Life Course Perspective Social Advantages And Disadvantages

According to the life course perspective, social advantages and disadvantages accumulate over time to impact our health and wellbeing. Some policy implications may be increasing housing standards, or increasing efforts to ensure that the current requirements are followed. Emissions testing for vehicles and testing at factories that contribute to air pollution would also serve to decrease what individuals are exposed to throughout their life. Standards for work environments would also be considered part of policies under the life course perspective. Finally, making higher education more available through increased funding for federal aid and a decrease in fees would be beneficial, because according to the life course perspective, higher

education increases financial security and other aspects of health throughout life.

Health and social advantage/disadvantage interact over the life course. We are born with health that is a consequence of our mother's social advantages or disadvantages, seen through birth weight. Our advantages and disadvantages continue to impact our lives in childhood, as those with greater financial resources are more likely to have a nutritious diet and have less exposure to environmental hazards, like housing that is not up to code or dangerous. Our life continues to be impacted by our SES when those with social advantages are able to participate in more recreational activities, such as expensive team sports at school or programs like what is offered at the YMCA. Social advantages and disadvantages continue to have a presence in our life as they influence our choices after high school graduation. Those with social disadvantages may find themselves working at a factory, being exposed to hazardous materials and a dangerous workplace. Their work may be physically exhausting, and the long work hours that they commit to don't always guarantee job security. This person may subsequently feel that they have little control over their life, which in many cases is true as they face employment insecurity.

Advantages and disadvantages compile over our life course. For example, our SES might contribute to a lower level of education, leading us to have poor quality housing and lower level jobs. These add to stress, which as we have learned has its own negative health effects. In contrast, our SES can allow us to have an advantaged childhood, full of extra-curricular activities, social networking, and healthy diet. This could mean that we go off to college with greater social support and our network helps us gain employment in a stable, higher paying career. We feel more in control of our life and realize that we can contribute to our lives and health in a positive way.