IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/socmed/v289y2021ics0277953621007875.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

COVID-19 and the Nordic Paradox: a call to measure the inequality reducing benefits of welfare systems in the wake of the pandemic

Author

Listed:
  • Friedman, Joseph
  • Calderon-Villarreal, Alhelí
  • Heggebø, Kristian
  • Balaj, Mirza
  • Bambra, Clare
  • Eikemo, Terje Andreas

Abstract

The Nordic Paradox of inequality describes how the Nordic countries have puzzlingly high levels of relative health inequalities compared to other nations, despite extensive universal welfare systems and progressive tax regimes that redistribute income. However, the veracity and origins of this paradox have been contested across decades of literature, as many scholars argue it relates to measurement issues or historical coincidences. Disentangling between potential explanations is crucial to determine if widespread adoption of the Nordic model could represent a sufficient panacea for lowering health inequalities, or if new approaches must be pioneered. As newfound challenges to welfare systems continue to emerge, evidence describing the benefits of welfare systems is becoming ever more important. Preliminary evidence indicates that the COVID-19 pandemic is drastically exacerbating social inequalities in health across the world, via direct and indirect effects. We argue that the COVID-19 pandemic therefore represents a unique opportunity to measure the value of welfare systems in insulating their populations from rising social inequalities in health. However, COVID-19 has also created new measurement challenges and interrupted data collection mechanisms. Robust academic studies will therefore be needed—drawing on novel data collection methods—to measure increasing social inequalities in health in a timely fashion. In order to assure that policies implemented to reduce inequalities can be guided by accurate and updated information, policymakers, academics, and the international community must work together to ensure streamlined data collection, reporting, analysis, and evidence-based decision-making. In this way, the pandemic may offer the opportunity to finally clarify some of the mechanisms underpinning the Nordic Paradox, and potentially more firmly establish the merits of the Nordic model as a global example for reducing social inequalities in health.

Suggested Citation

  • Friedman, Joseph & Calderon-Villarreal, Alhelí & Heggebø, Kristian & Balaj, Mirza & Bambra, Clare & Eikemo, Terje Andreas, 2021. "COVID-19 and the Nordic Paradox: a call to measure the inequality reducing benefits of welfare systems in the wake of the pandemic," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 289(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:289:y:2021:i:c:s0277953621007875
    DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2021.114455
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277953621007875
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.socscimed.2021.114455?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Friedman, Joseph & York, Hunter & Mokdad, Ali & Gakidou, Emmanuela, 2020. "US Children ‘Learning Online’ During COVID-19 Without the Internet or a Computer: Visualizing the Gradient by Race/Ethnicity and Parental Educational Attainment," SocArXiv 42trc, Center for Open Science.
    2. Joseph Friedman & Hunter York & Nicholas Graetz & Lauren Woyczynski & Joanna Whisnant & Simon I. Hay & Emmanuela Gakidou, 2020. "Measuring and forecasting progress towards the education-related SDG targets," Nature, Nature, vol. 580(7805), pages 636-639, April.
    3. Paul E Farmer & Bruce Nizeye & Sara Stulac & Salmaan Keshavjee, 2006. "Structural Violence and Clinical Medicine," PLOS Medicine, Public Library of Science, vol. 3(10), pages 1-6, October.
    4. Johan P. Mackenbach & José Rubio Valverde & Barbara Artnik & Matthias Bopp & Henrik Brønnum-Hansen & Patrick Deboosere & Ramune Kalediene & Katalin Kovács & Mall Leinsalu & Pekka Martikainen & Gwenn M, 2018. "Trends in health inequalities in 27 European countries," Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, vol. 115(25), pages 6440-6445, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Gayitri Kavita Indar & Christine Sharon Barrow & Warren E. Whitaker, 2023. "A Convergence of Violence: Structural Violence Experiences of K–12, Black, Disabled Males across Multiple Systems," Laws, MDPI, vol. 12(5), pages 1-21, September.
    2. Agnieszka Strzelecka, 2021. "The Field of “Public Health” as a Component of Sustainable Development—Poland Compared to the European Union," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(18), pages 1-20, September.
    3. Matthew Williams & Non Arkaraprasertkul, 2017. "Mobility in a global city: Making sense of Shanghai’s growing automobile-dominated transport culture," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 54(10), pages 2232-2248, August.
    4. Alkire, Sabina & Nogales, Ricardo & Quinn, Natalie Naïri & Suppa, Nicolai, 2021. "Global multidimensional poverty and COVID-19: A decade of progress at risk?," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 291(C).
    5. Sparke, Matthew, 2017. "Austerity and the embodiment of neoliberalism as ill-health: Towards a theory of biological sub-citizenship," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 187(C), pages 287-295.
    6. Blaabæk, Ea Hoppe & Andersen, Lars Højsgaard & Fallesen, Peter, 2024. "From unequal injuries to unequal learning? Socioeconomic gradients in childhood concussions and the impact on children's academic performance," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 341(C).
    7. Gordon Dahl & Claus Thustrup Kreiner & Torben Heien Nielsen & Benjamin Ly Serena, 2020. "Linking Changes in Inequality in Life Expectancy and Mortality: Evidence from Denmark and the United States," NBER Working Papers 27509, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    8. Michael A. Flynn & Pietra Check & Andrea L. Steege & Jacqueline M. Sivén & Laura N. Syron, 2021. "Health Equity and a Paradigm Shift in Occupational Safety and Health," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(1), pages 1-13, December.
    9. Cheney, Ann M. & Newkirk, Christine & Rodriguez, Katheryn & Montez, Anselmo, 2018. "Inequality and health among foreign-born latinos in rural borderland communities," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 215(C), pages 115-122.
    10. Shilo St. Cyr & Elise Trott Jaramillo & Laura Garrison & Lorraine Halinka Malcoe & Stephen R. Shamblen & Cathleen E. Willging, 2021. "Intimate Partner Violence and Structural Violence in the Lives of Incarcerated Women: A Mixed-Method Study in Rural New Mexico," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(12), pages 1-16, June.
    11. Pursch, Benita & Tate, Alexandra & Legido-Quigley, Helena & Howard, Natasha, 2020. "Health for all? A qualitative study of NGO support to migrants affected by structural violence in northern France," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 248(C).
    12. Panter-Brick, Catherine & Eggerman, Mark, 2018. "The field of medical anthropology in Social Science & Medicine," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 196(C), pages 233-239.
    13. Gamlin, Jennie B., 2013. "Shame as a barrier to health seeking among indigenous Huichol migrant labourers: An interpretive approach of the “violence continuum” and “authoritative knowledge”," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 97(C), pages 75-81.
    14. Mendelsohn, Joshua B. & Rhodes, Tim & Spiegel, Paul & Schilperoord, Marian & Burton, John Wagacha & Balasundaram, Susheela & Wong, Chunting & Ross, David A., 2014. "Bounded agency in humanitarian settings: A qualitative study of adherence to antiretroviral therapy among refugees situated in Kenya and Malaysia," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 120(C), pages 387-395.
    15. Colin Forsyth & Sheba Meymandi & Ilan Moss & Jason Cone & Rachel Cohen & Carolina Batista, 2019. "Proposed multidimensional framework for understanding Chagas disease healthcare barriers in the United States," PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(9), pages 1-23, September.
    16. Gordon B. Dahl & Claus Thustrup Kreiner & Torben Heien Nielsen & Benjamin Ly Serena, 2024. "Understanding the Rise in Life Expectancy Inequality," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 106(2), pages 566-575, March.
    17. Yang, Lawrence H. & Chen, Fang-pei & Sia, Kathleen Janel & Lam, Jonathan & Lam, Katherine & Ngo, Hong & Lee, Sing & Kleinman, Arthur & Good, Byron, 2014. "“What matters most:” A cultural mechanism moderating structural vulnerability and moral experience of mental illness stigma," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 103(C), pages 84-93.
    18. Marlow, Marguerite & Christie, Hope & Skeen, Sarah & Rabie, Stephan & Louw, Jacobus G. & Swartz, Leslie & Mofokeng, Shoeshoe & Makhetha, Moroesi & Tomlinson, Mark, 2021. "Alcohol use during pregnancy in rural Lesotho: “There is nothing else except alcohol”," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 291(C).
    19. Hjorthen, Sofie L. & Sund, Erik R. & Skalická, Věra & Eikemo, Terje Andreas & Getz, Linn Okkenhaug & Krokstad, Steinar, 2022. "Trends in absolute and relative educational inequalities in health during times of labour market restructuring in coastal areas: The HUNT Study, Norway," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 292(C).
    20. Richardson, Eugene T. & Malik, Momin M. & Darity, William A. & Mullen, A. Kirsten & Morse, Michelle E. & Malik, Maya & Maybank, Aletha & Bassett, Mary T. & Farmer, Paul E. & Worden, Lee & Jones, James, 2021. "Reparations for Black American descendants of persons enslaved in the U.S. and their potential impact on SARS-CoV-2 transmission," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 276(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:289:y:2021:i:c:s0277953621007875. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/315/description#description .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.