ABSTRACT
Which leads to a second point: that class and other forms of inequitable social relationships can shape the very picture people draw of social inequalities in health-and hence what they do (or do not do) to address them. At issue are both description AND explanation. In other words, social inequality can influence: what is seen-or ignored-by whom; how these patterns are-or are notexplained; and what sorts of remedies are-or are not-proposed. One implication is social inequalities in health-however real-can be ignored and rendered invisible if the data to document them are not collected, whether by conscious design or unconscious neglect (16). A second implication is that even if the data are collected, and none dispute the reality of the disparate health status between the groups at issue, there can still be major controversies over WHY these disparities exist and WHO should do WHAT about them.
