Pbs Learning Media: Above the Noise: Is Your Social Status Making You Sick?

Financial inequality has been in the news a lot recently. This inequality creates what is typically called a social status ladder, with rich people at the top and poorer people toward the bottom. Research shows that your position on the ladder is one of the most powerful predictors of health. But it's so much more than just how much money you have or how fancy your education is. It's how you feel you compare to other people -- your subjective social status. We've scoured the research, looking at human and animal studies, to find out how your subjective social status affects your health. A student handout to accompany the video is included. [4:37]