The Global Issue Surrounding Social Inequality and Cultural Diversity

The Global Issue Surrounding Social Inequality and Cultural Diversity
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The Problem: Social Inequality
Social inequality remains one of the most pressing issues globally due to its adverse impacts augmented by social stratification. It results in the unequal distribution of resources, thereby widening the gap between the higher and lower social classes, increasing the burden on those at the bottom of the hierarchy (University of Oslo, n.d.).
Impact of Social Inequality
It is crucial to study the factors that influence social inequality and neglect any of these results to a massive driving force that helps to widen the gap between social classes. Specifically, social inequality results in poverty and directly and indirectly impacts a person’s physical, social, and mental well-being. Initially, social inequality causes a disturbance in the balance of resource distribution. Here, the higher social classes receive more while those in, the lower ranks work to increase the resources for the higher ranks. However, these people do not get sufficient resources, particularly the necessities. The lower ranks can be classified as the marginalized groups deprived of the essentials that can help the people thrive and survive in the world. The inequality generates psychosocial stresses and depreciates these people’s health and overall well-being (Muralu & Ovebode, 2004).
Poverty disallows the marginalized groups to access safe housing and excellent infrastructures and health support and benefits, leading to higher overall risks. Over time, the accumulation of exposure to the hostile environment combined with the lack of adequate clean and healthy resources can lead to higher mortality and morbidity rates. Moreover, due to their lower-income, they are more predisposed to higher crime rates and abuses, such as homicide, violence against women, and emotional abuses. On top of these, frustrations and disruptions in the family become evident, resulting in aggression (Muralu & Ovebode, 2004).
Apart from the higher stresses and reduced accessibility of resources, social inequality affects the health aspect because of the differences in the environmental exposures between classes. The lower ranks, if employed, are often subjected to manual labor, where they are exposed to the extremes of the environment, leading to exhaustion and burnout. Their work can also be unrewarding because a depreciated value pays the amount of effort given, and the low income will repeat the cycle back to square one. As a result, they become at high risk of incurring infectious diseases due to the lowered immune system (Muralu & Ovebode, 2004).
Although money is not a determinant for psychiatric health, poverty still poses a risk for poor mental health. Some psychiatric problems involve neurotic disorders, alcohol and drug dependence, depressive episodes, and functional psychoses. Its prevalence is greatly affected by employment status, where unemployment significantly increased the odds ...