The low social capital that comes with income inequality can lead to more stress and poor health
Income inequality is a strong predictor of poor health because it is about being made to feel poor. Income inequality and feeling poor could give rise to bad health through a number of routes. One, pioneered by Ichiro Kawachi of Harvard University, focuses on how income inequality makes for a psychologically crappier, more stressful life for everyone. He draws heavily upon a concept in sociology called “social capital.”
Obviously, “social capital” can be measured in a lot of ways and is still evolving as a hard-nosed measure, but, broadly, it incorporates elements of trust, reciprocity, lack of hostility, heavy participation in organizations for a common good (ranging from achieving fun—a bowling league—to more serious things—tenant organizations or a union) and those organizations accomplishing something. Most studies get at it with two measures: how people answer a question like, “Do you think most people would try to take advantage of you if they got a chance, or would they try to be fair?” and how many organizations people belong to. Measures like those tell you that on the levels of states, provinces, cities, and neighborhoods, low social capital tends to mean poor health, poor self-reported health, and high mortality rates.
References
- Sapolsky, Robert. (2004). Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers Chapter 17. The View from the Bottom (p. 529). New York, NY: Henry Holt and Company.
Metadata
Type:🔴 Tags: Biology / Neuroscience / Psychology / Neuropsychology / Social Psychology Sociology / Medicine / Politics / Economics Status:☀️