Inequality = bad

[andrewducker]

I've just linkblogged this for tomorrow, but it seems important enough to draw more attention to it:

Their book charts the level of health and social problems — as many as they could find reliable figures for — against the level of income inequality in 20 of the world’s richest nations, and in each of the 50 United States.

They allocate a brief chapter to each problem, supplying graphs that display the evidence starkly and unarguably. What they find is that, in states and countries where there is a big gap between the incomes of rich and poor, mental illness, drug and alcohol abuse, obesity and teenage pregnancy are more common, the homicide rate is higher, life expectancy is shorter, and children’s educational performance and literacy scores are worse. The Scandinavian countries and Japan consistently come at the positive end of this spectrum.

They have the smallest differences between higher and lower incomes, and the best record of psycho-social health. The countries with the widest gulf between rich and poor, and the highest incidence of most health and social problems, are Britain, America and Portugal.

here.

Comments

[meaningrequired.livejournal.com]

Yes.

I believe this is a major area of public health and critical health psychology.

I think someone from the PH dept said that its an issue throwing money at would actually help - however I disagree. Look at some of the people who win the lottery, several million can be spent in a short period of time. People need educated to invest and develop, not waste. I'm sure there is some research out there which suggests that middle class families are better at investing than lower class. Also I wonder how the socioeconomic status correlates with the marshmallow expt kids...

[channelpenguin.livejournal.com]

Funny, I have in the past said that as the product of a working-class environment, even the *concept* of investment was something I only learned for myself after contact with people from other backgrounds at uni.

*saving* yes, investment, no....

It took me until my late 20's to actually even DO any investment(after research).

I cannot emphasise just what a different view point - and what a disadvantage - that is.

[khbrown.livejournal.com]

Perhaps what this suggests is that it would also be useful to correlate with educational discrepancy between social groups, though how you'd factor in things that are not taught in school at all or parts of the hidden curriculum is likely difficult.

But presumably there are some places where it's harder to leave school without covering X, Y and Z compared to here.

I wonder which educational systems include discussions of budgeting, compound interest, annual percentage rates and so forth, for example. I think they would make maths a lot more relevant to people.

[likeneontubing.livejournal.com]

I just want to highlight though, that in Japan, mental health stuff doesn't really exist like it does here - it's often not acknowledged at all really. I know I only visited for 10 days, but my mate who has lived there over a year says this too. There are hundreds of suicides in Tokyo each year on the trains alone.

Ignorant Julie who isnt googling....

[meaningrequired.livejournal.com]

Is suicide shameful there?

Re: Ignorant Julie who isnt googling....

[likeneontubing.livejournal.com]

hmm, i'm not sure, hang on i'll ask her

Re: Ignorant Julie who isnt googling....

[randomchris.livejournal.com]

I seem to recall that their method for discouraging people from committing suicide by jumping in front of train tracks was to fine their surviving families for the cost of the cleanup. It didn't work very well.

Re: Ignorant Julie who isnt googling....

[likeneontubing.livejournal.com]

They still do this.

Re: Ignorant Julie who isnt googling....

[likeneontubing.livejournal.com]

heya,

apparently it depends on the reason and method. there is still the notion that avoiding a big disgrace means suicide is ok, but things like chucking yourself in front of trains is seen as very selfish
1. to your family who have to pay
2. to the commuters on the train... and fuck do they grumble about it!

[robhu.livejournal.com]

Is the gap between rich and poor more important than the level of poverty (in terms of things like having food, shelter, and education)?

[channelpenguin.livejournal.com]

maybe a book worth a read, that.