--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Both low socioeconomic status and racial…" description: "\"“Both low socioeconomic status and racial discrimination tap into the same corrosive elements of psychosocial stress, namely lack of control and predic..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a52/jeremy-a-smith-53085_lack-of-control_both-low-socioeconomic-status-and-racial_2249960.jpg" --- # Both low socioeconomic status and racial discrimination… ![“Both low socioeconomic status and racial discrimination tap into the same corrosive elements of psychosocial stress, namely lack of control and predictability, lack of coping outlets, and a static system that allows little room for optimism.” quote by Jeremy A. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a52/jeremy-a-smith-53085_lack-of-control_both-low-socioeconomic-status-and-racial_2249960.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a52/jeremy-a-smith-53085_lack-of-control_both-low-socioeconomic-status-and-racial_2249960.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a52/jeremy-a-smith-53085_lack-of-control_both-low-socioeconomic-status-and-racial_2249960.jpg) > ““Both low socioeconomic status and racial discrimination tap into the same corrosive elements of psychosocial stress, namely lack of control and predictability, lack of coping outlets, and a static system that allows little room for optimism.”” [Jeremy A. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-a-smith/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Low socioeconomic status and racial discrimination share stressors like lack of control, predictability, coping outlets, and systemic optimism, fostering psychosocial stress. **In simple terms:** Both poverty and racism create similar stress factors. Key Takeaway Address systemic inequities to reduce stress. Themes inequality health psychology Mood empathetic critical Type analytical advocacy When to use this quote - public health policy - community support programs - mental health services Key Concepts social determinants stress theory Questions to Reflect On - How can institutions improve predictability for marginalized groups? - What coping resources are most effective? A Different Perspective Solutions must consider complex, intersecting causes. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Discrimination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discrimination/) [Lack of control](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lack-of-control/) [Optimism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/optimism/) [Racial discrimination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racial-discrimination/) [Racism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racism/) [Stress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stress/) ## Related quotes > [Baboons are poster children for psychosocial stress, living in troops with bruising and shifting dominance hierarchies among males and high rates of male aggression.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-sapolsky/baboons-are-poster-children-for-psychosocial-stress-living-in-troops/) [Robert Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-sapolsky/) > [Low socioeconomic status carries with it an enormously increased risk of a broad range of diseases, and this gradient cannot be fully explained by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-sapolsky/low-socioeconomic-status-carries-with-it-an-enormously-increased-risk/) [Robert Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-sapolsky/) > [By the time I was at college, I became very alert to the question of racial discrimination, and I remember one of my first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-maltz/by-the-time-i-was-at-college-i-became-very-alert-to-the-question-of/) [Albert Maltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-maltz/) > [“Religious discrimination is not like racial discrimination. One you chose for yourself, the other God chose for you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/habeeb-akande/religious-discrimination-is-not-like-racial-discrimination-one-you/) [Habeeb Akande](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/habeeb-akande/) > [On March 7, 1965, some 600 civil rights activists marched in Selma, Alabama, demanding an end to racial discrimination. The demonstration was led by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-iii/on-march-7-1965-some-600-civil-rights-activists-marched-in-selma/) [Martin Luther King III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-iii/) > [“…I wondered if there had been a more corroding and devastating attack upon the personalities of men than the idea of racial discrimination.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-wright/i-wondered-if-there-had-been-a-more-corroding-and-devastating-attack/) [Richard Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-wright/) > [I wasn't thinking about history. I was thinking about how we were going to end segregation at lunch counters in Atlanta, Georgia.We would have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-wright-edelman/i-wasn-t-thinking-about-history-i-was-thinking-about-how-we-were/) [Marian Wright Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-wright-edelman/) > [The way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to speak openly and candidly on the subject of race, and to apply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonia-sotomayor/the-way-to-stop-discrimination-on-the-basis-of-race-is-to-speak/) [Sonia Sotomayor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonia-sotomayor/) > [Communism will never be defeated by atomic bombs. Our greatest defense against Communism is to take offensive action on behalf of justice and righteousness.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/communism-will-never-be-defeated-by-atomic-bombs-our-greatest-defense/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Racial discrimination in public education is unconstitutional…All provisions of federal, state or local law requiring or permitting such discrimination must yield to this principle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/earl-warren/racial-discrimination-in-public-education-is-unconstitutional-all/) [Earl Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/earl-warren/) > [Seek out your brothers and sisters of other cultures and join together in building alliances to put an end to all forms of racial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernice-king/seek-out-your-brothers-and-sisters-of-other-cultures-and-join/) [Bernice King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernice-king/) > [Racial discrimination is illegal. It's illegal in the United States. It's illegal in Arizona. It has been and it will continue to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-brewer/racial-discrimination-is-illegal-it-s-illegal-in-the-united-states-it/) [Jan Brewer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-brewer/) > [That is what I want to make clear today. A man with a long history of racial discrimination, who traffics in dark conspiracy theories…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/that-is-what-i-want-to-make-clear-today-a-man-with-a-long-history-of/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [Racial discrimination in elections in Texas is no mere historical artifact. To the contrary, Texas has been found in violation of the Voting Rights…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-bader-ginsburg/racial-discrimination-in-elections-in-texas-is-no-mere-historical/) [Ruth Bader Ginsburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-bader-ginsburg/) > [It is of the highest importance to provide equal access to the labour market. Governments should act to establish equitable employment standards and penalise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tariq-ramadan/it-is-of-the-highest-importance-to-provide-equal-access-to-the-labour/) [Tariq Ramadan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tariq-ramadan/) ## More by Jeremy A. Smith > [“These studies are about a lot more than foul calls and strikeouts. They’re about the nature of racism today: subtle, pervasive, persistent. And they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-a-smith/these-studies-are-about-a-lot-more-than-foul-calls-and-strikeouts/) [Jeremy A. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-a-smith/) > [“Research has linked such feelings of powerlessness to the kinds of health problems plaguing Bayview and many other communities around the world. This research…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-a-smith/research-has-linked-such-feelings-of-powerlessness-to-the-kinds-of/) [Jeremy A. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-a-smith/) > [“Harvard’s Ichiro Kawachi agrees. He identifies a range of social policies that would be vital to promoting greater socioeconomic equality—and hence, better health. “Make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-a-smith/harvard-s-ichiro-kawachi-agrees-he-identifies-a-range-of-social/) [Jeremy A. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-a-smith/) > [“It’s that simple: building friendships with people of other races seems to eliminate unhealthy stress responses, so that each new interaction can be greeted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-a-smith/it-s-that-simple-building-friendships-with-people-of-other-races/) [Jeremy A. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-a-smith/) > [“The bottom line is clear: harboring racist feelings in a multicultural society causes daily stress; this kind of stress can lead to chronic problems…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-a-smith/the-bottom-line-is-clear-harboring-racist-feelings-in-a-multicultural/) [Jeremy A. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-a-smith/) > [“In a powerful demonstration of this, psychologist Lisa Blackwell and her colleagues showed seventh-grade students how the brain grows and makes new connections when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-a-smith/in-a-powerful-demonstration-of-this-psychologist-lisa-blackwell-and/) [Jeremy A. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-a-smith/) [Explore all 7 Jeremy A. Smith quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-a-smith/) ## More Discrimination quotes > [There could be no more powerful argument against mixing religion and government than the success of independent African American churches in placing racial segregation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-jacoby/there-could-be-no-more-powerful-argument-against-mixing-religion-and/) [Susan Jacoby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-jacoby/) > [Jesus never said a word about homosexuality. In all of his teachings about multiple things - he never said that gay people should be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-carter/jesus-never-said-a-word-about-homosexuality-in-all-of-his-teachings/) [Jimmy Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-carter/) > [In a general way, the literature of the twentieth century is essentially psychological; and psychology consists of describing states of the soul by displaying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-weil/in-a-general-way-the-literature-of-the-twentieth-century-is/) [Simone Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-weil/) > [“Mental illness is not something you misunderstand in this era. Get educated because bias is no different than racism.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/mental-illness-is-not-something-you-misunderstand-in-this-era-get/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [I believe that those who promote discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or any other grounds are gravely mistaken about the values that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-clinton/i-believe-that-those-who-promote-discrimination-on-the-basis-of/) [Bill Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-clinton/) > [Each Act of Parliament intended to address harassment and discrimination has faced objections on the basis of 'you'll never be able to prove...' and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-field/each-act-of-parliament-intended-to-address-harassment-and/) [Tim Field](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-field/) > [Nothing better protects a human being against the stupidity of prejudice, racism, religious or political sectarianism, and exclusivist nationalism than this truth that invariably…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-vargas-llosa/nothing-better-protects-a-human-being-against-the-stupidity-of/) [Mario Vargas Llosa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-vargas-llosa/) > [It is obvious that discrimination exists. Women do not have the opportunities that men do. And women that do not conform to the system,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-chisholm/it-is-obvious-that-discrimination-exists-women-do-not-have-the/) [Shirley Chisholm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-chisholm/) > [The fact is that in too many parts of our country, we still have discrimination. And affirmative action is not just something that applies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/the-fact-is-that-in-too-many-parts-of-our-country-we-still-have/) [John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) > [Judging someone by the color of their skin is ignorant. Their skin complexion has nothing to do with their morals, beliefs or intelligence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/judging-someone-by-the-color-of-their-skin-is-ignorant-their-skin/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We try to take a very strong stance against discrimination and hatred.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-blecharczyk/we-try-to-take-a-very-strong-stance-against-discrimination-and-hatred/) [Nathan Blecharczyk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-blecharczyk/) > [I resolutely believe that respect for diversity is a fundamental pillar in the eradication of racism, xenophobia and intolerance. There is no excuse for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rigoberta-menchu/i-resolutely-believe-that-respect-for-diversity-is-a-fundamental/) [Rigoberta Menchu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rigoberta-menchu/) > [End discrimination and hate everyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/candy/end-discrimination-and-hate-everyone/) [Candy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/candy/) > [This bill would allow an employee to bring a claim against an employer decades after the alleged initial act of discrimination occurred. Trial lawyers,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buck-mckeon/this-bill-would-allow-an-employee-to-bring-a-claim-against-an/) Buck McKeon > [Legal discrimination between the sexes is, in almost every instance, founded on outmoded views of society and the pre-scientific beliefs about psychology and physiology.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-chisholm/legal-discrimination-between-the-sexes-is-in-almost-every-instance/) [Shirley Chisholm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-chisholm/) [Browse all 1,366 Discrimination quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discrimination/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Both low socioeconomic status and racial discrimination tap into the same corrosive elements of psychosocial stress, namely lack of control and predictability, lack of coping outlets, and a static system that allows little room for optimism.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jeremy A. 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