Negative effects of income inequality Income inequality consists of the differences in the income and wealth distribution (Oxfam, 2014, p2). It is also described as the income gap between the poor and the rich. A few years ago, concerns about growing income inequality decreased mainly from a belief that it is only discriminating. Now the source of apprehension has significantly grown. The dominant concern now is that inequality may have harmful effects on a range of outcomes, such as health, economic growth, happiness, attitude and behaviors in the society. Specifically these outcomes have a negative effect on the low-income populations. Moreover, income inequality for low-income families triggers poor health outcome, unhappiness and low
…show more content…
But with the situation of low means, these people cannot afford their health care expenses. As a result, they cannot have a good health outcome like the rich. The negative impact of income inequality on health outcomes appears to be much stronger in poor population than rich people, because income inequalities tend to benefit more the rich. In the article “Working for the few” Oxfam (2014), states that the rich request for their families the best schooling, the smallest taxes and the greatest health care (p.2). In others words, the wealthy people are capable to use expensive technique or the last health technology to resolve a health issue. The reason is that opposing to the low-income population, the rich have enough means to afford their expenses in health. Therefore the rich have better opportunities of healthcare than low-income people. Furthermore, the lack of resources might generate some health issues such as anxiety and high blood pressure. Keertichandra Rajan, Jonathan Kennedy, Lawrence King (2013) note in their “Is wealthier always healthier in poor countries? The health implications of income, inequality, poverty, and literacy in India” that …show more content…
Thus income inequality builds less perception of fairness and general trust in low-income people. As the rich are becoming richer and the poor are getting poorer, the general level of trust in authority and all its institutions will worsen. That’s why in “ The impact of income inequality on values and attitudes" Frederic L. Pryor (2012) write for example, poor household in more unequal environment tend to suspect the rich people (p.2). Low-income population has the tendency to mistrust the wealthy people around them and looks at their rich leaders as their executioners more than their protectors because they think that rich people might cheat to gain more or take advantage to get ahead. Another aspect is the interaction between rich and poor people. The rich and the poor tend to choose their friends among themselves, so there is less familiarity between each income classes. As a result it is very hard to trust people from other income classes. Researchers confirm that studies discovered that the observation of less equality and trust grew with the event of income disparity (Oishi et al., 2011p.3). It is also revealed that greater inequality is linked to the reductions in trust and perceived fairness and its drops in those attitudes that made
But with the situation of low means, these people cannot afford their health care expenses. As a result, they cannot have a good health outcome like the rich. The negative impact of income inequality on health outcomes appears to be much stronger in poor population than rich people, because income inequalities tend to benefit more the rich. In the article “Working for the few” Oxfam (2014), states that the rich request for their families the best schooling, the smallest taxes and the greatest health care (p.2). In others words, the wealthy people are capable to use expensive technique or the last health technology to resolve a health issue. The reason is that opposing to the low-income population, the rich have enough means to afford their expenses in health. Therefore the rich have better opportunities of healthcare than low-income people. Furthermore, the lack of resources might generate some health issues such as anxiety and high blood pressure. Keertichandra Rajan, Jonathan Kennedy, Lawrence King (2013) note in their “Is wealthier always healthier in poor countries? The health implications of income, inequality, poverty, and literacy in India” that …show more content…
Thus income inequality builds less perception of fairness and general trust in low-income people. As the rich are becoming richer and the poor are getting poorer, the general level of trust in authority and all its institutions will worsen. That’s why in “ The impact of income inequality on values and attitudes" Frederic L. Pryor (2012) write for example, poor household in more unequal environment tend to suspect the rich people (p.2). Low-income population has the tendency to mistrust the wealthy people around them and looks at their rich leaders as their executioners more than their protectors because they think that rich people might cheat to gain more or take advantage to get ahead. Another aspect is the interaction between rich and poor people. The rich and the poor tend to choose their friends among themselves, so there is less familiarity between each income classes. As a result it is very hard to trust people from other income classes. Researchers confirm that studies discovered that the observation of less equality and trust grew with the event of income disparity (Oishi et al., 2011p.3). It is also revealed that greater inequality is linked to the reductions in trust and perceived fairness and its drops in those attitudes that made