Wednesday, February 15, 2006
New Labour's fake health egalitarianism
New Labour's fake health egalitarianism:
Greater social equality, that's what. There's good evidence that social inequalities - not just income inequalities - cause health inequalities.
2. This paper shows that men aged over 50 were 1.54 times more likely to die in 1995-2001 if they were in social class V in 1971 than if they were in social class I in that year. This inequality applied even to those who escaped their class:
Those who improved their social class between 1971 and 1991 reduced their risk of death somewhat relative to their class of origin but retained a higher risk than others in the class of destination.
3. Actors and actresses who win Oscars live longer than those who are merely nominated (though, oddly, the opposite is true of screenwriters (pdf)).
Lower social status - independently of income - is associated with anxiety, insecurity and stress, all of which contribute to illness and death. Improving health, he says, requires a cut in status inequality - for example, by increasing workplace democracy.
Greater social equality, that's what. There's good evidence that social inequalities - not just income inequalities - cause health inequalities.
2. This paper shows that men aged over 50 were 1.54 times more likely to die in 1995-2001 if they were in social class V in 1971 than if they were in social class I in that year. This inequality applied even to those who escaped their class:
Those who improved their social class between 1971 and 1991 reduced their risk of death somewhat relative to their class of origin but retained a higher risk than others in the class of destination.
3. Actors and actresses who win Oscars live longer than those who are merely nominated (though, oddly, the opposite is true of screenwriters (pdf)).
Lower social status - independently of income - is associated with anxiety, insecurity and stress, all of which contribute to illness and death. Improving health, he says, requires a cut in status inequality - for example, by increasing workplace democracy.
