2009 TheSpiritLevel

• (Wilkinson & Pickett, 2009) ⇒ Richard Wilkinson, and Kate Pickett. (2009). “The Spirit Level: Why Greater Equality Makes Societies Stronger."

Subject Headings: High Wealth Dispersion, Economic Inequality, Social Epidemiology, Public Health, Social Justice, Equality and Wellbeing

Notes

• It presents the evidence that in rich societies the economically disadvantaged have shorter lifespans and experience more from almost every social challenge (Wilkinson & Pickett, 2009).
• It builds on thirty years of sociological research to argue that the degree of economic equality among citizens of a society is linked to the health and happiness of its societies (Wilkinson & Pickett, 2009).
• It posits that societies with greater economic disparity are detrimental for all inhabitants within them, affecting the wealthy, middle-income groups, and impoverished alike (Wilkinson & Pickett, 2009).
• It presents empirical data showing stark differences not only among the industrialized nations but also within America's fifty states, with social issues more likely to occur in less-equal societies (Wilkinson & Pickett, 2009).
• It identifies a wide range of modern societal challenges - including health disparities, violent crime, community disintegration, adolescent pregnancies, and mental health issues - as more prevalent in societies with greater economic inequality (Wilkinson & Pickett, 2009).
• It challenges the contradictions between economic prosperity and societal well-being in the developed world, highlighting the disconnect between economic wealth and social health (Wilkinson & Pickett, 2009).
• It advocates for a new political philosophy, moving away from individualistic consumerism towards a more cooperative, ecologically sustainable society, proposing solutions for a more equitable future (Wilkinson & Pickett, 2009).

Cited By

• http://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=%222009%22+The+Spirit+Level%3A+Why+Greater+Equality+Makes+Societies+Stronger

Quotes

Abstract

It is a well-established fact that in rich societies the poor have shorter lives and suffer more from almost every social problem. The Spirit Level, based on thirty years of research, takes this truth a step further. One common factor links the healthiest and happiest societies: the degree of equality among their members. Further, more unequal societies are bad for everyone within them - the rich and middle class as well as the poor.

The remarkable data assembled in The Spirit Level exposes stark differences, not only among the nations of the first world but even within America's fifty states. Almost every modern social problem - poor health, violence, lack of community life, teen pregnancy, mental illness - is more likely to occur in a less-equal society. Renowned researchers Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett lay bare the contradictions between material success and social failure in the developed world. But they do not merely tell us what's wrong. They offer a way toward a new political outlook, shifting from self-interested consumerism to a friendlier, more sustainable society.

Part III. A Better Society

Chapter 14. Our social inheritance

"Gifts make friends and firneds make gifts.” 
 -- Marshall Sahlins, Stone Age Economics

References

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	Author	volume	Date Value	title	type	journal	titleUrl	doi	note	year
2009 TheSpiritLevel	Kate Pickett Richard G. Wilkinson			Books on Google Play The Spirit Level: Why Greater Equality Makes Societies Stronger						2009