About 40 students, faculty members and members of the Evanston community gathered at Hardin Hall Tuesday to learn about the relationship between economic equality and common societal problems.

Social epidemiology scholars Prof. Richard Wilkinson of the University of Nottingham and Prof. Kate Pickett of the University of York spoke about their new book, “The Spirit Level: Why Greater Equality Makes Societies Stronger.” The book, first published in December, analyzes how greater economic equality relates to stronger societies, Wilkinson said.

“Inequality is divisive and politically corrosive,” he said.

The event, organized by the Institute for Policy Research, was part of the organization’s effort to reduce health disparities through research, knowledge, practice and policy, said P. Lindsay Chase-Lansdale, professor of developmental psychology in SESP and director of Cells to Society: The Center on Social Disparities and Health.

“It really represents the importance of thinking about whole population patterns amongst countries and amongst states,” she said.

The lecturers explained how a wide variety of data on life expectancy, literacy levels, math abilities, infant mortality, homicide, imprisonment, teenage pregnancy, interpersonal trust, obesity, mental illness and social mobility are all directly related to the level of inequality in a particular country.

“More equal societies appear to be more innovative and more creative,” Pickett said.

Research shows high inequality within a country can deprive people of 10 to 15 percent of life expectancy, Wilkinson said. Pickett added that more equal countries have about 200 people out of 100,000 in prison, while more unequal countries have about 700. The same is true among U.S. states, Pickett said. In more equal states, like Arkansas and Utah, 10 to 15 percent of students drop out of high school, while states with significant disparities, like New York and Louisiana, have dropout rates above 25 percent, Pickett said.

“Almost all of us benefit from greater equality,” she said.

Inequality also increases status competition, which contributes to climate change, Pickett said. In a competitive society, people crave designer labels, big houses and cars, which can lead to greater gas emissions, she said.

“Equality has a lot to offer us as we move toward more sustainable communities,” Pickett said.

Chase-Landsdale said she was pleased with the turnout.

“It went great,” she said. “They did a nice job displaying the argument.”[email protected]