Domestic Inequalities in The USA and Denmark Essay

Societies and their governments have developed different policy approaches to addressing domestic inequality. Compare and contrast two different countries and evaluate the effectiveness of their key policy measures in addressing inequality. It is a commonly accepted that inequality is increasing throughout the globe, with startling statistics such as the recent Oxfam report indicating that the richest 85 people in the world own more wealth than the poorest 3.5 billion people(Oxfam Australia Media, 2014). Inequality is thought of as disparities or gaps, such as the distance between a low income and a high income household, or the ratio of their incomes (Divided We Stand, 2011). Domestic inequality refers to inequality within a country and†¦show more content†¦Wealth and assets refer to the â€Å"stock† of an individual or household, inequality if often generated from inherited wealth. Physical environment affects inequality through access and availability to natural resources, raw materials and the natural climatic factors that may enhance or disadvantage, leading to inequality. Although different societies have varying perceptions of what is an acceptable level of equity, it is generally accepted that inequality has an impact on key social determinants such as health, wellbeing, political trust and violence. Wilkinson and Pickett (2009) highlight the social costs of inequality on a whole range of aspects of our lives. Wilkinson and Pickett (2009) argue that if inequality were reduced, there would be significant reductions in mental illness, murder rates, imprisonment and an improvement in social mobility (Wilkinson and Pickett, 2009). Image: Index of health and social factors – life expectancy; maths and literacy; infant mortality; homicides; imprisonment; teenage births; trust; obesity; mental illness, including drug and alcohol addiction; and social mobility – relative to income inequality. (Wilkinson and Pickett, 2009). Domestic inequality is most commonly measured using the Gini coefficient that varies between 1 and 0. A coefficient of 1 implies inequality isShow MoreRelatedDenmark : Globalization and the Welfare State Essay896 Words   |  4 PagesDENMARK : Globalization and the Welfare State Today Denmark is one of the most prosperous countries in the world. Unemployment rates are low. Denmark also has low inflation and a surplus on both balance of payments and public expenditure. The World Economic Forum’s 2008 competitiveness index ranks Denmark in its Top Three world-wide. And the World Transparency Index ranks it as the world champion in non-corruption. Furthermore it should be noted that other international comparisons nominate theRead MoreNeocolonialism: the Relationship Between Superpowers and the Developing World1622 Words   |  7 PagesUsing examples assess the view that the relationship between superpowers and the developing world is a neo colonial one. (15) The dominating capitalist ideology from superpowers has led to extreme inequalities between core and peripheral nations, which has resulted in an unstable relationship with the developing world. Neocolonialism is a geopolitical practice in which a superpower perpetuates its economic and political hegemony on underdeveloped nations. This indirect and ‘disguised’ ImperialismRead MoreHow Do We Define Prosperity? Essay1306 Words   |  6 PagesHow do we define prosperity? It is no mean feat, considering the plethora of issues that need to be taken into account, to truly characterize a â€Å"prosperous† nation. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and Per capita Income were initially thought suitable, as a worthy criteria to ascertain prosperity. However it was soon realized that they do not take into account the â€Å"well-being† of the population in its entirety; more conspicuously they hide economic disparities amongst the population and so for obviousRead MoreISS31 5 spring 20121932 Words   |  8 Pagesproduction. Which one of the following is one of them? A. Labor B. The raw material C. Money, machines, and infrastructure D. All of the above 13. The story It was Grandfathers Birthday was used in our class to illustrate? A. Poverty B. Inequality C. Class conflict D. Alienation 14. According to Karl Marx, what is a class conflict? A. Conflict between two countries B. Conflict between two religious groups C. Conflict between Bourgeoisies and Proletariats D. All of the above Read MoreThree Major Schools of Thoughts3201 Words   |  13 Pagesthe belief that the international economy is divided into three major blocs which are Europe, North America and Asia Pacific, that the word economy is now less integrated than during the classical Gold Standard era, that international patterns of inequality have changed only marginally and that there has been a rise of aggressive nationalism/fundamentalis. Transformationalists argue that globalisation does exist but it is much more complex. â€Å"Many of us feel in the grip of forces over which we haveRead MoreInternational Business Essay Questions6472 Words   |  26 PagesInternational Business – Essay Questions 1. Gini Coefficient: The gini index is a measure of statistical dispersion, a measure of the inequality of a distribution, 0 being total equality and a value of 1 maximal inequality. It is most commonly used in economics to assess the inequality of wealth or income, but is also used in other fields such as health, science, ecology, chemistry and engineering. Gini coefficients range from 0.23 (Sweden) to 0.70 (Namibia), but not every country has been assessedRead MoreGlobalization Sample Questions7882 Words   |  32 Pagesblank with the best choice from below: a. Global South b. Global North c. Developed world d. ‘First World’ 7. Which of the following countries is usually considered to be part of the global ‘North?’ a. Mexico b. Denmark c. India d. China 8. In their opening Chapter WMW note that one of the most common errors people commit is to speak about and represent life in the Global South as only being concerned with issues of _______________. They argue thatRead MoreGrowing Disparity Between the Global North and South2746 Words   |  11 Pagesin a geographical sense. The economic factor is the most objective distinction between North and South. Unlike the Western system, which is composed of relatively similar and equal state actors, the North-South sub-system is one of disparity and inequality between the North and South in terms of gross national product per capital (GNP). The countries of the North tend to have more diverse economic bases; they rely for their income on the production of a wide variety of manufactured products and theRead MoreRecruitment and Selection the Hofstede Model7727 Words   |  31 Pagesthe skills of making and unmaking social friendships quickly and without undue stress.   With the expatria te working long hours and often away from the home, the spouse and family may see little of him or her.   The spouse is thus forced to deal with domestic crises alone, usually in a strange land and culture, and perhaps battling with a foreign language. The nature of the expatriate experience depends on many different variables, one of which is the way in which the manager and his or her family approachRead MoreHofstede: Cultures and Organizations - Software of the Mind Culture as Mental Programming9246 Words   |  37 PagesCoca-Cola, flags. New symbols are easily developed and old ones disappear. Heroes are persons, alive or dead, real or imaginary, who possess characteristics which are highly prized in a culture, and who thus serve as models for behavior. Snoopy in the USA, Asterix in France. Rituals are collective activities, technically superfluous in reaching desired ends, but which, within a culture, are considered as socially essential: they are therefore carried out for their own sake. Ways of greeting and paying