Socioeconomic districts
Introduction
The socioeconomic level (also called socioeconomic stratum) is a composite indicator of an economic and sociological nature that is used to classify individuals or groups according to their relative position within a social structure. This classification is based mainly on three variables: income, education and occupation, although some studies also include wealth as a relevant factor.[1].
Socioeconomic level is widely used in social research, market studies, public policy analysis, and in the design of educational or health programs. Its evaluation can be carried out both at the individual and family level, considering not only the total income of the household, but also the educational level achieved by its members, their participation in the labor market, and other relevant social attributes.
Generally, socioeconomic levels are grouped into three broad categories:.
• - High (or upper class).
• - Middle (or middle class).
• - Low (or lower class).
The placement of a person or family within these categories is not fixed and may vary depending on the national context, the methodological criteria used and changes in socioeconomic conditions.
The analysis of the socioeconomic level also allows us to address phenomena such as social mobility, inequality of opportunities"), and socio-spatial segmentation"), among others.
Additionally, it has been established that a low level of income and a low level of education are important indicators of a range of mental and physical health problems, ranging from respiratory ailments, arthritis, coronary heart disease, and schizophrenia. These may be due to the environmental conditions in the workplace, or in the case of mental illness, they may be the very cause of the person's social status.[2][3][4].
• - Social class.
• - Income.
• - Employment.
• - Social status.
• - Social stratification.
• - US Census Bureau report on educational attainment in the United States, 2003. 8 April 2008. http://www.census.gov/prod/2004pubs/p20-550.pdf].
• - American Psychological Association's Socioeconomic Status Office.
References
- [1] ↑ National Center for Education Statistics. "Glossary - Socioeconomic status". U.S. Department of Education. Consultado el 9 de octubre de 2025.: https://web.archive.org/web/20080412230538/http://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/glossary/s.asp
- [2] ↑ Erica Goode. 13 April. “For Good Health, it Helps to be Rich and Important.” New York Times http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9806E5DA1230F932A35755C0A96F958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=1.: https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9806E5DA1230F932A35755C0A96F958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=1
- [3] ↑ Marmot, Michael. 2004. The Status Syndrome: How Social Standing Affects Our
- [4] ↑ Werner, Shirli, Malaspina, Dolores, and Rabinowitz, Jonathan. Socioeconomic Status at Birth is Associated with Risk of Schizophrenia: Population-Based Multilevel Study. Schizophrenia Bulletin. 18 April 2007.