Discussion – Socioeconomic Status
The factors in society that categorize people in correlation to the level of income and behavior patterns are known as socioeconomic status (SES). Other factors such as level of education, individual perception, and race influence SES. SES elements encapsulate standards of living, quality of life, and rights and privileges of particular communities. Higher levels of income enable access to quality education and an overall better quality of life. In the US, higher education is expensive, and a competent education system provides the necessary skill set to experience a quality life. Racial bigotry has seen minor races being underrepresented in education institutions; hence, their SES is generally low, attributed to the factors associated with reduced income. Hire our assignment writing services to save yourself tons of time and energy required for your assignment papers.
The priority and consumer patterns of goods and services are directly associated with socioeconomic status. A trend, in particular, is that the SES group creates a culture that sees individuals maintain due to the affordability of a specific quality of life. It is common for high-income earners to purchase high-end automobiles as they have the purchasing power. Identifying with the wealthy can see someone of a lower SES living beyond their means to identify with a higher SES. The false perception can be a delusional attempt successful in masquerading in a different SES. African Americans are particularly associated with living beyond their means in an ostentatious display of jewelry. However, most of the African American community belongs to the low SES (Martens et al., 2014). It is a culture influenced greatly by the hip-hop music culture that has traversed generations. European Americans perceive a medium-income household as adequate as their prosperity is characterized by the ease of obtaining the conventional American lifestyle. The median annual income for white Americans is about $65,902, accounting for the highest number of earners in terms of population.
Paraprofessionals are mandated to enhance the achievement of the objectives in institutions. Mostly they are deployed in working in healthcare, law, and education departments. Paraprofessionals are focused on investigating a specific method of service delivery and idealizing the most appropriate ways that the impact of service can be enhanced. Also, paraprofessionals work with special needs students to offer a bespoke methodology of service delivery that is pleasant to the client or patient. The work function of the paraprofessional is complementary to that of professionals in their respective fields.
Professionals should be aware of subtle behavioral changes in service delivery. For instance, students in a classroom may not have understood a particular concept, and they may not be confident enough to ask for more explanation. A student’s body language can exhibit a clue that can be construed as a distress call. The type of body language changes displayed may vary according to the SES (Martens et al., 2014). Therefore, paraprofessionals need to possess a thorough background knowledge of the behavior specific to the subject of analysis.
Personalities are peculiar and change from one person to the other although they may be of the same SES. Keen follow-through can reveal more information that provides appropriate interpretation and tailor services for effective accomplishments of objectives. Paraprofessionals identify with a specific SES where the behavior pathologies may differ. Therefore, they may not be accustomed to a different SES group hindering the development of pertinent diagnosis, identification, and treatment.
References
Cummings, J. R. (2014). Contextual socioeconomic status and mental health counseling use among US adolescents with depression. Journal of youth and adolescence, 1151-1162.
Farah, M. J. (2017). The neuroscience of socioeconomic status: Correlates, causes, and consequences. Neuron, 56-71.
Martens, P. J., Chateau, D., Burland, E. M., Finlayson, G. S., Smith, M. J., Taylor, C. R., & PATHS Equity Team. (2014). The effect of neighborhood socioeconomic status on education and health outcomes for children living in social housing. American journal of public health, 2103-2113.
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Question
Directions: Respond to each of the following prompts below. Use a minimum of two scholarly resources, which may include your textbook, to support your responses.
- In your own words, define the meaning of socioeconomic status (SES) in the United States. Respond in 50 to 100 words.
- In your own words, define cultural norms and discuss how norms may differ between SES groups in the United States. Respond in 50 to 100 words.
- In 100 to 200 words, describe the responsibilities of paraprofessionals in the behavioral health field with regard to how they relate to or interact with clients from different SES groups.