Social injustice is an essential topic in today’s world as it affects the lives and opportunities of people worldwide. “Structural violence” is a term introduced into scientific use by sociologist Johan Galtung in 1969 (College of Public Health and Human Sciences). This is a type of violence carried out not by an individual but by a social institution or structure. Structural violence is the myriad ways political, economic, and social institutions expose certain population groups to heightened risks (Farmer, 1996). Differences can be gender, race, economic, medical, etc. (Farmer, 1996). Structural violence is associated with human suffering, as its consequences lead to increased physical and psychological illness risks, lower quality of life, lower income, and higher mortality (Farmer, 1996). It is a kind of violence that puts whole social groups at specific risks of suffering.
In “On suffering and structural violence: A view from below,” Paul Farmer describes the many practices of structural violence that include poverty, racism, gender inequality, and other forms of discrimination. He described the example of contemporary Haiti in the 1990s, where life was like a war (Farmer, 1996). Thus, Farmer studied the effects of structural violence on Haitian peasants and how this reduced their well-being scores.
Structural violence exacerbates many social problems, such as unequal access to healthcare. Health care is a commodity in the US, so the poorer people are, the less opportunity they have for quality health care. Moreover, educational programs and medical research are often conducted on one type of patient – white men. This means that people of other races and genders may receive less quality care because health workers do not have enough experience and knowledge to provide equally qualified care.
Poverty is a form of structural violence that creates a social group exposed to risks. People in the lower strata receive worse living conditions, education, and health care, resulting in fewer career and social opportunities. This leads to chronic and dynastic poverty when people are disadvantaged all their lives or generations (Farmer, 1996). It is impossible to get out of this form of poverty, as society restricts the admission of people to social elevators based on their belonging to the lower economic class.
References
College of Public Health and Human Sciences. (2017). Global health and structural violence [Video]. YouTube. Web.
Farmer, P. (1996). On suffering and structural violence: A view from below. Daedalus, 125(1), 261-283.