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Inequality is a problem that has transcended borders as well as social class to affect millions of people worldwide. It has been running rampant centuries now and still one factor is overlooked quite a lot when it comes to contributing to inequality. This factor is geography.
While we think it doesn’t matter much, but where a person lives can determine their access to resources. This is the “Geography of Inequality” in question and has many effects, including a contrast between urban and rural areas. The divides, it gives rise to, perpetuate the cycle of inequality and make it difficult for already poor people to escape poverty.
Urban-Rural Divide
All over the globe, there is not one country where there isn’t a divide between the urban and rural areas. Almost everywhere, the urban areas attract more wealth and resources, while the rural areas are left underdeveloped.
In the case of developed nations, urban areas have better job opportunities, higher wages, and more access to a range of services. Rural areas, on the other hand, depend on either agriculture or manufacturing and have to face problems like a declining job market, and global competition. There is no stable employment for them, which perpetuates poverty.
In developing nations, urban areas might not be as developed as those in developed Nations but they still offer better infrastructure, access to a lot of resources, and better job opportunities. Rural communities here are impoverished and disconnected from services. They don’t have good housing, jobs, and access to resources like roads electricity or even internet access. Millions of people suffer because of such problems and are cut off from opportunities for their betterment.
Many people, hence, choose to migrate to urban areas but this also causes problems like overcrowding, strain on public services, and growth of slum areas.
Unequal Access to Knowledge
Every child deserves to get equal access to education. But access to knowledge has also become very rare because of the geography of inequality.
Kids from urban areas, which are more developed and wealthier, can go to schools that are better funded, have more resources, and more qualified teachers and technology. They are able to pursue their education properly, and also build skills necessary to pursue higher education and good jobs.
In rural areas, the education system is not so good. Children have to travel long distances just to attend school because they are a rare commodity and can’t be found nearby. The schools, they go to, don’t have good teachers, resources like text books, and the most important facilities. Many kids have to drop out early to support their families which then limits their ability to compete in the job market because they don’t have the education required.
Healthcare
Education is not the only resource that gets affected, Healthcare also comes in this list.
As one would have expected, urban centers have well developed Healthcare infrastructures with proper equipment services and research which contributes to better health outcomes and longer life expectancy. Here, residents are able to get preventive care, diagnostics, as well as emergency treatment as soon as they want without issues.
In rural areas, people suffer from a lack of health care infrastructure and have to travel long distances to get the most basic medical services. Most of the time, the service they do get isn’t up to the mark and the places are underfunded and understaffed. As a result, the mortality rates from these places are much higher and many people suffer because of poor health.
In many developing nations, there is almost little to no access to such services. And the same happens in rural areas in developed nations because they don’t pay enough attention to uplift the poor.
Economic Mobility
Earlier, we mentioned the cycle of inequality which doesn’t let someone escape from these issues. That cycle limits the ability of an individual to improve the economic standing over time and escape poverty. People who had access to better opportunities and resources from the very get go are able to move up the economic ladder quite easily. But people who have suffered economic stagnation and limited access suffer because of economic instability.
Thus, the geography of inequality is a very complex issue that shapes the social and economic landscape of the whole world. The divide between the wealthy and the poor continues to widen and as a result, some people have at all while others keep on struggling to find the most basic necessities for living life.
Resources
- Edward, P., & Sumner, A. (2013). The Geography of Inequality: Where and by How Much Has Income Distribution Changed Since 1990? SSRN Electronic Journal. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2366968
- ‌The changing geography of inequality | Understanding Inequalities. (2018, June 27). Understanding-Inequalities.ac.uk. https://www.understanding-inequalities.ac.uk/types-of-inequality/geography-of-inequality
- ‌The Geography of Inequality | Newgeography.com. (2024). Newgeography.com. https://www.newgeography.com/content/00341-the-geography-inequality
- ‌Ehrman-Solberg, K. (2018). The geography of inequality | Kevin Ehrman-Solberg | TEDxMinneapolis. Ted.com; TED Talks. https://www.ted.com/talks/kevin_ehrman_solberg_the_geography_of_inequality/transcript
- ‌Sitaraman, G., Ricks, M., & Serkin, C. (2020). Regulation and the Geography of Inequality. SSRN Electronic Journal. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3527055
