Social Inequities and Exclusions in Kerala’s ‘Egalitarian’ Development

Bibliographic Data

ID9199895
AuthorsC U Thresia (corresponding author)
Year2014
Volume65
Issue9
Pages28
Publication date2014-02-03
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueMonthly Review (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0027-0520 • E-ISSN: 0027-0520
PublisherMonthly Review Foundation (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.14452/mr-065-09-2014-02_3
OpenAlexW1976907076
LanguageEN
Citations received3

Social inequalities and exclusions can devastate people's lives, especially when they are far from the centers of power and control. This wreckage can be seen in many different parts of their lives, but particularly in their health. The health of any given country's population is primarily determined by politics, and public policies play a critical role. All over the world, countries with a history of egalitarian ideologies, and corresponding policies aimed at reducing social inequalities, have healthier populations. The Indian state of Kerala, which has a long-running radical political tradition and a history of social-reform movements in the early twentieth century, is acclaimed for its achievements in health and social-sector development, including low levels of mortality and fertility, and high levels of life expectancy and literacy—all despite its low-performing economy. Kerala has become a veritable mecca for other low-income nations in social development and health advancement.This article can also be found at the Monthly Review website, where most recent articles are published in full.Click here to purchase a PDF version of this article at the Monthly Review website

Development economics · Economic growth · Economics · Ideology · Inequality · Life expectancy · Literacy · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Population · Power (physics) · Public health · Social change · Social inequality · Sociology · Demography · Law · Medicine · Social and Economic Development in India

Tools

Open DOIOpen Access