Inequalities are central to the public debate and social science research. They are inextricably linked to geographical space, shaping human mobility and migration patterns, creating diverse living environments and changing individuals’ perceptions of the society they live in and the inequalities that endure within it. Geographical space contributes to the emergence and perpetuation of inequalities between individuals according to their socioeconomic position, gender, ethno-racial origin or even their age. Inequalities in Geographical Space examines inequalities in education, in the workplace, in public and private spaces and those related to migration. Written by geographers, sociologists and economists, this book draws on a variety of theoretical and methodological approaches and compares different spatial and temporal scales. It highlights the importance of geographical space as a vehicle for the expression, creation and reproduction of social, racial, economic and gender inequalities.

The book explores social inclusion/exclusion from a socio-spatial perspective, highlighting the active role that space assumes in shaping social phenomena. Unlike similar books, it does not discuss exclusion and inclusion in particular geographical contexts, but instead explains these phenomena starting from the dense and complex set of relationships that links society and space. It particularly focuses on social differences and how the processes of exclusion and inclusion can produce a highly spatialized understanding of them, for example when particular groups of people are perceived as being out of place. At the same time, within the context of the different approaches that policies adopt to contrast the phenomena of social exclusion, it examines the role of participation as an instrument to promote bottom-up inclusion and cohesion processes.

This work aims to provide unique insights into the multidisciplinary research on spatial disparities from an unconventional point of view. It breaks with the conventional narrative that tends to interpret this theoretical tradition as a series of factual contributions to a better understanding of the issue. Instead, related theories are investigated in their political, economic, and social contexts, and spatial disparity research is presented as a political discourse. It also reveals how the propagandistic problematization or de-problematization of geographical inequalities serves the substantiation of political goals, while taking advantage of the legitimate authority of science and the image of scientific objectivity. The book explains how the discourse has functioned from 19th century social physics over the Cold War period up to Marxist geographies of the current neoliberal age, and in what way and to what extent political considerations prevent related concepts producing ‘objective’ knowledge about the complex phenomenon of spatial inequalities.

By relating theoretical arguments to specific landscapes Sarah Curtis develops the basis for a geographical analysis of health problems and proposes a range of strategies for reducing disadvantage and societal inequalities.

In this Element, we investigate how economic geography, the distribution of subnational economic endowments within a nation, shapes long-run patterns of inequality through its impact on the development of fiscal capacity. We present an argument that links economic geography to capacity through different types of industrialization processes. We show how early industrializers shape spatial distributions domestically by investing in productivity across their nations, and externally by reinforcing spatial polarization among late industrializers. We also show how differences in economic geography impact the process of capacity building, setting the stage for the modern politics of redistribution discussed in Volume II. We support this argument with descriptive data, case studies, and cross-national analyses.

Inequality is one of the major problems of the contemporary world. Significant geographical disparities exist within nations of the developed world, as well as between these countries and those referred to as the ‘South’ in the Bruntland Report. Issues of equity and deprivation must be addressed in view of sustainable development. However, before policymakers can remove the obstacles to a fairer world, it is essential to understand the nature of inequality, both in terms of its spatial and socio-demographic characteristics. This second volume in the series contains population studies that examine the disparities evident across geographical space in the UK and between different individuals or groups. Topics include demographic and social change, deprivation, happiness, cultural consumption, ethnicity, gender, employment, health, religion, education and social values. These topics and the relationships between them are explored using secondary data from censuses, surveys or administrative records. In volume 1 the findings of research on fertility, living arrangements, care and mobility are examined. Volume 3 will focus on ethnicity and integration.

In early 2007, the Institute of Medicine convened the Roundtable on Health Disparities to increase the visibility of racial and ethnic health disparities as a national problem, to further the development of programs and strategies to reduce disparities, to foster the emergence of leadership on this issue, and to track promising activities and developments in health care that could lead to dramatically reducing or eliminating disparities. The Roundtable's first workshop, Challenges and Successes in Reducing Health Disparities, was held in St. Louis, Missouri, on July 31, 2007, and examined (1) the importance of differences in life expectancy within the United States, (2) the reasons for those differences, and (3) the implications of this information for programs and policy makers.

Inequalities are central to the public debate and social science research. They are inextricably linked to geographical space, shaping human mobility and migration patterns, creating diverse living environments and changing individuals’ perceptions of the society they live in and the inequalities that endure within it. Geographical space contributes to the emergence and perpetuation of inequalities between individuals according to their socioeconomic position, gender, ethno-racial origin or even their age. Inequalities in Geographical Space examines inequalities in education, in the workplace, in public and private spaces and those related to migration. Written by geographers, sociologists and economists, this book draws on a variety of theoretical and methodological approaches and compares different spatial and temporal scales. It highlights the importance of geographical space as a vehicle for the expression, creation and reproduction of social, racial, economic and gender inequalities.

The Amazon rain forest covers more than five million square kilometers, amid the territories of nine different nations. It represents over half of the planet’s remaining rain forest. Is it truly in peril? What steps are necessary to save it? To understand the future of Amazonia, one must know how its history was forged: in the eras of large pre-Columbian populations, in the gold rush of conquistadors, in centuries of slavery, in the schemes of Brazil’s military dictators in the 1960s and 1970s, and in new globalized economies where Brazilian soy and beef now dominate, while the market in carbon credits raises the value of standing forest. Susanna Hecht and Alexander Cockburn show in compelling detail the panorama of destruction as it unfolded, and also reveal the extraordinary turnaround that is now taking place, thanks to both the social movements, and the emergence of new environmental markets. Exploring the role of human hands in destroying—and saving—this vast forested region, The Fate of the Forest pivots on the murder of Chico Mendes, the legendary labor and environmental organizer assassinated after successful confrontations with big ranchers. A multifaceted portrait of Eden under siege, complete with a new preface and afterword by the authors, this book demonstrates that those who would hold a mirror up to nature must first learn the lessons offered by some of their own people.

Who shapes our digital landscapes, and why are so many people excluded from them?