Greetings all,
Regarding the establisment of 'Excess Indices' here are two areas of work from the UK and Canada that refer to the Greedy Bastards Hypothesis (GBH) and 'Social Murder'. Both of these works take direct aim at the capitalist underpinnings of global ill health. It is time to also direct our lens at the perpetrators. I have added a third idea that also reframes the vulnerability discourse to specifically identify the threats to health and well being.
1) THE GREEDY BASTARDS HYPOTHESIS
Scambler, G. (2001). Class, power and the durability of health inequalities. In G. Scambler (Ed.). Habermas, critical theory and health. (pp. 86-118). London: Routledge.
"The conceptual and theoretical focus of this chapter is one substantive conjecture: namely, that central to any satisfactory sociological analysis of the production, reproduction, and failure of social and health policies to reduce health inequities in the UK is an appreciation of the signal and defining impact of a 'power elite' at the center of the apparatus of the state, infused as it is by what Clement and Miles (1997) call the 'capitalist executive'. More specifically, what will herein be referred to as the 'greedy bastards hypothesis' (GBH) states that health inequalities in the UK can reasonably be interpreted as indirect (and largely unintended consequences) of the ever-adaptive behaviours of Britain's power elite and capitalist-executive". (Scambler, p. 86)
2) SOCIAL MURDER:
Chernomas, R. & Hudson, I. (2009). Social murder: The long-term effects of conservative economic policy.
International Journal of health Services, 39(1), 107-121.
Article Opening Quote from Engles (1844):
"When one individual inflicts bodily injury that death results, we call the deed manslaughter; when the assailant knew in advance that the injury would be fatal, we cal this deed murder. But when society places hundreds of proletarians in such a position that they inevitably meet a too early and an unnatural death, one which is quite as much a death by violence as a sword or a bullet; when it deprives thousands of the necessities of life, places them under conditions in which they cannot live- forces them, through the strong arm of the law, to remain in such conditions until that death ensues which is the inevitable consequence- knows that these thousands of victims must perish, yet permits these conditions to remain, its deed is murder just as surely as the deed of the single individual; disguised malicious murder, murder against which none can defend himself, which does not seem what it is, because no man sees the murderer, because the death of the victim seems a natural one, since the offence is more one of omission than commission. But murder it remains". (The condition of the working class in England in 1844, Engels, 1987)
Also Also By Robert Chernomas & Ian Hudson: Social murder and other economic shortcomings
publication: December 2007 (McNally Robinson)
ISBN: 9781894037310
3) REFRAMING THE VULNERABILITY DISCOURSE TO "PEOPLE UNDER THREAT.
McGibbon, E. (2009). People under threat: Health outcomes and oppression. In E. McGibbon (Ed.) Oppression as a social determinant of health in Canada. Halifax; Fernwood Publishing (In progress).
"It is time to reframe the concept of "vulnerable people" to "people under threat". The vulnerability discourse implies that an individual or community is somehow more prone to experiencing health inequities, in much the same way as one might be prone to catching a cold. The concept of vulnerability worked well when it first came into common useage because it allowed us to name the people(s) who are most oppressed, and thereby attempt to influence public policy in the direction of justice. However, the term will not ultimately be effective in ameliorating the physical, spiritual and psychological suffering caused by injustice because it. reinforces the idea of a nebulous force that is somehow causing ill health. It is time to reframe our thinking to explicitly identify the threats that are causing ill health: colonialism, post-colonialism, neo-condervative economic policy, and the corporatization of health care delivery, to name a few. Yes, people are certainly vulnerable; however, our urgent task is to identify the social pathogens".
Elizabeth McGibbon, PhD, RN
Associate Professor
School of Nursing, Faculty of Science
Marguerite Hall, St. Francis Xavier University
PO Box 5000, Antigonish, NS
CANADA
B2G 2W5
Fax: 902-867-1285
Website: http://people.stfx.ca/emcgibbo/
[log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]>
________________________________
From: Social Determinants of Health on behalf of GRETA DOUCET
Sent: Tue 12/8/2009 8:05 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [SDOH] [SPAM] Re: [SDOH] A new way to overstate poverty - article
I do not think that you are 'musing'. I truly do believe that we must, someone must, start publishing excess indexes. And it must be done regularly, consistently and quite often. There is absolutely no acceptable reason for people to live with such excess while others are suffering horribly. Someone out there..... please do this and find a way to make it a strong message. Greta
--- On Mon, 12/7/09, Scott A Wolfe <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
From: Scott A Wolfe <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: [SDOH] [SPAM] Re: [SDOH] A new way to overstate poverty - article
To: [log in to unmask]
Date: Monday, December 7, 2009, 10:35 PM
This sort of drivel from the Post is exasperating...but it does point to the
way a lot of Canadians think, and how low-income earners are often
perceived. Indeed, this is something against which our public health units
and Ministries of Health (among others) should be taking a stand,
particularly where commitments have been made to address the impact of
poverty and low-income (e.g. Ontario).
Dr. David Butler-Jones (PHAC)...Dr. Cory Neudorf (Saskatoon)...Dr. David
McKeown (Toronto)...you have been among the most vocal MOHs over the past
couple of years on health inequality (and sometimes health inequity). Are
you prepared to make statements countering misleading articles such as the
National Post's?
We should all be asking this of our MOHs, Ministers of Health and MPPs/MLAs.
For those who wish to do so, there is a Press Release from the MOHs of all
of Canada's urban centres, from November 24, 2008, that accompanied their
report on the impact of poverty and low-income upon health in Canada. The
press release includes contacts for all MOHs. You can find this at:
www.uphn.ca/public.htm
On a related note, I wonder whether it isn't perhaps time for us to also
establish an "Excess Index" to accompany the "Deprivation Index". Rather
than continue to funnel energy exclusively into this battle over the
definition of 'poverty' and "how much is not enough", perhaps we should also
be dedicating some of our attention to the question: "how much is too
much?"...akin to Hugh MacKenzie's CCPA report, in January 2009, on Canadian
CEOs' earnings and the growing income gap in Canada. It pointed out that
each year Canada's top 100 CEOs earn the average Canadian income ($40,237)
by about 9:04am of January 2nd...one day's work, in other words (assuming
they showed up for work on January 1).
I'm no class determinist, but there is definitely something to be said for
the fact that middle and middle-upper income earners continue to be
distracted from the problem of excess among many execs and a few hands full
of wealthy families. Those who work hard and invest wisely (ethically is
perhaps a separate matter) draw from articles such as the Post's article,
and direct their frustrations, and their longing for more, and their gaze
toward those in the lower-income bracket. I feel we need to spend a little
more time re-directing this attention toward individuals and groups who
would be at the top of a so-called "Excess Index", but to do so in a manner
that demonstrates we are not advocating total income equality, but rather, a
modicum of reason, humility and social good-will when it comes to earnings.
Could we calculate such a thing...an "Excess Index", even very
conservatively, to draw attention to many of the real culprits here?
What about establishing a "High-Income Cut Off"....say at household earnings
of $2.5 million per year or more? Rather than place the onus on those who
are defending the right of lower-income families to afford a healthy food
basket, why don't we up the pressure on the highest-income earners to defend
why they need their 5th car...or their 3rd vacation property...or the 30
seat home theatre rather than the 8 seat home theatre.
Of course, I am musing to a certain degree...but it is interesting how
infrequently we ask such questions about "excess", isn't it? Or is that just
me?
Scott
****************
Scott A. Wolfe
Health and Social Policy Analyst
Principal, One World Partners
Tel: 416.839.0531
[log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]" target="_blank">http:[log in to unmask]>
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we
are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most
frightens us. We ask ourselves: Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous,
talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be?"
-----Original Message-----
From: Social Determinants of Health [mailto:[log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]" target="_blank">http:[log in to unmask]> ] On Behalf Of Bob
Mather
Sent: Monday, December 07, 2009 2:36 PM
To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]" target="_blank">http:[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: [SDOH] [SPAM] Re: [SDOH] A new way to overstate poverty -
article
the national post dosn't even have the integrity to fix the credit or
discredit on a specific journalist
On 12/7/09, Diana Daghofer <[log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]" target="_blank">http:[log in to unmask]> > wrote:
> Dennis,
>
> Do you have a list of MOH's? Maybe you could ask for their comments, and
> report back to the National Post on what they say.
>
> Diana
>
> _____
>
> From: Social Determinants of Health [mailto:[log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]" target="_blank">http:[log in to unmask]> ] On Behalf Of
> Dennis Raphael
> Sent: December 7, 2009 7:00 AM
> To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]" target="_blank">http:[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: [SPAM] Re: [SDOH] A new way to overstate poverty - article
>
>
>
> wouldn't it be nice if medical officers of health responded to this.
>
> dr
>
>
> Dennis Raphael, PhD
> Professor of Health Policy and Management
> York University
> 4700 Keele Street
> Room 418, HNES Building
> Toronto, Ontario M3J 1P3
> 416-736-2100, ext. 22134
> email: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]" target="_blank">http:[log in to unmask]>
> http://www.atkinson.yorku.ca/draphael
>
> Of interest:
>
> *NEW* Social Determinants of Health: Canadian Perspectives, 2nd edition,
> edited by Dennis Raphael
> Forewords by Carolyn Bennett and Roy Romanow
> http://tinyurl.com/5l6yh9
>
> Poverty and Policy in Canada: Implications for Health and Quality of Life
by
> Dennis Raphael
> Foreword by Jack Layton
> http://tinyurl.com/2hg2df
>
> Staying Alive: Critical Perspectives on Health, Illness, and Health Care,
> edited by Dennis Raphael, Toba Bryant, and Marcia Rioux
> Foreword by Gary Teeple
> http://tinyurl.com/2zqrox
>
> See a lecture! The Politics of Population Health
>
http://msl.stream.yorku.ca/mediasite/viewer/?peid=ac604170-9ccc-4268-a1af-9a
> 9e04b28e1d
>
> Also, presentation on Politics and Health at the Centre for Health
> Disparities in Cleveland Ohio
> http://www.case.edu/med/ccrhd/education
>
>
>
>
>
> "Beattie, Tanya" <[log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]" target="_blank">http:[log in to unmask]> >
> Sent by: Social Determinants of Health <[log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]" target="_blank">http:[log in to unmask]> >
>
>
> 12/07/2009 09:54 AM
>
>
> Please respond to
> Social Determinants of Health <[log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]" target="_blank">http:[log in to unmask]> >
>
>
>
> To
> [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]" target="_blank">http:[log in to unmask]>
>
> cc
>
> Subject
> [SDOH] A new way to overstate poverty - article
>
>
>
>
>
>
> <http://www.nationalpost.com/todays-paper/story.html?id=2301837>
> http://www.nationalpost.com/todays-paper/story.html?id=2301837
>
> sad article from Friday.
> Tanya Beattie, BScH
> Public Health Promoter
> KFL&A Public Health
> 221 Portsmouth Avenue
> Kingston, Ontario K7M 1V5
> 613-549-1232, ext. 1293
> Fax: 613-549-7896
> www.kflapublichealth.ca
> P Please consider the environment before printing this email / Avant de
> faire imprimer ce courriel, veillez à l'environnement
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