University of Twente Student Theses
To what extent do the exacerbating effects of air pollution on social inequality also occur in industrialised countries with a comparatively low level of social inequality? : An analysis of the German case of Duisburg
Heuer, S.M. (2024) To what extent do the exacerbating effects of air pollution on social inequality also occur in industrialised countries with a comparatively low level of social inequality? : An analysis of the German case of Duisburg.
|
PDF
3MB |
| Abstract: | This empirical work aims to elaborate on the impact of air pollution on social inequality in terms of health, residential and income inequality. Despite the progress in reducing air pollution in the past few decades, there is still great potential for improvement as the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) guideline values for air pollution are still not met. Particularly problematic about high air pollution is that disadvantaged people suffer most from the negative social consequences which further exacerbates social inequality. Due to the limited availability of qualitative literature on the research object as well as the lack of research about industrialised countries, a qualitative single case study of the German city Duisburg is carried out to test how air pollution influences the three central dimensions of social inequality (health, residential and income inequality) and what the interaction effects between the dimensions are. Data is triangulated through document-based desk research on air pollution mitigation policies, on the one hand, and the conduction of in-depth expert interviews, on the other hand, to increase the validity and robustness of the qualitative data. Thereby this thesis makes an important contribution to explaining the effects of air pollution on multi-dimensional social inequality in industrialised countries. It reveals the patterns and mechanisms behind the influence of air pollution and proves that they favour the emergence of an environmental health-poverty trap. The findings of this thesis demonstrate that, despite the existence of a welfare state, air pollution has negative effects on social inequality in the German city of Duisburg, which particularly affects the more disadvantaged groups of people. Nevertheless, the interviews have revealed that researchers from the municipal offices have started to realise the negative interconnection of air pollution and social inequality and are showing great ambition for improvement. They are trying to influence local policymakers through implementation-oriented policy recommendations following an integrated approach. The distinctive feature of their project’s integrated approach not only facilitates a clear understanding of the interconnections between social and environmental problems but also creates optimal conditions for the overall improvement of air pollution and social inequality problems. |
| Item Type: | Essay (Master) |
| Faculty: | BMS: Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences |
| Subject: | 89 political science |
| Programme: | European Studies MSc (69303) |
| Link to this item: | https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/100484 |
| Export this item as: | BibTeX EndNote HTML Citation Reference Manager |
Show download statistics for this publication
Show download statistics for this publicationRepository Staff Only: item control page