TY - JOUR
T1 - Health, social inequality and taxation
T2 - How Ireland’s schizmogenic social model undermines the well-being of the European body politic
AU - Kuhling, Carmen
AU - Keohane, Kieran
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© Irish Journal of Sociology.
PY - 2009/11/1
Y1 - 2009/11/1
N2 - Before the recent economic recession Ireland had become one of the most affluent societies in the world, and the so-called Irish social model of low taxes and low public services provision was seen as one to be emulated, particularly amongst the accession states to the EU. However, Ireland has also become one of the most unequal societies in the OECD, and one of the unhealthiest, measured by all of the standard morbidity and epidemiological indicators, and the social gradient of health corresponds closely with social inequality. Ireland’s healthcare system, always relatively underdeveloped in comparison to most European countries, reflects social inequality; it is a two-tiered system wherein a minority with private health insurance enjoy access to good care and facilities, while the rest make do with an underdeveloped, under-resourced and overstretched public health system and subsidise the private services. The Irish social model is schizmogenic, generating and amplifying social inequalities. This is clearly visible in the domain of health, which has become a crucible of public de-legitimation and political foment. Ireland’s problems are problems for the health and well-being of the European body politic, insofar as other members emulate the Irish model, cutting corporate taxes and reducing public services in a race to the bottom away from the Rhinish and Nordic social models.
AB - Before the recent economic recession Ireland had become one of the most affluent societies in the world, and the so-called Irish social model of low taxes and low public services provision was seen as one to be emulated, particularly amongst the accession states to the EU. However, Ireland has also become one of the most unequal societies in the OECD, and one of the unhealthiest, measured by all of the standard morbidity and epidemiological indicators, and the social gradient of health corresponds closely with social inequality. Ireland’s healthcare system, always relatively underdeveloped in comparison to most European countries, reflects social inequality; it is a two-tiered system wherein a minority with private health insurance enjoy access to good care and facilities, while the rest make do with an underdeveloped, under-resourced and overstretched public health system and subsidise the private services. The Irish social model is schizmogenic, generating and amplifying social inequalities. This is clearly visible in the domain of health, which has become a crucible of public de-legitimation and political foment. Ireland’s problems are problems for the health and well-being of the European body politic, insofar as other members emulate the Irish model, cutting corporate taxes and reducing public services in a race to the bottom away from the Rhinish and Nordic social models.
KW - Gift
KW - Health
KW - Inequality
KW - Schizmogenesis
KW - Social model
KW - Taxation
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=79956171112&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.7227/IJS.17.2.3
DO - 10.7227/IJS.17.2.3
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:79956171112
SN - 0791-6035
VL - 17
SP - 24
EP - 40
JO - Irish Journal of Sociology
JF - Irish Journal of Sociology
IS - 2
ER -