[Air-L] OECD report Divided We Stand: Why Inequality Keeps Rising

Sun Dec 11 08:45:23 PST 2011

Sorry Peter,

The links didn't appear to come through.  Try these:

Computing Our Way to Paradise: The Role of Internet and 
Telecommunications Technologies in Sustainable Consumption and 
Globalization

Rattle, Robert (2011), Computing Our Way to Paradise, in Globalisation 
and Ecological Integrity in Science and International Law, Westra, L. 
Soskolne,
 C., and Bosselmann, K. (eds.), Cambridge Scholars
 Publishing.

--- On Sun, 12/11/11, Robert Rattle <robert14robert at yahoo.ca> wrote:

From: Robert Rattle <robert14robert at yahoo.ca>
Subject: Re: [Air-L] OECD report Divided We Stand: Why Inequality Keeps Rising
To: "aoir list" <air-l at aoir.org>
Received: Sunday, December 11, 2011, 11:41 AM

Hi Peter,

This is a main feature of my latest book (Computing Our Way to Paradise: The Role of Internet and Telecommunications Technologies in Sustainable Consumption and Globalization - the publishers website is linked from the book image on that page [note the url Peter]) in which I explore the sustainability of ICTs across four different levels of increasing
 complexity to trace their roles in society.

The book includes a lengthy bibliography that may be of help.

A main argument of the book is that the advance, development, progress, adoptions and adaptations of ICTs is predominantly affected by the social environment out of which they develop, and that those who wield the greatest power in that environment continue to dominate the discourse and development of ICTs (ie. the 1% in todays jargon), despite the enormous potential for ICTs to both transgress and transform that environment.

In terms of sustainability, I link both
 'social' (from a social determinants of health perspective) and the 'environmental' (from the sustainable consumption perspective).

In Chapter Seven - Pathological Tendencies: The Health Link - I explore the role of IC Technologies in health explicitly from a SDoH framework.  The sub-sections of that chapter are:
- Population health and the social determinants of health
- An expanded vision of sustainable consumption
- Social determinants of health and social factors determining health: critical issues defining behaviour and the health gradient
- Smoke and mirrors (an example from tobacco)
- Shaping social behaviour
- Globalization, ICTs and the social environment of population health
- Health and sustainable consumption

I conclude the chapter with:
"It should be apparent that we have not discussed in this chapter the direct health effects of ICTs. Although there is a
 growing body of evidence indicating health impacts from ICTs as a result of ergonomic, chemical, electromagnetic and other possible causes (including the
risks derived from the inattentiveness to surrounding environments during their use), this approach diverts attention toward the individual. The assumption is that if you limit or avoid use of or exposure to a specific product, your chances of contracting certain diseased states is reduced. These studies ... neglect the deeply profound societal embedding of the nature of using ICTs, which is where we will now turn our attention."

I further develop these arguments in a variety of publications that may be of help to you, including:

Rattle, Robert (2011), Computing Our Way to Paradise, in Globalisation and Ecological Integrity in Science and International Law, Westra, L. Soskolne,
 C., and Bosselmann, K. (eds.), Cambridge Scholars
 Publishing.

Rattle, R. (2012), Internet and Communication Technologies' Roles in an Environmental Society, in Cudlinova, E. and Lapka, M. (eds.) Towards an Environmental Society, Karolinum Press, Charles University.

Hope this helps.

Best,

Robert

--- On Sun, 12/11/11, Peter Timusk <ptimusk at sympatico.ca> wrote:

From: Peter Timusk <ptimusk at sympatico.ca>
Subject: [Air-L] OECD report Divided We Stand: Why Inequality Keeps Rising
To: "aoir list" <air-l at aoir.org>
Received: Sunday, December 11, 2011, 10:11 AM

Quoting from this report: ( my questions are below after the link to the
report) Divided We Stand: Why Inequality Keeps Rising

In the three decades prior to the recent economic downturn, wage gaps
widened and
 household income inequality increased
 in a large majority of
OECD countries. This occurred even when countries
 were going through a
period of sustained economic and employment growth. This report analyses the
major underlying forces behind these developments:

- An Overview of Growing Income Inequalities in OECD Countries (free .pdf)
<http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/40/12/49170449.pdf> 

- Special Focus: Inequality in Emerging Economies (free .pdf)
<http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/40/13/49170475.pdf> 

- Part I. How Globalisation, Technological Change and Policies Affect Wage
and Earnings Inequalities

- Part II. How Inequalities in Labour Earnings Lead to Inequalities in
Household Disposable Income

- Part III. How the Roles of Tax and Transfer Systems Have Changed

http://www.oecd.org/document/51/0,3746,en_2649_33933_49147827_1_1_1_1,00.htm
l

This report by about OECD countries has a bit of technological content.
Apparently technology increases income inequality. I think historically
these trends are parallel may be you don't agree. I think the OECD moved
fast to produce this report based on the Occupy movement if that chicken
came first or this egg was first. We know the rich use the net more and has
anyone looked really deeply at income inequality and technology? Can you
point me to some deeper current studies on this? How are empowerment studies
going?

Peter Timusk

at571 at ncf.ca

ptimusk at sympatico.ca

web: www.crystalcomputing.net

blogs www.cyborgcitizen.org

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