Richard Wilkinson, public health researcher. July 2011 (16:54).
I. Pre-watching task.
Working in pairs brainstorm the questions:
How can the well-being of a society be measured? What does it depend on?
II. For questions a-f decide whether the statements are true or false (if false, explain why):
a) According to Richard Wilkinson life expectancy, health and social problems in developed market democracies correlate with gross national income per capita.
b) Unlike in the developed countries well-being of societies in poorer states is still dependent on national income and economic growth.
c) The researchers carried out the surveys in both rich developed countries and poorer countries.
d) The presentation shows the connection between income inequality within
societies and levels of trust, violence, child wellbeing and academic
performance.
e) Greater equality is especially important for the most disadvantaged
groups, but is also relevant to those at the top.
f) Richard Wilkinson does not consider it particularly important how the more equal countries achieved their status.
III. Identify the topic and the thesis of the talk given by Richard Wilkinson, public health researcher.
IV. Expand on the following:
What solution does the author see to the inequality problem?
There seems to be some truth in John Donne’s ”No man is an island.»
V. Give the gist/summary of the talk.