Page 88 - Human Rights

Faculty of Nursing
Adult care Nursing Department

6 The social condition is intrinsically disturbing, and hence, its influence on the organism, especially

the nervous and immune systems.

The concept of relative deprivation refers to this purpose.

The lower a person is in the socioeconomic gradient, the more demotivation and subjective sense

of marginalization this person feels.

This feeling is related to one’s relative position in society, although it may or may not be based on

fact. What is at stake is the posse ability of physiological and therefore, pathological consequences
arising from a lack of control over one’s life.

The hierarchical position of an individual in society, perse, is a source of stress.

Once subjected to this institutional hierarchy, anyone can become vulnerable to a diverse set of

circumstances, resulting in multiple negative states from physical, psychological, and emotional

perspectives.

Income inequality, and hence socioeconomic status, is a more important fac tor in the average life

expectancy of the population than the average level of per capita income (United Nations 2019).

Relative position in society prevails over absolute income likely due to the psycho-affective effect
of social position and hierarchical dependence.

From a sociological perspective, stratification is a more important social determinant of health

than employment, income, or even the prestige of a citizen.

Further, in all societies there are huge income disparities between men and women (World
Economic Forum 2019).

Gender-sensitive policies in all aspects of public policy are therefore of fundamental importance

for an effective promotion of health (UNESCO 2014).

85 Academic Year 2025/2026