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Handbook of the Sociology of Mental Health pp 229–253Cite as

Social Stratification and Inequality

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Part of the book series: Handbooks of Sociology and Social Research ((HSSR))

Abstract

Systems of stratification produce mental health disparities. This chapter examines the evidence for two general processes that produce those disparities: the distribution of life conditions and social evaluations. Proximate life conditions depend on four generic resources: economic resources, social capital, power and authority, and civil rights. Evidence regarding the contributions of these resources to mental health disparities is mixed. Although the positions people occupy in stratification hierarchies are strongly associated with resources, not all resources are equally relevant to all dimensions of stratification or to mental health. Social evaluation processes involve comparisons of one’s accomplishments or experiences to those of others. Research on social comparisons, relative deprivation, subjective status, and justice and equity demonstrates that people who occupy lower status positions perceive themselves as disadvantaged relative to others, but those perceptions depend on several contingencies. Challenges for developing a conceptual model that takes these complex findings into account are discussed.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    The terms “social class,” “socioeconomic status,” and “socioeconomic position” are defined and used in various ways by mental health researchers. I use the term social class here to emphasize that the resources that vary according to traditional indicators of socioeconomic status are more than socioeconomic in nature. Social classes differ in terms of lifestyles and prestige as well as in terms of tangible resources, both of which are relevant to understanding mental health differentials.

  2. 2.

    Because this chapter covers many specific areas of research, citations are necessarily selective.

  3. 3.

    In mental health research, stigma also is used to understand the social disadvantages associated with having received mental health treatment and the implications for recovery and relapse (see Chap. 25).

  4. 4.

    Kelley used the terms “comparative” and “normative” to distinguish the two functions of reference groups. I opt for “evaluative” to avoid confusion in multiple uses of the terms “comparative” and “comparison.”

  5. 5.

    Social evaluation processes also may help explain why race has stronger and more consistent associations with physical health outcomes than with mental health outcomes. Socially disadvantaged racial groups do not consistently report worse mental health than socially advantaged racial groups but they do report worse physical health (Williams & Collins, 1995). The cognitive processes described by social evaluation theories may be more effective for preserving mental health than physical health inasmuch as preserving mental health can be considered a self-protective motive.

Abbreviations

AFDC:

Aid to Families with Dependent Children

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  1. Department of Sociology, Indiana University, Ballantine Hall 744, 1020 E. Kirkwood Avenue, Bloomington, IN, 47405, USA

    Jane D. McLeod

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  1. Department of Community Health Sciences Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Carol S. Aneshensel

  2. Department of Sociomedical Sciences Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA

    Jo C. Phelan

  3. Department of Sociology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada

    Alex Bierman

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McLeod, J.D. (2013). Social Stratification and Inequality. In: Aneshensel, C.S., Phelan, J.C., Bierman, A. (eds) Handbook of the Sociology of Mental Health. Handbooks of Sociology and Social Research. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-4276-5_12

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