In an earlier post we reviewed research by epidemiologists Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett showing that income inequality contributes to a whole host of negative outcomes, including higher rates of mental illness, drug use, obesity, infant death, imprisonment, and interpersonal trust.
In the four-minute video below, Kate Pickett argues that once societies develop the capacity to enable status-based consumption (as opposed to survival-oriented consumption), status-consciousness among humans exacerbates inequality. Meanwhile, being status-conscious in a highly unequal society creates stress, and all kinds of other negative outcomes, among those who are judged less-than.
See Dr. Pickett, also, on why raising the average national income in developed countries doesn’t make people happier or enable them to live longer. And see more about income inequality and national well-being at Equality Trust.
Lisa Wade, PhD is an Associate Professor at Tulane University. She is the author of American Hookup, a book about college sexual culture; a textbook about gender; and a forthcoming introductory text: Terrible Magnificent Sociology. You can follow her on Twitter and Instagram.
Comments 5
Anonymous — December 15, 2011
Under
capitalist society the consumption of commodities is needed for human
fulfillment. Survival oriented consumption, as I understand it, only meets the
basic needs for getting by day to day. We are complicated social beings and need
various things that cost money like going out with friends to the bar, going to
concerts, paying for gas to get to a friend’s house etc etc that make us thrive.
With that being said I don’t think status alone is the cause for unequal
people’s stress, but additionally they’re stressed because they are unable to be
complete human beings because they can’t afford the commodities that make us
thrive as humans.
Anonymous — December 15, 2011
Don't other studies bear out that people generally compare themselves to their own friends and social circle, and not try to keep up with the Kardashians?
It seems to me that more inequality in a society doesn't affect the peer groups within most people socialize - though obviously we all hear about expensive acquisitions, we don't really compare ourselves to the super-rich, do we?
Larrycharleswilson — December 16, 2011
If you want to see a status concious society, just look at Spain in the 16th and 17th centuries.
Stress: Social Evaluative Stress « Dante Garcia's — February 12, 2013
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