Abstract
Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett's latest book, The Spirit Level: Why Equality is Best for Everyone, has caught the attention of academics and policymakers and stimulated debate across the left-right political spectrum. Interest in income inequality has remained unabated since the publication of Wilkinson's previous volume, Unhealthy Societies: The Afflictions of Inequality. While both books detail the negative health effects of income inequality, The Spirit Level expands the scope of its argument to also include social issues. The book, however, deals extensively with the explanation of how income inequality affects individual health. Little attention is given to political and economic explanations on how income inequality is generated in the first place. The volume ends with political solutions that carefully avoid state interventions such as limiting the private sector's role in the production of goods and services (e.g., non-profit sector, employeeownership schemes). Although well-intentioned, these alternatives are insufficient to significantly reduce the health inequalities generated by contemporary capitalism in wealthy countries, let alone around the world.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 369-381 |
| Number of pages | 13 |
| Journal | International Journal of Health Services |
| Volume | 42 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2012 Jan 1 |
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ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Health Policy
Cite this
Social class, politics, and the spirit level : Why income inequality remains unexplained and unsolved. / Muntaner, Carles; Rai, Nanky; Ng, Edwin; Chung, Haejoo.
In: International Journal of Health Services, Vol. 42, No. 3, 01.01.2012, p. 369-381.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Social class, politics, and the spirit level
T2 - Why income inequality remains unexplained and unsolved
AU - Muntaner, Carles
AU - Rai, Nanky
AU - Ng, Edwin
AU - Chung, Haejoo
PY - 2012/1/1
Y1 - 2012/1/1
N2 - Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett's latest book, The Spirit Level: Why Equality is Best for Everyone, has caught the attention of academics and policymakers and stimulated debate across the left-right political spectrum. Interest in income inequality has remained unabated since the publication of Wilkinson's previous volume, Unhealthy Societies: The Afflictions of Inequality. While both books detail the negative health effects of income inequality, The Spirit Level expands the scope of its argument to also include social issues. The book, however, deals extensively with the explanation of how income inequality affects individual health. Little attention is given to political and economic explanations on how income inequality is generated in the first place. The volume ends with political solutions that carefully avoid state interventions such as limiting the private sector's role in the production of goods and services (e.g., non-profit sector, employeeownership schemes). Although well-intentioned, these alternatives are insufficient to significantly reduce the health inequalities generated by contemporary capitalism in wealthy countries, let alone around the world.
AB - Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett's latest book, The Spirit Level: Why Equality is Best for Everyone, has caught the attention of academics and policymakers and stimulated debate across the left-right political spectrum. Interest in income inequality has remained unabated since the publication of Wilkinson's previous volume, Unhealthy Societies: The Afflictions of Inequality. While both books detail the negative health effects of income inequality, The Spirit Level expands the scope of its argument to also include social issues. The book, however, deals extensively with the explanation of how income inequality affects individual health. Little attention is given to political and economic explanations on how income inequality is generated in the first place. The volume ends with political solutions that carefully avoid state interventions such as limiting the private sector's role in the production of goods and services (e.g., non-profit sector, employeeownership schemes). Although well-intentioned, these alternatives are insufficient to significantly reduce the health inequalities generated by contemporary capitalism in wealthy countries, let alone around the world.
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U2 - 10.2190/HS.42.3.a
DO - 10.2190/HS.42.3.a
M3 - Article
VL - 42
SP - 369
EP - 381
JO - International Journal of Health Services
JF - International Journal of Health Services
SN - 0020-7314
IS - 3
ER -