of social factors to child health status by linking mortality and morbidity to social class as defined by parental occupation is critically reviewed. An alternative approach to examining links between health and social factors is proposed that consists in defining several basic environmental needs of children that must be met to ensure their health status is optimised. For each basic need (housing, income, diet, quality of affectionate care etc.) it is proposed that minimal criteria or a ‘bottom‐line’ be set below which it should be generally agreed that an unacceptable level of disadvantage exists. The approach is described in outline, but to a sufficient degree to demonstrate that it is already feasible in some respects, although clearly many details would need to be worked out in others