tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4761750297977694004.post340184507222818507..comments2023-12-19T11:11:30.124+00:00Comments on The Spirit Level Delusion: Prof. Colin Mills on The Spirit LevelChristopher Snowdonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15963753745009712865noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4761750297977694004.post-37044808263843444702014-07-11T11:54:50.287+01:002014-07-11T11:54:50.287+01:00I think you are picking holes for the sake of pick...I think you are picking holes for the sake of picking holes. <br />While Japan does have a class system - this is an ingrained tradition of respect not a monetary structure. Position within the system is based on family, age, gender but not money per se. This means that while Japanese people may be anxious when they do not know the status of new people this has nothing to do with social anxiety and low self-esteem, which is argued to be caused in part by having less money and status than those around you. A Japanese person knows their social status and it does not cause them anxiety or stress (this is not to say that I agree entirely with the system) thus Japan can be seen as being very equal when it comes to monetary status but not equal with regards to social status. This is up to interpretation but I think the spirit level is based on the equality on monetary status not social status.David Nutsfordnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4761750297977694004.post-2090110227396655092013-03-05T13:03:06.283+00:002013-03-05T13:03:06.283+00:00In all fairness, I think you might mention that Co...In all fairness, I think you might mention that Colin Mills only focuses on the sections relating to public health.<br /><br />Also:<br />"Nobody disputes that individual level health disparities are related to differences (inequalities) in exposures to risk factors that are partly indicated by (inter alia) individual level income differences. This in itself suggests that equalization of what in the Nordic welfare tradition would be called "the level of living" will likely have some effect on health disparities without requiring any commitment to a causal view about the direct effect of macro-level inequality which will, in its turn, be affected by such an equalization."Niklas Sandströmnoreply@blogger.com