Wednesday, October 24, 2012

The spirit level: a primer

Via:  www.equalitytrust.org.uk  Check out the graphs.  This work was largely done by an epidemiologist.  Economics with its obsession with monetary measures looks pretty pathetic in this light.  Social welfare theory—not.

The Evidence in Detail

The evidence in detail:
Physical Health

People in more equal societies live longer, a smaller proportion of children die in infancy and self-rated health is better. Find out more.

Mental Health

People in more equal societies are far less likely to experience mental illness. Find out more.

Drug Abuse

People in more equal societies are less likely to use illegal drugs. Find out more.

Education

Children do better at school in more equal societies. Find out more.

Imprisonment

Unequal societies are harsher, they imprison a higher proportion of people. Find out more.

Obesity

Obesity is less common in more equal societies. Find out more.

Social Mobility

There is more social mobility in more equal societies. Find out more.

Trust and Community Life

Communities are more cohesive and people trust each other more in more equal societies.Find out more.

Violence

Homicide rates are lower and children experience less violence in more equal societies. Find out more.

Teenage Births

Teenage motherhood is less common in more equal societies. Find out more.

Child Well-being

Unicef measures of child well-being are better in more equal societies. Find out more.

Equality not Growth

Further economic growth will not improve our health or well-being. For a better quality of life we need greater income equality. Find out more.

Rich and Poor Countries

More equal societies spend a higher proportion their income on overseas aid and perform better on the Global Peace Index. Find out more.

Equality and Global Warming

Inequality fuels status competition, individualism and consumerism. It makes it harder to gain public support for policies to reduce global warming. Find out more.

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