1st Edition
The Political Economy of Social Inequalities Consequences for Health and Quality of Life
In the last two decades of the 20th century, we witnessed a dramatic growth in social inequalities within and among countries. This has had a most negative impact on the health and quality of life of large sectors of the populations in the developed and underdeveloped world. This volume analyzes the reasons for this increase in inequalities and its consequences for the well-being of populations. Scholars from a variety of disciplines and countries analyze the different dimensions of this topic.
Introduction
PART I REVIEW OF THE RESEARCH
A Historical Review (1965-1997) of Studies on Class, Health, and Quality of Life: A Personal Account Vicente Navarro
PART II CAUSES FOR THE GROWTH OF INEQUALITIES AND THEIR IMPACT ON HEALTH AND QUALITY OF LIFE
Neoliberalism, “Globalization,” Unemployment, Inequalities, and the Welfare State Vicente Navarro
Health and Equity in the World in the Era of “Globalization” Vicente Navarro
The Political Economy of the Welfare State in Developed Capitalist Countries Vicente Navarro
PART III CRITIQUE OF INTERNATIONAL AGENCIES: WHO, PAHO, WORLD BANK, IMF, UNICEF, AND UNDP
Ravaging the Poor: The International Monetary Fund Indicted by Its Own Data Gabriel Kolko
World Bank Education Policy: Market Liberalism Meets Ideological Conservatism Adriana Puiggrós
Market Commodities and Poor Relief: The World Bank Proposal for Health Asa Cristina Laurell and Oliva López Arellano
Neoliberalism Revised? A Critical Account of World Bank Conceptions of Good Governance and Market Friendly Intervention Ray Kiely
In Pursuit of “Growth with Equity”: The Limits of Chile’s Free-Market Social Reforms Pilar Vergara
A Fundamental Shift in the Approach to International Health by WHO, UNICEF, and the World Bank: Instances of the Practice of “Intellectual Fascism” and Totalitarianism in Some Asian Countries Debabar Banerji
PART IV NEOLIBERALISM AND SOCIAL AND HEALTH POLICY
The Mexican Social Security Counterreform: Pensions for Profit Asa Cristina Laurell
Remaking Medicare: The Voucher Myth Jonathan Oberlander
A Slippery Slope: Economists and Social Insurance in the United States Richard B. Du Boff
PART V DEBATE ON PATHWAYS OF SOCIAL INEQUALITIES AND HEALTH
Income Inequality, Social Cohesion, and Class Relations: A Critique of Wilkinson’s Neo-Durkheimian Research Program Carles Muntaner and John Lynch
Income Inequality, Social Cohesion, and Health: Clarifying the Theory—A Reply to Muntaner and Lynch Richard G. Wilkinson
The Social Class Determinants of Income Inequality and Social Cohesion Carles Muntaner, John Lynch, and Gary L. Oates
PART VI ANALYSIS OF PROPOSED SOLUTIONS: THE IMPORTANCE OF THE POLITICAL CONTEXT
The Political Context of Social Inequalities and Health Vicente Navarro and Leiyu Shi
Is There a Third Way? A Response to Giddens’s The Third Way Vicente Navarro
Toward an Ecosocial View of Health Richard Levins and Cynthia Lopez
Development and Quality of Life: A Critique of Amartya Sen’s Development As Freedom Vicente Navarro
Are Pro-Welfare State and Full-Employment Policies Possible in the Era of Globalization? Vicente Navarro
CONTRIBUTORS
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
INDEX
Biography
Vincente Navarro (Author)
