Organized Labor and Depression in Europe: Making Power Explicit in the Political Economy of Health

Reynolds, Megan M.; Buffel, Veerle

doi:10.1177/0022146520945047

Cited by 10 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 93 publications

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“…One can think of a few plausible pathways. On one hand, polarization can be seen as an indicator of a less regulated labour market that does not prevent the creation of precarious, poorly paid, and stressful jobs, and probably makes it difficult for people with unsatisfactory working conditions to leave their jobs, at the risk of their own health [ 38 ]. On the other hand, the rise of top market incomes also reflects the political weight of the rich, who are less likely to favour universal, generous, and healthy social programs [ 39 ].…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Welfare state decommodification and population health

Jacques

Noël

2022

PLoS ONE

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A generous welfare state decommodifies social relations and frees citizens from relying excessively on markets. We argue that decommodification is associated with population health in two ways: directly, as it provides better social protection to households and indirectly, as it mitigates health-damaging labour market polarization and reduces the incidence of labour market risks. Using time-series cross-sectional quantitative analysis for 21 OECD countries from 1971 to 2010, we observe a negative relationship between decommodification and the age-standardized death rate. We then analyze three correlates of decommodification—income redistribution, labour market polarization and the reduction of labour market risk incidence—and find that only the latter two are associated with population health. Higher labour market polarization, measured by the share of market income allocated to the richest decile relative to the share of the poorest decile, is associated with a higher death rate. A new measure of risk reduction, the degree to which the welfare state reduces the prevalence of large income losses, is also associated with lower death rates, especially for men. Welfare state decommodification thus contributes to population health directly, and indirectly, via the attenuation of labour market polarization and the mitigation of labour market risks.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Welfare state decommodification and population health

Jacques

Noël

2022

PLoS ONE

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“…They encourage researchers to examine these concepts as forces influencing work, safety, health, and well-being. Despite these repeated calls for addressing power in occupational health research, empirical studies that directly investigate power remain scarce [ 62 , 63 ]. In the next section, we describe approaches to incorporate the concept of power in EQ research.…”

Section: Recognizing Power and Its Social Configuration As It Relates...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Investigating Employment Quality for Population Health and Health Equity: A Perspective of Power

Fujishiro

Ahonen

Winkler

2022

IJERPH

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Employment quality (EQ) has gained increasing attention as a determinant of health, but the debate among occupational health researchers over the measurement of EQ poses a challenge to advancing the literature. This is especially problematic when the concept is used across social, cultural, and national borders, as EQ is shaped by power dynamics within sociopolitical and economic contexts that are specific to each society. Investigating EQ in context could help develop a clearer understanding as to why EQ is configured in certain ways, how best EQ could be measured, how EQ impacts health, and ultimately how EQ could be improved. In this paper, we propose that attention to social context—and in particular power—may help advance the research on EQ and health. We present an allegory, or a visual description, that articulates the power balance in the employer–worker relation as well as in the sociopolitical context in which the employer–worker relation takes place. We end by proposing specific approaches for occupational health researchers to incorporate a perspective of power in EQ research that may clarify the concept and measurement of EQ. A clearer recognition of EQ as a product of power in social context aligns with the research approach of addressing work as a social structural determinant of health.

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“…Collective bargaining is associated with improved population health-but does it affect everyone's health in the same way? The share of the population that belongs to a union (union density) is associated with lower mortality in the population (Muntaner et al, 2002), better self-reported health (Dollard and Neser, 2013) and lower depression amongst the workforce, even for those who are not unionized (Reynolds and Buffel, 2020). Reeves (2021) shows that collective bargaining institutions reduce mortality and raise life expectancy at the country level.…”

Section: Dualization Collective Bargaining and Healthmentioning

confidence: 99%

Does collective bargaining reduce health inequalities between labour market insiders and outsiders?

Sochas

Reeves

2022

Socio-Economic Review

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Collective bargaining institutions are correlated with better population health. However, there are still major gaps in our understanding regarding the impact of collective bargaining on health inequalities, particularly between labour market ‘insiders’ and ‘outsiders’. In this study, we investigate the effect of collective bargaining coverage on individuals’ self-rated health, and whether the impact varies according to labour market status. We use four waves of the European Values Survey (1981–2018) and three-level nested random intercept models across 33 OECD and European countries (N = 66 301). We find that stronger and more inclusive collective bargaining institutions reduce health inequalities between the unemployed and the employed by disproportionately improving the health of the unemployed. This study implies that targeting the political institutions that shape the distribution of power and resources is important for reducing health inequalities.

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Organized Labor and Depression in Europe: Making Power Explicit in the Political Economy of Health

Cited by 10 publications

References 93 publications

Welfare state decommodification and population health

Welfare state decommodification and population health

Investigating Employment Quality for Population Health and Health Equity: A Perspective of Power

Does collective bargaining reduce health inequalities between labour market insiders and outsiders?

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