photo by kind permission of matt stuart inequality: the enemy between us? richard wilkinson emeritus...
TRANSCRIPT
Photo by kind permission of Matt Stuart
Inequality: the enemy between us?
Richard Wilkinson Emeritus Professor of Social Epidemiology
3
Income per head and life-expectancy: rich & poor countries
Source: Wilkinson & Pickett, The Spirit Level (2009) www.equalitytrust.org.uk
www.equalitytrust.org.ukWilkinson & Pickett, The Spirit Level
Life expectancy in rich countries is no longer related to National Income per head
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
Local Neighbourhoods(in England & Wales)
Life
exp
ecta
ncy
(yea
rs)
Richest Poorest
Wilkinson & Pickett, The Spirit Level www.equalitytrust.org.uk
Life expectancy is strongly related to income within rich countries
3.7 3.94.3 4.6 4.8
5.2 5.3 5.6 5.6 5.6 5.76.1 6.2
6.7 6.8 6.87.2
8.5
9.7
4.0
8.0
7.0
3.4
Income gapsHow many times richer are the richest fifth than the poorest fifth?
Wilkinson & Pickett, The Spirit Level www.equalitytrust.org.uk
Inequality...How much richer are the richest 20% in each country than the poorest 20%?
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Outcomes with social gradients
• Life expectancy• Math & Literacy • Infant mortality• Homicides• Imprisonment• Teenage births • Trust• Obesity• Mental illness – incl. drug &
alcohol addiction• Social mobility
Wilkinson & Pickett, The Spirit Level
Index of: • Life expectancy• Math & Literacy
• Infant mortality• Homicides• Imprisonment• Teenage births • Trust• Obesity• Mental illness
– incl. drug & alcohol addiction
• Social mobility
www.equalitytrust.org.uk
Health and social problems are worse in more unequal countries
Ind
ex o
f h
ealt
h a
nd
so
cial
pro
ble
ms
www.equalitytrust.org.ukWilkinson & Pickett, The Spirit Level
Neither health nor social problems are related to national income per head
Index of: • Life expectancy• Math & Literacy
• Infant mortality• Homicides• Imprisonment• Teenage births • Trust• Obesity• Mental illness
– incl. drug & alcohol addiction
• Social mobility
Ind
ex o
f h
ealt
h a
nd
so
cial
pro
ble
ms
www.equalitytrust.org.ukWilkinson & Pickett, The Spirit Level
Child well-being is better in more equal countries
www.equalitytrust.org.ukWilkinson & Pickett, The Spirit Level
The UNICEF Index of Child Wellbeing is not related to National Income per head
Wilkinson & Pickett, The Spirit Level www.equalitytrust.org.uk
People in more unequal countries trust each other less
Wilkinson & Pickett, The Spirit Level www.equalitytrust.org.uk
People in more unequal states of the USA trust each other less
www.equalitytrust.org.ukWilkinson & Pickett, The Spirit Level
Mental illness is more common in more unequal societies
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Infant Mortality Rates are Higher in More Unequal Countries
Source: Wilkinson & Pickett, The Spirit Level (2009) www.equalitytrust.org.uk
0
30
60
90
120
150
180
Income Inequality
Ho
mic
ide
s p
er
mill
ion
pe
op
le
Low High
Daly M, Wilson M, Vasdev S. Income inequality and homicide rates in Canada and the United States. Can J Crim 2001; 43: 219-36.
Homicide rates are higher in more unequal
US states and Canadian provinces USA states
Canadian provinces
www.equalitytrust.org.ukWilkinson & Pickett, The Spirit Level
Imprisonment rates are higher in more unequal countries
19
Teenage Birth Rates are Higher in More Unequal Rich Countries
Source: Wilkinson & Pickett, The Spirit Level (2009) www.equalitytrust.org.uk
Income inequality & bullying in 37 countriesIncome inequality & bullying in 37 countries
Elgar FJ, Craig W, Boyce W, Morgan A, Vella-Zarb R. Income Inequality and School Bullying: Multilevel Study of Adolescents in 37 Countries. J. Adolescent Health 2009; 45(4): 351-359 .
www.equalitytrust.org.ukWilkinson & Pickett, The Spirit Level
Social mobility is lower in more unequal countries
Wilkinson & Pickett, The Spirit Level
Index of: • Life expectancy• Math & Literacy
• Infant mortality• Homicides• Imprisonment• Teenage births • Trust• Obesity• Mental illness
– incl. drug & alcohol addiction
• Social mobility
www.equalitytrust.org.uk
Health and social problems are worse in more unequal countries
Ind
ex o
f h
ealt
h a
nd
so
cial
pro
ble
ms
0
5
10
15
Singlemothers
Low HighFather's occupational class
Infa
nt
dea
ths
per
100
0
England & Wales
Sweden
Leon, D. A., D. Vagero, et al. (1992). "Social class differences in infant mortality in Sweden: comparison with England and Wales." Brit Med J 305(6855): 687-91.
The benefits of greater equality are not confined to the poor but extend to all social classes
Infant mortality by class: Sweden compared with England & Wales
24
Literacy Scores of 16-25 year olds by Parents' Education
-1.5
-1
-0.5
0
0.5
1
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17
Parents' Education (years)
Lit
era
cy
sc
ore
Sweden
Canada
United States
Source: Willms JD. 1997. Data from OECD Programme for International Student Assessment.
More inequality
• More superiority and inferiority• More status competition and consumerism
• More status insecurity
• More worry about how we are seen and judged
• More “social evaluation anxiety”(threats to self-esteem & social
status, fear of negative judgements
Valued or Devalued?
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Psychosocial risk factors for ill health
Low social status
Weak social connections
Stress in early life (pre- and postnatally)
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
Other tasks
Tasks with ‘social evaluative threat’ (uncontrollable)
Co
rtis
ol
resp
on
se (e
ffec
t si
ze)
Dickerson SS, Kemeny ME. Acute stressors and cortisol responses. Psychological Bulletin 2004; 130(3): 355-91.
What kind of stressful tasks raise stress hormones most?
Social Status and Friendship
Two sides of the same coin:
Social status (dominance hierarchies, pecking orders) are orderings based on power, coercion and privileged access to resources – regardless of the needs of others.
Friendship, in contrast, is based on reciprocity, mutuality, social obligations, sharing and a recognition of each other’s needs.
“Not a test of ability”
5
6
7
8
9
10 High SESLow SES
“Test of ability”
Effect of stereotype threat on IQ test performancehigh & low SES
Croizeta JC; Dutrevis M. Socioeconomic Status and Intelligence. J Poverty 2004; 8(3): 91-107.
Num
ber o
f ite
ms
corr
ect
Loughnan S, et al. Economic Inequality is linked to biased self-perception. Psychological Science, 2011; 22: 1254
In more unequal countries people abandon modestyand emphasise their achievments
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The effects of inequality - a two stage process
1. adult experience of inequality
2. passed on to children – epigenetics?
Trends in income inequality 1979-2005/6 (Gini coefficient, Great Britain.)
Brewer M, Goodman A, Muriel A, Sibieta L. Poverty and Inequality in the UK: 2007. Institute of Fiscal Studies, London.
What can be done?
Taxes & benefits
• Stop tax avoidance
• End tax havens
• Make taxation progressive again
Income differences before tax
• Increase company democracy - employee ownership etc
• Promote more directors from within companies Sustainability needs
greater equality
Islington Fairness Commission
Commissioners included 9 Councillors (all parties), Council CEO, Chief Execs of Islington NHS, local Chamber of Commerce and Trades Council, Police chief, 3 academics, 2 from charitable sector. (MPs attended as observers).
Ran for one yearSeven themed public meetings around the borough (500+ attendees)Testimony from residents and expertsWritten submissions from the public (100+)Satellite activities: problem solving team; door-knocking on estates;presentations to community groupsInterim Report in February 2011Final Report – Closing the Gap – in June 201119 recommendations
Implementation
• Living Wage• Pay differentials• Debt• Jobs for young people• Islington Reads• Good Neighbours• Public space• Antisocial behaviour• Housing supply
For more information see Closing the Gap.Final Report of the Islington Fairness Commission
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Equality and Sustainability
• Reducing carbon emissions does not mean reducing the real quality of life
• Great inequality intensifies consumerism
• People in more equal societies are more public spirited, better able to act for the common good
Photo by kind permission of Matt Stuart
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http://www.equalitytrust.org.uk
For more information:
… a book
and a website…
Bigger income differences intensify the idea that some people are worth much more than others
• We come to judge each other more by status• More stressful social comparisons and insecurity
about personal ‘worth’.• The ‘self-conscious emotions’ become more
problematic• Some tough it out: narcissism, hubris, anti-social
personality disorder?• Others succumb to the intensified ‘social evaluative
threat’: low self-esteem, fears of inadequacy, social anxiety, depression, social phobia?
Indicator International data US data
r p-value r p-value
Trust -0.66 <0.01 -0.70 <0.01
Life expectancy -0.44 0.04 -0.45 <0.01
Infant mortality 0.42 0.04 0.43 <0.01
Obesity 0.57 <0.01 0.47 <0.01
Mental illness 0.73 <0.01 0.18 0.12
Education score -0.45 0.04 -0.47 .01
Teen birth rate 0.73 <0.01 0.46 <0.01
Homicides 0.47 0.02 0.42 <0.01
Imprisonment 0.75 <0.01 0.48 <0.01
Social mobility 0.93 <0.01 - -
Index 0.87 <0.01 0.59 <0.01
Correlations & p-values: Index of Health & Social Problems
Income Inequality and Mortality Working age Men in 528 cities in 5 countries
150
200
250
300
350
400
450
500
550
600
0.14 0.15 0.16 0.17 0.18 0.19 0.20 0.21 0.22 0.23 0.24 0.25 0.26 0.27 0.28
Median Share of Income
Ag
e ad
just
ed d
eath
rat
es
United States
United Kingdom
Canada
Australia
Sweden
Source: Ross N, Dorling D, et al. Metropolitan income inequality and working age mortality. Journal of Urban Health 2005; 82(1): 101-110.
New YorkLondon
Toronto
Sydney Melbourne
GlasgowNew Orleans
Share of total income received by the richest 1% Canada 1920-2007
Yalnizyan A. The rise of Canada’s richest 1%. Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, 2010
Source: J. Roine, D. Waldenström, Journal of Public Economics 2008; 92: 366–387
Trends in income distribution in Western countries 1903–2004Ri
ches
t 1%
sha
re o
f tot
al in
com
e
Social Relations
• Child conflict• Homicide• Imprisonment• Social capital• Trust
In summary... bigger income gaps lead to deteriorations in:-
Human Capital
• Child wellbeing• High school drop outs• Math & literacy scores• Social mobility• Teenage births
Health
• Drug abuse• Infant mortality• Life expectancy• Mental illness • Obesity
…but not suicide
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Stereotype Threat
The effect of caste identity on children's performance
Caste Unannounced
Caste Announced
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
High Caste
Low Caste
Num
ber
of m
azes
sol
ved
Source: Hoff K, Pandey P, World Bank Policy Research Working Paper 3351, June 2004
Well-being and long-term illness related to feeling shamed
Data from Swedish Liv & Halsa survey 2004. Starrin B, Wettergren A. Shame and humiliation in narrative social life. (forthcoming).
Number of ways people felt shamed in last 3 months
52
Gilligan J. Violence: Our Deadly Epidemic and its Causes. (G .P. Putnam 1996)
" ...the prison inmates I work with have told me repeatedly, when I asked them why they had assaulted someone, that it was because 'he disrespected me', or 'he disrespected my visit' (meaning 'visitor'). The word 'disrespect' is central in the vocabulary, moral value system, and psychodynamics of these chronically violent men that they have abbreviated it into the slang term, 'he dis'ed me." p.106
A few pages further on Gilligan continues:- "I have yet to see a serious act of violence that was not provoked by the experience of feeling shamed and humiliated, disrespected and ridiculed, and that did not represent the attempt to prevent or undo this "loss of face " - no matter how severe the punishment, even if it includes death." p.110
Educational Scores are Higher in More Equal Rich Countries
Source: Wilkinson & Pickett, The Spirit Level (2009) www.equalitytrust.org.uk
Children Experience More Conflict in More Unequal Societies
Source: Wilkinson & Pickett, The Spirit Level (2009)
11, 13 & 15 yr olds fighting, bullying, and finding peers not kind & helpful
www.equalitytrust.org.uk
More Children Drop Out of High School in More Unequal US States
Source: Wilkinson & Pickett, The Spirit Level (2009) www.equalitytrust.org.uk
56
Australia
Austria
Belgium Canada
Denmark
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Japan
Netherlands
New Zealand
Norway
Portugal
Spain
Sweden
UK
USA
Worse
Better
UN
ICE
F in
dex
of c
hild
wel
l-bei
ng
0 10 20 30Lone parents as % of all households with dependent children
Single parents and child wellbeing
The ultimate irony...
The Scream still speaks to people with $120 million to
spare
Ratio
of t
op to
bott
om 2
0% o
f inc
omes
Source: HRSDC , (CANSIM Table 202-0703). Statistics Canada, 2009.
The widening gap between top and bottom 20% of incomes in Canada
Rising income differences in Canada
post-tax income 1976-2009
Source: Statistics Canada, CANSIM table 202-0705
Inco
me
Ineq
ualit
y: G
ini
Quintiles of Vancouver Census Dissemination Areas
% F
air o
r Poo
r Se
lf-ra
ted
heal
th
Least deprived Most deprived
Health ‘Fair or Poor’ by neighbourhood deprivation: Vancouver 2003
Source: Schuurman N, Bell N, Dunn JR, Oliver L, J. Urban Health 2007; 84(4): 591-603
Male mortality (25-64 yrs) and income inequality in US
states and Canadian provinces.
Source: Ross NA, Wolfson MC, Dunn JR, Berthelot JM, Kaplan GA, Lynch JW. British Medical Journal 2000;320:898-902