Rethinking the relationship between socio-economic status and health: Making the case for sociological theory in health inequality research

Abstract

Aim: The aim of this study is to analyse previous explanations of social inequality in health and argue for a closer integration of sociological theory into future empirical research. Methods: We examine cultural-behavioural, materialist, psychosocial and life-course approaches, in addition to fundamental cause theory. Giddens’ structuration theory and a neo-materialist approach, inspired by Bruno Latour, Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari, are proposed as ways of rethinking the causal relationship between socio-economic status and health. Conclusions:Much of the empirical research on health inequalities has tended to rely on explanations with a static and unidirectional view of the association between socio-economic status and health, assuming a unidirectional causal relationship between largely static categories. We argue for the use of sociological theory to develop more dynamic models that enhance the understanding of the complex pathways and mechanisms linking social structures to health.