Dysfunctional Societies: How Equality Makes Societies Stronger

Synopsis: Documentary. What distinguishing feature do the world’s healthiest and happiest societies have in common? According to acclaimed author Richard Wilkinson, the reason is that they have far less income inequality than other societies. In this film based on his book ‘The Spirit Level’, Wilkinson focuses on why the U.S., despite being one of the richest nations in the world, lags behind so many other rich Western societies in a number of crucial statistical measures, including life expectancy, violence, health, community, teen pregnancy, mental illness, and incarceration. The reason, he suggests, is that the immense wealth of the U.S. has been unevenly distributed among the American people. Wilkinson shows that societies with the smallest gaps between rich and poor enjoy the highest levels of health and happiness across all social and economic classes.
Language: English
Country: United States
Year of release: 2015
Subjects: Social Studies; Economics
Keywords: socioeconomic problems; United States of America; socioeconomics; American economic policy; society

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Notes: The MEF produces and distributes documentary films and other educational resources to inspire critical reflection on the social, political and cultural impact of the mass media, particularly in the US, with emphasis on gender, health, politics, race and commercialism. Sale on DVD.

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