In a study done by Wilkinson and Pickett (authors of The Spirit Level) income inequality is shown to have a positive correlation with a vast array of social and health issues. They measure statistics from a broad range of subjects in countries in which income equality is the greatest. According to the study homicides receive correlation coefficient of 0.47, and imprisonment at 0.67. It is astonishing to think that the correlation between the loss of somebodies freedom, and them being born without money, a circumstance they have no control over, is over half way to a direct correlation. Obesity is given a correlation coefficient of 0.57, which is not surprising when you look at the average income in America and compare the price of fast food to healthy food. Mental illness comes in at 0.59 and teenage birth gets an astonishing correlation coefficient of 0.73! The most upsetting statistic of all is by far social immobility which gets a correlation coefficient of 0.93, almost a direct correlation. This of course means that statistically speaking, being born poor in an unequal country means you will most likely stay poor.
There are negative correlations in the study that are worth mentioning as well. Educational performance gets a -0.45, meaning that as inequality goes up performance goes down. Life expectancy gets a -0.44 and trust gets a -0.66. Is it possible that the majority can be happy in a country that thrives on inequality such as the United States? Is inequality a natural and unavoidable part of life? Or is that just what our culture has conditioned us to believe? One thing is for certain, people go their whole lives believing “the American Dream” includes social mobility, that it includes a shot at moving up in the world, and that America is the land of opportunity. Is it maybe time we re-ignite the spark in that dream?
(All correlations represented in this article can be found on page 11 of the source cited below)
Sources:
Karen Wilkinson. Does Income Inequality Cause Health and Social Problems? 2011
http://www.jrf.org.uk/sites/files/jrf/inequality-income-social-problems-full.pdf
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