[Laredviene] FE DE ERRATA/CORRECTIOIN Equality is better for everyone defends Richard Wilkinson

[Voices Rising]

Equality is better for everyone, defends Richard Wilkinson
L'égalité est le mieux pour tout le monde, défend Richard Wilkinson
Igualdad es mejor para todas las personas, defendio Richard Wilkinson

By Tatiana Lotierzo, from CLADE (http://www.campanaderechoeducacion.org )
It is proved: equality is better for everyone, although the greatest 
benefits are felt by the most vulnerable. This is the thesis defended by 
Richard Wilkinson, professor emeritus of social epidemiology at the 
University of Nottingham, in his talk as a keynote speaker this morning. 
Wilkinson is co-author of the book "The spirit level - why Equality is 
Better for everyone" (with Kate Pickett). The title, according to what the 
British researcher explained, does not refer to anything religious, but uses 
an English expression referring to a perfect alignment, for example, a 
picture on the wall - an equilibrium in which all parts of a whole are at 
the same height.
"In the richest countries, becoming richer does not impact in a 
representative manner life expectancy. However, in the poorest countries is 
indeed essential to improve the material standard of the people”, Wilkinson 
argued.  Similarly, health and social problems are more severe in countries 
with greater inequality, but this is not related to the average income in 
the rich ones; child welfare is not related to the average income in rich 
countries, although children live better in more egalitarian countries; and 
levels of trust people have in each other are also higher in countries with 
greater equality. 
It is essential to understand these gradients, the author said. "We're 
talking about some people's positions in relation to others, not about 
income level". Moreover, these are unequal positions that represent factors 
of psychosocial risk and cause diseases. Low social status, weak social 
relationships and stress in early life - including the one that the unborn 
suffers -, stereotypes, all this affects negatively the construction of 
identities and health, he concluded.