In Complaints and Disorders: The Sexual Politics of Sickness , Ehrenreich and En
ID: 131562 • Letter: I
Question
In Complaints and Disorders: The Sexual Politics of Sickness, Ehrenreich and English explore some of the ways in which social class intersects with race and gender with regard to assumptions, ideas, and actions within the 19th and 20th century U.S. medical professions.
2.) lower-class and poor women (3 examples). In other words, please explain at least three ways the U.S. medical professions have explained and/or treated upper-class women and three ways the U.S. medical professions have explained and/or treated lower-class women
Explanation / Answer
Class differences among women lead to a difference in their socio-economic persona. There is a lack of awareness in the lower class women. Hence, sometimes they do not get certain priviledges which the upper class women get on a priority basis. The upper class women get good medical and health care facilities according to the inverse care law.
The U.S. medical profession treat the upper class women in the following ways :
1. Priority in getting medical appointments.
2. Separate waiting zones, personalised maternity wards with good sanitary conditions, enough medical equipments and diet canteens are available to be used.
3. Priviledged treatment in terms of medical councelling and choices regarding the available treatment options.
The lower class women are treated in the following way:
1. Directly suggested which treatment to undergo and medicines to be used.
2. Appointment zones and councelling sessions areas , are usually not personalised. Maternity wards are common and hence their sanitary condition gets compromised. This is a contributing factor for reduced life expectancy.
3. Diagnostic and pathology labs are biased in handling these lower class patients and families, who as a result, face the scarcity in health care facilities.