SOCIAL-INEQUALITY, RISK OF DISEASE AND LI FE EXPECTANCY - AN ASSESSMENT OF RESEARCH IN SOCIAL EPIDEMIOLOGY

The inquiry of the association between social class and illness/life e xpectancy lacks as well on theory orientated conceptualization of the complex causal chain from social inequality to individual consequences as on differentiation of each of its links. In order to eliminate the se deficits a hierachical multidimensional process model will be intro duced, in which the position in the system of social inequality (macro dimension) is connected with the dimension of social action (meso dim ension, esp. family and professional context) and this again with the dimension of the individual (micro dimension: personality/organism) in different stages of the life course.