Measures Of Social Class Research Articles

Falling sideways? Social status and the true nature of elite downward mobility

Downward mobility is an essential, but commonly overlooked component of social mobility. Existing estimates of downward mobility are routinely based on unidimensional measures of income and social class. This ignores the potential for substantial retention of advantage in other domains of stratification – particularly social status.In this paper, I use highly detailed occupational data from a representative UK sample to examine patterns of multidimensional mobility among those from the most advantaged backgrounds. I find that multidimensional measures reveal dramatically different patterns of downward mobility – particularly for women, who, when downwardly mobile in terms of social class, often retain privileged social status positions.I also find that those whose parents held jobs at the very top of the status distribution were much less likely to be downwardly mobile than previous mobility estimates have suggested – consistent with public perceptions of a ‘glass floor’.

Gendered pleasures, risks and policies: Using a logic of candidacy to explore paradoxical roles of alcohol as a good/poor health behaviour for Australian women early during the pandemic

Drinking alcohol facilitates pleasure for women while also elevating disease risk. Symbolic expectations of what alcohol ‘does in’ life per lay insight (relax, identity-work, connect) sit in tension with scientific realities about what alcohol ‘does to’ women's bodies (elevate chronic disease risks such as breast cancer). Policy must work amidst – and despite – these paradoxes to reduce harm(s) to women by attending to the gendered and emergent configurations of both realities.This paper applies a logic of candidacy to explore women's alcohol consumption and pleasure through candidacies of wellness in addition to risk through candidacies of disease (e.g. breast cancer). Using qualitative data collected via 56 interviews with Australian women (n = 48) during early pandemic countermeasures, we explore how risk perceptions attached to alcohol (like breast cancer) co-exist with use-values of alcohol in daily life and elucidate alcohol's paradoxical role in women's heuristics of good/poor health behaviours.Women were aged 25–64 years, experienced varying life circumstances (per a multidimensional measure of social class including economic, social and cultural capital) and living conditions (i.e. partnered/single, un/employed, children/no children). We collated coding structures from data within both projects; used deductive inferences to understand alcohol's paradoxical role in candidacies of wellness and disease; abductively explored women's prioritisation of co-existing candidacies during the pandemic; and retroductively theorised prioritisations per evolving pandemic-inflected constructions of alcohol-related gendered risk/s and pleasure/s.Our analysis illuminates the ways alcohol was configured as a pleasure and form of wellness in relation to stress, productivity and respectability. It also demonstrates how gender was relationally enacted amidst the priorities, discourses and materialities enfolding women's lives during the pandemic. We consider the impact of policy regulation of aggressive alcohol marketing and banal availability of alcohol in pandemic environments and outline gender-responsive, multi-level policy options to reduce alcohol harms to women.

Socioeconomic status in adulthood of children with and without a history of seizures: A retrospective cohort study

ObjectiveCompare adulthood socioeconomic status for children with and without a history of seizures. MethodsRetrospective cohort study using Aberdeen Children of the Nineteen Fifties (ACONF) data comprising children born 1950–1956 attending primary school 1962–1964, with follow-up data collected in 2001. Adulthood socioeconomic status was based on registrar general measure of occupational social class and categorised as high or low. We adjusted for potentially confounding variables including childhood socioeconomic status, behavioural issues (Rutter A/B scores), biological sex, school test scores, educational attainment, parental engagement with education, peer-status in school, and alcohol use in adulthood. A multivariate binary logistic regression was performed to estimate the adjusted association between children with a history of seizures of any type (for example febrile seizures, or provoked seizures of any other etiology or seizures in the context of epilepsy) or severity and adult socioeconomic status. Multiple imputation using the Monte-Carlo-Markov-Chain method accounted for missing data. ResultsPooled estimates (N = 2,208) comparing children with a history of seizures (n = 81) and children without a history of seizures (n = 2,127) found no differences between these cohorts in terms of adulthood socioeconomic status in both unadjusted (Odds Ratio (OR) 1.45 [95 % CI 0.71–2.96], p = 0.31) and adjusted (1.02 [0.46, 2.24], p = 0.96) analyses. Compared to males, females were at increased odds of having a lower socioeconomic status in adulthood (1.56 [1.13–2.17], p = 0.01).Compared to those with low educational attainment, those with moderate (0.32 [0.21, 0.48], p < 0.001) and high (0.12 [0.07, 0.20], p < 0.001) educational attainment were at reduced odds of having a lower socioeconomic status in adulthood. ConclusionCognitive problems in childhood (using educational attainment and scores on primary school tests proxy markers for cognition) rather than a history of seizures per se, were associated with lower SES in a population of adults born 1950–56 in Aberdeen. This relationship may be different depending on the time in history and nation/region of study. Given the changes in health, education and social support in the management of children with seizures over time, it would be of interest to investigate outcomes in a contemporary cohort. Such studies should ideally have validated diagnoses of seizures, details on seizure characteristics such as seizure type and severity, and a large sample size using national data.

Effect of social class on personal control beliefs.

This research investigated the effect of social class on personal control beliefs. Differences in personal control beliefs serve as a central theoretical explanation for social class differences in cognition, emotion, and behavior. However, prior empirical research has not yet conclusively demonstrated that personal control beliefs differ between social classes. Across four studies (total N = 138,417), we investigated the link between social class and personal control beliefs with well-established measures of social class (e.g., ISEI, McArthur Scale),representative samples, and data that allow for causal conclusions (e.g., experimental, and longitudinal data). We found that (a) higher social class was associated with higher personal control beliefs across 60 countries. Furthermore, we observed that (b) higher social class of parents was associated with higher personal control beliefs in their children, and that (c) experimentally induced higher (vs. lower) social class led to increases (vs. decreases) of personal control beliefs. Individuals from lower social classes consistently have weaker personal control beliefs than individuals from upper social classes. Social class differences in this fundamental personality characteristic are bound to have important consequences in various life domains (e.g., psychological and physical well-being, and academic success).

Is everyone really middle class? Social class position and identification in Alberta.

In defining social class, researchers often rely on measures of objective class position, even though subjective perceptions of social class identity can better account for the creation of social class boundaries. We explore the relationship between measures of objective class position and subjective class identity using data from an online survey of 1155 residents in Alberta, Canada, a conservative province dependent on a fluctuating energy sector. We find that although most Albertans identified as middle class, the strength of class identity and views regarding linked social class fates varied across categories with poverty class and uppermiddleclass respondents standing out. In reporting class identity, respondents considered measures related to objective class position, especially their income and economic security levels, but gaps still remained. We then use the results of this exploratory study to advocate for more comprehensive measures of social class.

Social Support As an Explanatory Mechanism of the Relationship Between Social Class and Mental Health in University Students: A Structural Mediation Model

In addition to the challenges associated with economic adversity, college students of low socioeconomic status or self-identified social class are at higher risk of experiencing social isolation and mental health difficulties which can impede their academic success. Identifying modifiable protective factors can inform the development of interventions to improve the mental health of at-risk students. The present study examined social support as a potential explanatory mechanism. University students (N = 211) completed an assessment battery including various measures of social class, social support, and mental health. Three factors were identified, and structural equation modeling was employed to examine Supportive Social Environment (i.e., higher levels of general social support and social capital from peers and teachers) as a mediator of the relationship between Social Class Alienation (i.e., lower subjective social status and greater anticipated class-based rejection) and Mental Health Difficulties (i.e., greater levels of psychological symptoms and lower perceived ability to cope with emotions). The indirect effect was significant, and a comparison between a mediated model and an unmediated model indicated that Supportive Social Environment fully mediated the observed positive relationship between Social Class Alienation and Mental Health Difficulties. Results suggest that lower perceived social support (including from peers and teachers) contributes to the psychological struggles experienced by college students who self-identify as being of lower socioeconomic status. These findings have significant implications for programs developed to support students experiencing economic adversity by highlighting the importance of going beyond practical supports to better engage students socially.

Collegiate social class and connectedness: class in a transitional period of life

PurposeThis research study set out to answer the following question: How does social class relate to social connectedness in college?Design/methodology/approachThe authors operationalized a nonexperimental, cross-sectional and analytical study design to analyze 271 survey responses.FindingsThis study illustrates that discretionary income has the most dramatic practical significance on the social connectedness of undergraduate students at the research site. As the body of knowledge regarding effective measures of social class for collegians increases, institutions should consider more innovative measures like discretionary spending, perceived social class and others during this unique transitional period of life.Originality/valueA widened perspective of social class in college could aid in supporting the university and college goals of student success and social well-being.

Measuring Class Hierarchies in Postindustrial Societies: A Criterion and Construct Validation of EGP and ESEC Across 31 Countries

In social stratification research, the most frequently used social class schema are based on employment relations (EGP and ESEC). These schemes have been propelled to paradigms for research on social mobility and educational inequalities and applied in cross-national research for both genders. Using the European Working Conditions Survey, we examine their criterion and construct validity across 31 countries and for both genders. We investigate whether classes are welldelineated by the theoretically assumed dimensions of employment relations and we assess how several measures of occupational advantage differ across classes. We find broad similarity in the criterion validity of EGP and ESEC across genders and countries as well as satisfactory levels of construct validity. However, the salariat classes are too heterogeneous and their boundaries with the intermediate classes are blurred. To improve the measurement of social class, we propose to differentiate managerial and professional occupations within the lower and higher salariat respectively. We show that implementing these distinctions in ESEC and EGP improves their criterion validity and allows to better identify privileged positions.

Disordered gambling in a longitudinal birth cohort: from childhood precursors to adult life outcomes.

Despite its introduction into the diagnostic nomenclature over four decades ago, there remain large knowledge gaps about disordered gambling. The primary aims of the present study were to document the long-term course, childhood precursors, and adult life outcomes associated with disordered gambling. Participants enrolled in the population-representative Dunedin Study were prospectively followed from birth through age 45. Disordered gambling was assessed six times from age 18; composite measures of childhood social class, general intelligence, and low self-control were based on assessments obtained from birth through age 15; adult socioeconomic, financial, and legal outcomes were obtained through age 45. Lifetime disordered gambling was predicted from the three childhood precursors and the adult outcomes were predicted from lifetime disordered gambling. Past-year disordered gambling usually occurred at only a single time point and recurrence was relatively uncommon. Lower childhood social class, general intelligence, and self-control significantly predicted lifetime disordered gambling in adulthood. In turn, lifetime disordered gambling in adulthood significantly predicted occupational, educational, and financial problems in adulthood (ds = 0.23-0.41). These associations were markedly reduced and sometimes rendered nonsignificant after adjusting for childhood precursors (ds = 0.04-0.32). Socioeconomic, financial, and legal outcomes in adulthood are not merely consequences of disordered gambling, but also are predicted from childhood precursors. Deflecting the trajectories of young people at risk for developing disordered gambling may help to ameliorate not just the development of later disordered gambling, but also other associated adverse outcomes.

Examining the impact of different social class mechanisms on health inequalities: A cross-sectional analysis of an all-age UK household panel study

BackgroundSocioeconomic inequalities are well established across health, morbidity and mortality measures. Social class theory describes how social groups relate, interact and accrue advantages/disadvantages relative to one another, with different theorists emphasising different dimensions. In the context of health inequalities, different social class measures are used interchangeably to rank population groups in terms of health rather than directly exploring the role of social class in creating inequalities. We aim to better understand how four distinct social class mechanisms explain differences in a range of self-reported and biological health outcomes. MethodsWe use data from the UK Household Longitudinal Study, a representative population survey of UK adults, to identify measures pertaining to Early years, Bourdieusian, Marxist, and Weberian social class mechanisms. Using logistic and least-squares regression we consider the relative extent to which these mechanisms explain differences in health (Self-reported health, SF12 Physical (PCS) and Mental (MCS) Component Scores, General Health Questionnaire; N = 21,446) and allostatic load, a biomarker-based measure of cumulative stress (N = 5003). ResultsRespondents with higher social position according to all social class measures had better self-rated, physical and mental health, and lower allostatic load. Associations with Marxist social class were among the strongest (e.g. Relative Index of Inequality for very good/excellent self-rated health comparing highest versus lowest Marxist social class: 4.96 (4.45, 5.52), with the Weberian measure also strongly associated with self-rated (4.35 (3.90, 4.85)) and physical health (Slope Index of Inequality for SF12-PCS: 7.94 (7.39, 8.48)). Health outcome associations with Bourdieusian and Marxist measures were generally stronger for women and older respondents, and physical health associations with all measures were stronger among those aged 50+ years. ConclusionsThe impact of social class on health is multi-faceted. Policies to reduce health inequalities should focus more on unequal capital ownership, economic democracy and educational inequalities, reflecting Marxist and Weberian mechanisms.

The Association Between Racial Discrimination, Race, and Social Class With Health Among US Children.

To assess the association between racial discrimination, race and ethnicity, and social class with child health and unmet health care needs among children in the United States (US). We used a nationally representative sample of children aged 0 to 17 from the 2018-2019 National Survey of Children's Health. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression were used to test associations between measures of discrimination, social class (income, employment, and education), and race and ethnicity with overall child health and unmet health care needs controlling for covariates identified a priori. Overall, 90.3% of children (n=59,964) had excellent/very good overall health; 3.1% had unmet health care needs. Black, non-Hispanic children had 8.9 times the odds of having experienced racial discrimination compared to White, non-Hispanic children (95% confidence interval [CI], 7.0-11.4). Having special health care needs was significantly associated with greater odds of racial discrimination (OR 2.3; 95% CI, 1.9-2.8). In multivariable models, underrepresented race and ethnicity groups, lower household income level, and lower caregiver education were significantly associated with poorer overall child health. Conversely, experiencing discrimination was not significantly associated with excellent/good overall child health (adjusted odds ratios [aORs], 0.8; 95% CI, 0.6-1.1) Racial discrimination (aOR 2.7; 95% CI, 1.9-4.0) and lower household income (aOR 2.6; 95% CI, 1.8-3.5) were associated with significantly greater odds of unmet health care needs. Race and ethnicity and low social class were significantly associated with worse overall health while racial discrimination and low-income were associated with more unmet health care needs. These findings underscore the importance of policy and health care system innovations that address the effects of racism and poverty on child health.

Does ’class count’? The evolution of health inequalities by social class in early 21st century China (2002–2013)

ABSTRACT Does social class matter in understanding health inequalities in early 21st century China, when the country experienced unprecedented social stratification? Using nationally representative data from the latest waves of China Household Income Project surveys, we examine to what extent an individual’s health is structured by social class and how that structure evolved. We draw on a neo-Marxist measure of social class to tap into the hidden mechanism that engenders and sustains inequalities. Four classes are defined based primarily on their relationships to productive resources: owners/managers, professionals/skilled workers, less-skilled workers, and farmers. Such a measure has not been considered in the health gradient literature in the Chinese context. Our results show that, despite remedial policies that helped mitigate economic inequalities, inequalities in health have mostly widened during the early years of the current century between the ‘haves’, who own productive assets and/or managerial authority, and the ‘have-nots’. In 2002, self-rated health (SRH) was not clearly associated with class rank; in 2007, when China’s economic inequality reached a historical zenith, a gradational pattern between SRH and class emerged, and the largest health gap was found between the class of owners/managers and farmers; in 2013, when China’s income inequality reached a plateau, the health gap between owners/managers and less-skilled workers grew larger. Further, we identify job security as a mediator that links class and health among the lower social strata. In addition to improving the health of the disadvantaged, policies designed to narrow health inequalities should be orientated towards addressing social stratification.

A First Class Measure: Evidence for a Comprehensive Social Class Scale in Higher Education Populations

Despite social class being a burgeoning area of research in the higher education literature, there is no single comprehensive measure of social class in university student populations. Most previous research has included objective single-item measures (e.g., parent education or occupation) to assess social class and then sorted students into distinct social class categories using these items. Such approaches do not adequately capture the complexity and nuance of class, and they ignore the subjective and social components involved. The present paper reports the development and validation of an 11-item Comprehensive Social Class Scale (CSCS) that uses a mix of objective and subjective items to assess multiple aspects of social class, including education level, occupational prestige, family affluence, social class identity and subjective social status. Across 12 samples (N = 4926), we provide evidence for a single factor structure of the CSCS and demonstrate aspects of its reliability and validity. We conclude by discussing some limitations and suggestions for use of the CSCS in higher education populations.

Trends in material and non-material inequalities in adolescent health and health behaviours: A 12-year study in 23 European countries

Information on trends in adolescent health inequalities is scarce but the available evidence suggests that inequalities are increasing. Prior studies describe associations between material resources of socioeconomic status (SES) and health, while information on non-material SES resources and inequalities in health behaviours is lacking. To improve current understandings of evolutions in adolescent health inequalities, we examined how material and non-material SES resources were associated with changes in selected health outcomes (life satisfaction, physical and psychological symptoms) and health behaviours (physical activity, screen time, breakfast, fruit, vegetables, sweets and soft drinks consumption and alcohol and tobacco use) over a 12-year period. Repeated cross-sectional data came from the 2002, 2006, 2010 and 2014 waves of the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) survey from 23 European countries (n = 480,386). Measures of family affluence and occupational social class were used as indicators of material and non-material SES resources respectively. Regression-based slope indices of inequality indicated that absolute material and non-material inequalities remained stable from 2002 to 2014 in all health outcomes, except for life satisfaction for which a decrease in material inequalities was found between the highest and lowest affluence group (0.81 to 0.68 difference; p < 0.001). In terms of health behaviours, material inequalities decreased in screen time between highest and lowest affluence groups (0.53 to 0.34 h/day difference; p < 0.001), fruit (odds ratio [OR] 1.89 to 1.72 lower odds; p = 0.0088) and soft drinks consumption (OR 1.36 to 1.13 lower odds; p < 0.001) and remained stable in all others. Non-material inequalities increased in all health behaviours (except for sweets consumption) between highest and lowest occupational social class groups: physical activity (0.16 to 0.24 h/day difference; p = 0.0071), screen time (−0.41 to −0.58 h/day difference; p < 0.001), breakfast (0.21 to 0.51 day/week difference; p < 0.001), fruit (OR 1.23 to 1.48 higher odds; p < 0.001), vegetables (OR 1.39 to 1.74 higher odds; p < 0.001) and soft drinks consumption (OR 0.59 to 0.43 lower odds; p < 0.001) and alcohol (OR 0.99 to 0.85 lower odds; p = 0.0420) and tobacco use (OR 0.71 to 0.59 lower odds; p = 0.0183). In summary, non-material inequalities in most health behaviours increased, whereas material inequalities in adolescent health and health behaviours remain stable or decreased. Policies and interventions may consider non-material SES components as these can help in reducing future health inequalities.

Free agents or cogs in the machine? Classed, gendered, and racialized inequities in hazardous working conditions.

Few epidemiologic studies have used relational social class measures based on control over productive assets and others' labor to analyze inequities in health-affecting working conditions. Moreover, these studies have often neglected the gendered and racialized dimensions of class relations, dimensions which are essential to understanding population patterns of health inequities. Our study fills these gaps. Using data from the 2002-2018 U.S. General Social Survey, we assigned respondents to the worker, manager, petit bourgeois, or capitalist classes based on their supervisory authority and self-employment status. Next, we estimated class, class-by-gender, and class-by-race inequities in compensation/safety, the labor process, control, and conflict, using Poisson models. We also estimated gender-by-race inequities among workers. We identified substantial class inequities, with worse conditions for workers, which is the largest class within genders and racialized groups, but also disproportionately consists of women and people of color (POC), particularly women of color (WOC). For example, relative to workers, capitalists were less likely to report that safety is not a priority (prevalence ratio [PR]: 0.41, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.21, 0.82), repetitive tasks (PR: 0.36, 95% CI: 0.21, 0.61), and lacking freedom (PR: 0.11, 95% CI: 0.05, 0.24). We also identified inequities among workers, with women and POC, particularly WOC, reporting worse conditions than white male workers, especially greater discrimination/harassment (WOC PR: 1.70, 95% CI: 1.36, 2.13). We identified substantial inequities in working conditions across intersecting classes, genders, and racialized groups. These inequities threaten workers' health, particularly among women and POC.

Integrating Objective and Subjective Social Class to Advance Our Understanding of Externalizing Problem Behavior in Children and Adolescents: A Conceptual Review and Model.

Extant research has identified both objective measures of socioeconomic status (SES) and subjective social class (SSC) as important predictors of psychosocial outcomes in childhood and adolescence, particularly with regard to externalizing symptoms. Given the importance of the associations with SES and SSC, a more nuanced and integrated conceptual understanding of early pathways of vulnerability implicated in the development and maintenance of youth externalizing problems is warranted. Thus, this review will: (1) operationalize both SES and SSC and their current standards of measurement; (2) examine current literature describing their respective associations with a range of externalizing symptoms in both children and adolescents; (3) review current theoretical models connecting SES and SSC and youth development and the strengths and limitations of those approaches; (4) propose a new conceptual socioecological model situating the impact of SES and SSC on youth externalizing problems in the context of parents and peers as a framework to further integrate existing research and guide future work; and (5) discuss potential clinical implications at the intersection of this work.

Different Measures of Social Class – Different Results of Class Voting? The Colombian Case

Class based electoral behaviour belongs to topics that have been subject of research for many decades; especially in developed Western countries. The class structure is a basis for class voting research. The EGP scheme is a most widespread model of social structure. This scheme is based on the employment structure; some authors prefer other models based for example. On the number of assets of each household or on the household income. This paper attempts to test different stratification models using the Colombia example to see whether class voting results will differ significantly or whether certain matches will be found.

A break in the gradient: relational social class and high-impact chronic pain

The association between socioeconomic status (SES) and health is usually depicted by a monotonic gradient, where higher SES is associated with better health outcomes. We aimed to investigate whether the association between high-impact chronic pain (HICP) and a newly adapted measure of social class was consistent with relational class theories predicting non-gradient patterns. This study included a nationally-representative sample of 50,860 adults aged ≥25 years who had ever worked, from the National Health Interview Survey 2016-2017. HICP was defined as pain that interferes with life or work activities on most days or every day for 6 months or longer. We constructed a 5-category measure of relational social class based on the UK National Statistics Socio-Economic Classification (NS-SEC), using occupational codes, employment type and firm size (managerial and professional occupations, intermediate occupations, small employers and own account workers, lower supervisory and technical occupations, semi-routine and routine occupations). We used Poisson regression weighted for survey sampling, adjusted for age, sex, race, ethnicity, US citizenship, marital status, education and census region to estimate prevalence ratios (PR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the association between social class and HICP. HICP prevalence was similar between the reference class, managerial and professional occupations, and intermediate occupations (PR=0.99, 95% CI 0.88, 1.12); both lower than all other classes. Despite not being hierarchically lowest, lower supervisory and technical occupations had the highest prevalence of HICP relative to the reference class (PR=1.37, 95% CI 1.23, 1.53). That was higher than semi-routine and routine occupations (PR= 1.27, 95% CI 1.15, 1.40), and small employers and own account workers (PR=1.27, 95% CI 1.10, 1.47). HICP prevalence by social class is compatible with the concept of ‘contradictory class location’. Relational class measures can provide insight into the complexity of socioeconomic position and illuminate potential targets for interventions to reduce pain disparities. Scan|Design Foundation Innovative Pain Research Grant (2019), American Academy of Orofacial Pain Research Grant (2019).

Social Class—Not Income Inequality—Predicts Social and Institutional Trust

Trust is the social glue that holds society together. The academic consensus is that trust is weaker among lower-class individuals and in unequal regions/countries, which is often considered a threat to a healthy society. However, existing studies are inconsistent and have two limitations: (i) variability in the measurement of social class and (ii) small numbers of higher level units (regions/countries). We addressed these problems using large-scale (cross-)national representative surveys (encompassing 560,000+ participants from 1,500+ regional/national units). Multilevel analysis led to two consistent sets of findings. First, the effects of social class on social trust were systematically positive, whereas the effects on institutional trust depended on the way social class was measured. Second, the effects of income inequality on social and institutional trust were systematically nonsignificant and smaller than the smallest negative effect of interest. Our findings suggest that researchers need to update their knowledge: social class—not income inequality—predicts trust.

Non-human matter, health disparities and a thousand tiny dis/advantages.

The materialist thread within health sociology has observed a clear gradient linking inequalities in health with measures of social class and poverty. More recently, Bourdieu's approach to social class complemented the 'economic capital' of Marxist analysis with 'symbolic' capitals such as 'social' and 'cultural'. However, efforts to assess how symbolic capital interacts with health disparities reveal complex or contradictory effects. In this paper, we re-materialise the study of health and social position via a new materialist focus on the interactions between humans and non-human matter (NHM). We analyse empirical data to disclose the range of human/NHM interactions in daily life, and how these affect people's health status. These interactions establish physical, psychological and social opportunities and constraints on what human bodies can do, contributing to relative advantages and disadvantages. We argue for a revised materialist understanding of sociomaterial position as constituted by a 'thousand tiny dis/advantages', and suggest that health and wellbeing are inextricably linked to dis/advantage.