At 09:43 AM 08/29/2001 -0400, you wrote:
>But figuring out what the
>specific mechanisms that effect health status is tricky. I can think of a
>number of candidates the fall under the Reich-type of phenomena. A higher
>prevalence of dirty industries with low occupational health and safety
>standards enforcement, ditto for environmental air pollution, more stress
>and violence in general because of aggravated social conflict, more tobacco
>and alcohol use for the same reason, etc.
the main mechanism of Reich's argument is political (including trade unions
and the like). If there are wider gaps between black and white workers,
it's harder to unite politically or to form effective trade unions (except
narrow, craft-oriented, unions). This means that welfare-state programs and
employer-supplied welfare programs (including health care) are weaker
because of weaker working-class bargaining power.
Jim Devine [EMAIL PROTECTED] & http://bellarmine.lmu.edu/~JDevine
