Poverty and Medical Crises

Laura Ungar's article on the relationship between poverty and medical crises is very similar to several scholarly pieces that I have read in the past. In the article she distinctly defines this very devastating relationship through several different avenues. She discusses the rising health problem in relation to education, class, geographic location, belief systems, and several other factors. Much of her discussion reminded me of a concept often used to describe how inequalities affect health outcomes. This concept is commonly known as structural violence, which specifically has to do with the ways that social structures affect inequalities in health by limiting people abilities. Structural violence is often times normalized by a population and hidden within a society's organization and historical context. Many of Ungar's points relate to this idea.
First, Ungar discusses that lack of educational opportunities that rural Kentuckians have. Because of the development and progress in our country, little resources have been distributed to areas outside large metropolitan bases, and Kentucky is unfortunately one of the places that has been overlooked. Many studies have suggested, as Ungar notes, the direct relationship between education and overall health- the more educated a person is, the better his or her health. In addition, I related the idea of structural violence to the jobs available to those working in rural Kentucky. Many people living in this area have low-paying jobs that often did not include health insurance benefits. Simply put, Ungar says, "good paying jobs are scarce."
Although Ungar does focus on people suffering in rural areas, I appreciate her effort to describe how similar situations exist among the poor living in urban areas. Despite the development focused around urban centers, the poor are subjected to highly competitive environments that often prevent them from getting themselves out of the poverty trap. This is many times the case for minorities. Ungar describes the negative health outcomes that minorities face and reasons that allow for this to happen. This is unfortunately another form of structural violence.
Many of Ungar's stories reminded me of our discussions surrounding The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down along with the readings that describe our hegemonic and bureaucratic society. In the book that we have just discussed, we continually see how minorities encounter many problems with our health system and often have a difficult time navigating their way through it. In addition to this, Lia and her family demonstrate how those who are worst off, financially, often make use of the most expensive care by going to the emergency room. People who don't have health insurance have no choice but to wait until an emergency arises to receive help and treatment for their problems. Ungar describes many important points in her article that describe several of the flaws that exist within the US biomedical system, which are perpetuated by the organization of our society.