Inequality, Poverty, and Environmental Health - Coursework Example

                              Inequality, Poverty, and Environmental Health Globalization is the integration of socialization among individuals in different countries all over the world. In most cases, socialization is brought about when a country or an individual wants a favor from another country such as investments or trade between countries. On the other hand, inequality is a form of discrimination where one individual feels more superior to the other. There are, however, different forms of inequality. Firstly is the gender inequality. In this case, one gender, either male or female is superior to the other and therefore not equal. In most countries, men are taken to be the only people who can make a decision about any matter. For this reason, women are discriminated, and their ideas neglected. However, there are countries in Africa that offers equality between men and women. In such countries, women are also given a chance to vie as presidents and lead the nation. Secondly, there can be income inequality. Income inequality is a situation where some individuals earn high incomes than others. Another factor is the national inequality. Some countries are resourceful than others and, therefore, they can never be compared in any way either. However, every leader’s manifesto is to ensure there is inequality in all levels (Hurrell and Woods). Discussed below is how the trend of globalization and inequality affects the relationships between chronic poverty and health. Poverty and health are closely related. Poverty is the lack of resources and funds to cater for one’s life. In most cases, poverty people are known to have no money to buy food. If such individuals don’t take nutritious food, they risk suffering from malnutrition diseases. Since they have no money, when they fall sick, they would not afford any treatment. For this reason, their health life would be poor leading to death (Grant 6). Globalization entails production of goods and services by the producers, taken to the market, and consumed by the consumers. However, consumers can demand more goods. In order to attain the equilibrium, producers must use two options. Firstly, the producers would opt to increase their products in order to meet the customers’ demand. When there is enough production, demand will be equal to supply and, therefore, attain the market equilibrium. However, there might be factors such as low capital or inadequate skills that might hinder producers from producing more. For this reason, the producer will be forced to raise the prices of the commodities. According to the law of demand, demand reduces with increase in price levels. Therefore, when the prices are high, few individuals will afford to purchase the commodities while the other group will look for alternatives. For this reason, equilibrium level will be attained. When prices are high, the wage pay of people in urban areas will increase due to the high cost of living. However, such individuals will not have suffered a lot from the increased price levels of commodities. People in the rural areas who survive with the pay from working from other people’s homes and farm will have no alternative. When the prices of commodities are high, they will no longer afford the commodities. From the above discussion, income inequality is evident. However, the poor will continue to suffer while the rich will become richer. The poor will use the only earned cent to purchase these expensive basic commodities. However, they will not afford to finance their health care and thus to live a dangerous life that would have led to death (Hurrell and Woods). Secondly, is about the gender inequality. In most case, women are discriminated in the society and are never given a chance to express themselves. For example, in most communities, women were used as a source of income for their fathers. When a girl grew old and ripe, their fathers would sell them off to another man in exchange for some money or animals in the form of dowry. It is clear that a girl would be married even before having completed their education. More so, the girl is married off to a man of his fathers’ choice and not the girl’s choice. There is a violation of human right in such a situation. In the modern society, every child has the right to education. Therefore, marrying off a girl before completion of her education means a violation of her right. Secondly every individual is entitled to marry a person of their choice but not the choice of the others. Suppose a girl is married off to a poor man? Poverty will still follow them since the girl whom could have studied and secured a job will not have any help. More so, they will not afford to pay for health services and also for their children. Secondly, the girl’s right to make her decision was violated and could have chosen a richer person. It is, therefore, the role of every leader to ensure that there is gender equality and girl’ rights are respected by all (McCall). Thirdly, globalization plays a big role in promoting poverty. For example, an individual might decide to invest in a certain developing country. In this country, the investor will have to pay tax to the host company. The government will have no time to start its firm and will only depend on the tax paid by the investor. For this reason, the state will never expand its profit margins. Additionally, potential individual with innovative ideas are neglected and, therefore, end up in absolute poverty. When they live in poverty, they will not have any money to fund their healthcare and thus living unhealthy (Kaplinsky). National inequality is another factor with a great impact on the relationship between chronic poverty and health. There are some countries that are wealthier than others in terms of resources. For example, the U.S. is wealthiest of all. There is always a gap between these rich countries and the less developed countries. The rich countries would always want to associate with countries that are beneficial to them. For example, the U.S. associates with resourceful countries such as Japan that would benefit from their products. Less developed countries that would benefit from the wealthy countries have no chance. For this reason, trade is limited and also the movement of people to go work for such countries is restricted. Therefore fighting poverty and bad health for such countries becomes a challenge always. As a leader, we should strengthen the relationships among countries in order to ensure that the less developed countries benefit and get income go eradicate poverty in their countries (Harrison). Globalization has also played a big role in promoting drug trafficking. Rich people in developing countries engage in drug trafficking since, it is the quickest way of getting a lot of money. These individuals import drug whose packs resembles other products. These rich individuals use the poor who are desperate for cash to sell these imported drugs. Since drug trafficking is illegal in any country, these individuals caught are taken to court and jailed. However, the rich will always find a way to get out by bribing. However, the poor will end up being in prison for their entire life. These jailed individuals might be having families who depended on them for food. However, due to the situation, poverty will continue since the families lost their bread winner. More so, the circulated drugs are sold to the poor. When they use these drugs, their minds become narrow and can never think about any form of innovation to generate income. It is, therefore, a challenge to leaders to ensure there is justice and that corruption to be a serious crime like murder (Harrison). The status of a nation also contributes to the increasing rates of poverty. A wealthy nation such as the U.S. poverty is low. It was the government act to eradicate poverty. The government ensured that it allocated a portion of it budget to the poor. This allocation would facilitate the training of youths on how to run one’s own business. More so, some of these funds would be used to fund the capital for the youths who portrayed light that they can run a business. More so, the state ensured the creation of employment and that every individual would get employed. With this act, poverty in the U.S. is history told to other generations. When it comes to the less developed countries, their budget is low, and it becomes difficult to spare some funds for the youths. They focus on other major sectors failing to realize that the minor are what drag the economy behind. In such countries, fighting poverty has always been a major problem. Since these countries are desperate for a high GDP, they cant offer free medical services to the poor. More so, offering free education would have helped these countries fight poverty. Most poor people don’t have enough money to fund education for their children. For this reason, they end up being illiterate thus lacking any information on how to run a business. Illiteracy leads to poverty and more so, poor health conditions. Leaders should, therefore, be accountable for increasing levels of illiteracy. As a leader, one should have an idea of the tactics to eradicate poverty (Wagner). Individual income difference is also another issue. There are individuals who are resourceful than others. The rich in every nation employs the poor people as their garden attendants and also home attendants. The income paid to these poor servants is quite low. Therefore, it becomes want to associate with the poor on business matters. The rich have false thoughts that the poor might overthrow them. For this reason, they will always hide their innovation ideas from the poor. There is discrimination of the poor, and they can never stand in any society and heard. Because of low wages paid and discrimination by the rich, the poor will end up in poverty. Following poverty, these individuals will lack enough funds to finance their health care services. For this reason, it becomes challenging for a country to eradicate poverty. It is the role of the leaders to ensure that the poor have access to the resources in the society. The state should also reinforce laws that protect the rights of the poor (Gornick and Jäntii). Individuals should adopt healthy environments. A healthy environment facilitates efficient production. More so, a healthy environment reduces the risk of contracting diseases that will require a lot of money and time to cure (Prüss-Üstün and Corvalán 11). Other than how the trend in globalization affects the relationship between poverty and health, there are factors in the relationship between poverty, inequality, and environmental health. Therefore, discussed below are the key factors in the relationship between poverty, health and inequality. First inequality drags the economy of any country behind. In any democratic nation where there is equality, there is development, and the economy is progressing relatively well. However in a community where there is inequality, individuals are not given equal opportunities, there are always economic problems such as inflation and unemployment. It is, therefore, clear that equality is the engine to development (Slottje and Raj 3). Secondly, some nations converge because of some equality. However, in terms of education and health and nutrition they differ greatly. Some countries converge in one market such as ECOWAS. However, no matter what they share in common, there are some countries who offer quality education than others. Therefore, on this factor, these countries can never be equal (Slottje and Raj 4). Thirdly, managing income inequality is very much possible. There are some nations who have tried to reduce income inequality and individuals doing the same job in different firms are earning an equal wage. Therefore, countries should not think that managing income inequality is inevitable. They should know that income inequality can be managed at all levels (Pollack). Additionally, opportunity inequality cannot be treated differently as outcome inequality. Both are like the two sides of a coin that are always together. When an opportunity arises, and only a few individual are allowed to utilize this opportunity, the outcome of the opportunity will only favor those who were allowed to utilize the opportunity (Pollack). From the above discussion, as leaders we should ensure that individuals are offered equal opportunities in life. More so, those discriminating others should be punished. It is, therefore, clear that with equality, poverty is reduced thus people live in good health. Works Cited Gornick, Janet C, and Markus Jäntii. Income Inequality. Stanford, Calif.: Stanford University Press, 2013. Print. Grant Ursula. Health and Poverty Linkages: Perspectives of the chronically poor. Background Paper for the Chronic Poverty Report 2008-09. Chronic poverty research center. Harrison, Ann E. Globalization And Poverty. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2007. Print. Hurrell, Andrew, and Ngaire Woods. Inequality, Globalization, And World Politics. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999. Print. Kaplinsky, Raphael. Globalization, Poverty, And Inequality. Cambridge, UK: Polity, 2005. Print. McCall, Leslie. Complex Inequality. New York: Routledge, 2001. Print. Pollack, Harold. Poverty, Inequality, And Public Health. Samefacts.com. N.p., 2014. Web. 6 May 2015. Prüss-Üstün, Annette, and C Corvalán. Preventing Disease Through Healthy Environments. Geneva: World Health Organization, 2006. Print. Wagner, Vicki. Poverty. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2008. Print. Read More