Discourse analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Discourse analysis - Essay Example In this piece of conversation, the major theme is a dispute between three children, with the younger children Ayesha and Zaynad appearing to unite and take sides against the elder Kahlidja. The major issue is whether or not Khalidja went to her aunt’s house to read the evening prayer to her aunt and whether she was doing her school work on her computer or downloading other materials. In the process of arriving at a resolution of what appears to be a simple issue, the conversation in this instance reveals conflicts arising out of the differences between the conveying of a message by a speaker and its interpretation by a listener. Wardaugh (1985) states that conversation is a social activity, the participants must take each others’ feelings and sensitivities into account if communication is to be successful. They need to be conscious of each others’ needs especially the need not to be offended (Wardaugh,1985:2). In this transcript, there are several instances where participants interrupt each other, and also offend each other. For instance, analyzing the conversational trend shows that the confrontational stance seems to have developed because of the lack of sensitivity of the participants about not offending each other. For example, the conflict has developed because both Zaynab and Ayesha have alleged that Khalidja did NOT go to the mosque, whereas a better conversational approach could have been to pose their doubts about her attendance at a mosque in the form of a question. As Wardaugh (1985) states, the social nature of conversation mandates that all participants should get equal opportunities to speak; in this transcript however, some of the linguistic characteristics that may be noted arise out of the lack of sensitivity of the participants. Zaynab in particular, being the youngest, has been interrupted ever so often; hence he does not have the same opportunities for participation th at the others

The relationship between the Strategic Position and Strategic Choices Essay

The relationship between the Strategic Position and Strategic Choices of Marks & Spencer plc - Essay Example The company that is the subject of this research is Marks and Spencer Plc. (M&S), one of the foremost British transnational retailer. It was established in the year 1884. Over the years, it has operated its business in the global retail industry and provided a wide range of products and services to its customers such as clothing, food along with financial instrument among others. Marks and Spencer has franchises in several countries such as China, Indonesia and South Korea among others. In early 1990s, it had started to establish its brand image and subsequently emerged as a household name on the global market. However, the organization has lost its acclaim in the global platform to a certain extent during the last decade. Unfortunately, since last few years, Marks and Spencer has been losing its competitive power on the global retail industry. Competitors such as Arcadia Group Limited, Benetton Group, Oasis and The Gap and Burberry Group among others are eventually coming up with ex citing and innovative trends to attract the global customers. This factor has been resulting in a steep decline for Marks and Spencer. With the consideration of these facts, the study intends to define and comprehend the notions of strategic position and strategic choices and subsequently desires to integrate the notions with the presented scenarios in the case study related to the operations of Marks and Spencer.

How Can We Improve Child Care Safety in the United States Research Paper

How Can We Improve Child Care Safety in the United States - Research Paper Example As a result, children spend more time outside home rather than with their parents. Most of the child care service providers in the US operate under unlicensed and unchecked contexts where the caregivers often lack formal training in the discipline. Since these services are more convenient and less expensive for the parents, they prefer sending their children to neighborhood childcare centers. There have been many well documented cases of children getting injured while in day care centers including falls, poisoning, drowning, electric shock, and so on (Runyan and Gray et al., 1991). A large number of children attend organized group child care and a significant number of them get injuries while in the day care. Hence, the safety of children in child care has become a public health concern. After the instance of child care issues and safety concerns, several legislative efforts have been made. Although no formal federal regulations existed previously except for a few centers, regulation s and licensing procedures now exist to provide a standard for child care center and their safety. Several bodies of pediatricians and other social workers exist that work to improve the safety and standards of child care. ... egivers therefore they must be trained in order to educate and aid healthy growth of children (â€Å"Stepping Stones to Caring for Our Children†, 2013). Advocacy Efforts Several legislative efforts were made since the documentation of child care injuries and diseases in day care centers. Now child care laws and licensing regulations and standards exist. These provide specific rules and requirements for quality standards and licensing of child care centers. Each state has a different rule or procedure for child care even though most of these regulations coincide. The government of US has defined a broad set of disease and injury prevention improvements, medication requirements, and so on, as a general policy. The US government also raises child care awareness among people, aids research and publication in the field, and funds the training of child care professionals (Office of Child Care, 2013). Although the US government has been keen on financing early child care and developm ent, several public notions has inhibited the thoughtful federal government gesture. Many people believe that raising their own child is a matter between the parents and the child and therefore should involve no government intervention. Also, a public view which supports only mother care is against the federal financing of child care. Such attitudes towards government financing of child care has obstructed the consistency of federal financing. However, such values have shown a decline particularly after the increase of employed women in the US workforce (Cohen, 1996). Initially, only state governments enforced child care laws except a few federally regulated child care centers (Runyan and Gray et al., 1991). Now, the US government has its own separate Office for Child Care that provides guidelines

Caring for the Earth and Its Inhabitants Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 58

Caring for the Earth and Its Inhabitants - Essay Example This study stresses that, the natural systems of the world are negatively affected either directly by the change in temperatures or indirectly by changes in sea level, melting of glaciers, alterations in forest patterns, changes in pH of oceans, climate change etc. One of the foremost impacts of the climate change has started to occur in the Arctic and the Antarctic regions since their high altitudes play a major factor in the rate of warming of these regions. Rapid melting of ice has aid the prospects of ice-free summers which can potentially eradicate an entire biome from the region. The biodiversity of these regions ranging from algae to the polar bears are accustomed to living on ice and the elevating temperatures pose a grave threat to their existence. The global climate change has also affected the marine system of the world. This has primarily occurred owing to the acidification of the ocean waters. The increasing amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere also leads to enhanc ed dissolving of the gas into the ocean waters which increases the acidity of the waters and affects both plant and animal life. Ocean acidification leads to coral bleaching and dissolution of shells and skeletons of marine organisms. It is an undeniable fact that global warming has been accelerated by anthropogenic activities and it is up to us to control the damage. Conservation of animals is not the only option since we need to work at the very roots of the problem. One of the most important steps at the individual level is to decrease the carbon footprint. This can be done by altering our habits of energy usage, decreasing waste and recycling. At the societal level, we need to enhance green technologies, reduce emissions and adopt sustainable energy sources such as wind, hydro etc.

Immanuel Kant - Metaphysics of Morals Essay Example for Free

Immanuel Kant Metaphysics of Morals Essay In his publication, Foundations of the Metaphysics of Morals, Immanuel Kant supplies his readers with a thesis that claims morality can be derived from the principle of the categorical imperative. The strongest argument to support his thesis is the difference between actions in accordance with duty and actions in accordance from duty. To setup his thesis, Kant first draws a distinction between empirical and a priori concepts. Empirical concepts are ideas we reach from our experiences in the world. On the other hand and in contrast, a priori concepts are ideas we reach as an end point of reasoning prior to or apart from any experience of how things occur in the world. Kant then claims that moral actions are supposed done for the reason of morality alone. This train of thought leads to the conclusion that an understanding of morality must be based on a priori concepts of reason. Truly moral ideas are then universally valid if and only if they are based on a priori concepts. From this idea of a priori concepts, Kant begins his thesis with the notion that the only thing in the world that is a qualified good is the good will, even if its efforts bring about a not necessarily good result. A good will is good because of the willing that is involved. Two main implications arise with this idea of the good will. The first implication is moral actions cannot have impure motivations. There are many impure motivations but Kant tends to focus mainly on the motives of the pursuit of happiness and self-preservation. Second, moral actions cannot be based on the speculations of the probable results. This action is not good in itself but good because it brought about a more desirable outcome. Thus, Kant arrives at the conclusion that for an action to be considered to have genuine moral worth its motive must be that of dutifulness to moral law. In Foundations of the Metaphysics of Morals, Kant lays out three propositions about duty. The first is the will is a morally good action if it is done in accordance from duty, as opposed to an action done in accordance with duty. The second proposition is that actions are judged by the maxim or principle that was the motivation behind the action. If someone undertakes an action with the only motivation being that of a sense of duty, they are following a valid a priori action. On the other hand if they decide to undertake an action in order to bring about a desired result, then their motivation is one that is beyond mere duty. Kants third proposition then explains that is not the respect for the power of the law but rather it is the moral motivation of an individual who acknowledges that the law is an imperative of reason that trumps our other interests. The will, as Kant describes, is of practical reason. A rational being is an individual who has the capacity to execute their behavior by the conceptions of laws. This discipline of action is also known as the will. Our judgment that advises us on our action is known as an imperative or a command to act on a certain motive. An imperative can be either hypothetical or categorical. In the hypothetical imperative one acknowledges an action as right or necessary if it is a manner in which to obtain or achieve a certain goal. As such you would act on an action if a previous circumstance has taken place. These types of actions come from our previous experiences and counsel us to a way in which our desires can be achieved. Thus, an action cannot be held universally valid at all times if its goal is to acquire some objective of desire under a certain set of conditions. If the goal is ultimately happiness, we are unable to set any universally hypothetical imperatives for happiness. This is because the definition of happiness differs from person to person. One mans happiness can very well be another mans misery. As Kant explains, a binding moral law then cannot be equivalent or parallel to a hypothetical imperative. Pure reason comes from the ability to consider neither a motivating condition accompanying another nor its intended results. With that, we then need to find a principle with universal validity or a principle that is valid no matter what issue is being considered. A priori principles of reason are the only principles that fit this standard on which a judgment or decision may be based. Hence, Immanuel Kant formulates that a moral imperative is one that is an unconditional or categorical imperative. A categorical imperative is our moral consciousness to do our duty because we ought to do our duty instead of pursuing our own desires attached to the duty. Such an imperative is driven by pure reason. Because we exclude our desires or maxims, we need only to focus on the form of our imperative. The form needs to be universally applicable or valid for all rational beings to follow. Thus, Kant gives us only one categorical imperative and it is Act only according to that maxim by which you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law (Kant pg. 38). This universal law of morality states that we should act in such a way that we could will the maxim of our action to become universally applicable. This should be used as the criterion to determine whether or not a maxim is morally valid. Before we are able to apply a maxim to this categorical imperative, it is required that the maxim first, be fit to be a law of nature and second, is based on a notion that all actions have ends. The second pertains to the idea that men and women are ends in themselves. No maxim that does not impose or imply respect as a necessary accompaniment for men and women can be a moral law valid for everyone. Third, we must see every rational being as able to make universal laws. Last, the maxim requires the moral agent to act as a lawgiving member of all persons. From these points, two important ideas arise. The ideas deal with the autonomy of the will and dignity of the individual. Each person is essentially their own lawmaker, obeying the laws that they give themselves as a rational being. A person is not bound to a law by fear or hope of some reward, but freely bound to it by their lawgiving ability. This moral will is autonomous. Autonomy, which means self-law, is the only way Kant believes an individual to achieve the ultimate freedom. If an individual obeys laws from some other lawgiver, such as God and government, because of fear of punishment or hope of reward, he or she is not truly free. I feel the strongest objection to this thesis is Kant does not take enough consideration to human beings natural emotions. I believe his thesis weighs to heavily on mere reason alone without any emphasis on the emotional component of our morality. Kants perception that morality is a chore neglects the fact that by performing actions from duty individuals can obtain a somewhat subtle level of personal gratification from partaking in such acts that are not generally enjoyable to execute. I am not thoroughly convinced that if you are able to gain some happiness and reward from an action that is not generally alluring. The strengths of my personal view rely on the possibility of achieving a feeling of reward by completing an obligation. I feel there is an importance of doing something with a smile on your face. If you are unhappy to perform a moral action it will to reveal outwardly or make apparent that your heart is elsewhere, thus, tainting the action. However, if you perform these tasks seeking a somewhat level of enjoyment others will notice that you truly care about what it is you are doing and perceive the action to be a notable one. The weakness is obviously that you will be more probable to engage and look to engage in more actions that will give you this appeal and instant gratification. This is not an ideal situation because placing a slight neglect to a duty or obligation that you might not find appeal in defeats the purpose of completing all of the obligations set for us to go through with. Kants thesis has strength in the fact that the universal law seems closely related to the golden rule, which is do on to others as you would have others do on to you. With a statement as such it is awfully arduous to not perform a moral action. The weakness still lies in the fact Kant takes little to no consideration to humans natural emotions and feelings. Leading a moral life does not have to be a melancholy life, one in which you are bound to an endless amount of duties that you can seek no joy in. Whether or not Kant intended to make morality seem like torture, it appears it comes off in this manner. Kants overall view of morality appears near flawless. If there was a manner in which he could have incorporated a leeway for some emotions, I feel his thesis is in actuality how each individual should lead his or her life. .

Film Noir Elements In The Movie Memento Film Studies Essay

Film Noir Elements In The Movie Memento Film Studies Essay There is yet to be a definition to be created to accurately capture the genre of Noir in film. The concept was first coined by French film critics who noticed the trend of how dark, downbeat and black the looks and themes were of many American crime and detective films released in France to theatres following the war(Film Noir). The term noir is a French word which literally means black or dark. The connotation attached to the term later on came to be those films which depicted crime, strangeness, cruelty, brutality, violence and similar other attributes. The period for Noir films flourished in the 1940s up to the 1950s, which were aptly called the classic noir period in movies. Later on, from the 1960s up to the current times, other types of noir films were conceptualized like the neo-noir and the science fiction noir, all concepts of which were derived from or echoed the original classic noir genus. Memento is one movie which typifies the film noir genre in that it has numerous elements which categorically makes it as one. Primarily, the existence of a lonely, confused and troubled protagonist (Schoenherr) is there. Add to this the other elements like the black-and-white scenes, the struggle, the seemingly bleak situations, the crimes perpetrated, the underground investigations, the voice-overs of the lead character, evil, paranoia and deception among other things. An interesting feature of this film though is the story unfolding from its end going up to the supposed initial scenes which took place. It is not narrated exactly in a circular motion but rather they are presented in chunks of about 10 minutes each. Aside from this, there is the alternate presentation of the colored and black-and-white formats to add narration and further expound on the sequence of events. Film noir operates on specific social, cultural and historical contexts. In this particular film, the social context used is that of the protagonist becoming a different man after the rape and murder of his wife. Leonard or Lenny loses his memory after he shoots his wifes rapist and he is shoved and clubbed by the rapists companion. His head hits the bathroom mirror, and from then on, he becomes afflicted with Anterograde Amnesia or not being able to retain his short-term memory. Lennys memories before the accident are intact and his last memories are of his wife being murdered, hence, his ever- enduring quest to avenge her death. Most people now think of Lenny as a freak for not being able to remember thoughts, names, faces and events which are a regular part of the memory of normal people since he forgets his thoughts and the things he does after 15 minutes or so. However, Lenny struggles to keep his sanity by taking Polaroid pictures and immediately labeling them, writing down his ideas, and tattooing the more important thoughts on his body. Having no family to call his own, he lives in a motel room and is suspicious of everyone. His lifes direction is motivated by vengeance and a major part of the film is spent on this desire to kill. The cultural context of the film is the type of culture that was used in the movie. The setting is sometime during the 2000s in Nevada. It is not shown if the protagonist had a lot of friends before the incident which led to his condition, but it is presumed that it was probably a case of not wanting to be identified with someone with a stigma of mental illness. The only friend who was identified as someone who knew Lenny immediately after the accident was Teddy, who was the one who helped Lenny to find and kill the original murderer of his wife, and then again Jimmy G. who was also killed by Lenny. As such, it meant that the culture held a discriminating attitude towards this mental illness. Pertaining to historical context, the practice of tattooing as a body art was prevalent from the late 1990s up to the 2000s. This was a period when tattooing was no longer considered as objects of diversion done in prison cells but rather as an art form to express oneself. In the movie, the lead character made use of tattoos on his body to remind himself of essential facts/details which he always wanted to be reminded of. Although not used as an art form, the existence of tattoo parlors in the locality denoted an acceptance of the practice of self-expression, which worked quite well for Lenny. It was also a time when Polaroids were popularly used and Leonard fully exhausted the Polaroids capability to assist him in remembering people and places with his depressing mental condition. According to Filmsite.org, the primary moods of classic film noir were melancholy, alienation, bleakness, disillusionment, disenchantment, pessimism, ambiguity, moral corruption, evil, guilt, desperation and paranoia (Film Noir). These themes are evident in the seclusion, isolation and omnipresent monologues of the lead character who wanted to establish the links to find meaning in his life. A wide array of emotions ranging from suspicion, confusion, naivete, loneliness, alienation, hatred, and bewilderment among others were efficiently delivered by the lead actor to the viewers who empathized with him in his daily struggle to survive. Noir movies characteristically have a protagonist who is usually reclusive, generally disturbed and commonly pessimistic. The lead character in Memento is not the typical protagonist since he lives his life everyday like a clean new slate. Just like the first part of this movie where a Polaroid picture was being undeveloped, Lenny lived his life always careworn to find out what he had been doing and what he should be doing next. His ultimate aim was to find his wifes killer, a task which Teddy assists him with. Although he is somewhat of the withdrawn type, Lenny is still enthusiastic about life and is confident that his Polaroids, notes and tattoos are taking him somewhere. Different noir styles were also apparent throughout the film. One is that storylines were often elliptical, non-linear and twisting (Film Noir) which connotes the unique presentation customarily associated with noir. Regular films are often presented in a manner where the story unfolds conventionally from beginning to end. The story told backwards and in bits and pieces was a unique way of entrancing the audience into being an active participant in the life of Leonard, trying to come up with his/her own conclusions or links to previous scenes and events. Amnesia suffered by the protagonist was a common plot device (Film Noir) which was obviously the illness which the lead character was afflicted with. This sort of justified the way with which Lenny killed the possible murderers without remorse or guilt since his brain was devoid of any emotions relating to pity and mercy. Furthermore, it is said that the protagonists in film noir were normally driven by their past or by human weaknes s to repeat former mistakes(Film Noir) which is what happens to Lenny as the film unfolds. It is only later in the movie that it is revealed that Lenny had already killed his wifes murderer, and Teddy had even taken a Polaroid shot of him after the said killing. It was due to his mental condition that Lenny was not able to remember the incident which Teddy later used to his advantage in getting rid of Jimmy G. who was a drug dealer. The original story of Memento was an idea brought forward by the brother of the movies director, Jonathan Nolan in the late 1990s. The storyline was finished after several months and director Christopher Nolan came up with the idea that he wanted to tell the movie backwards, hence the screenplay was manipulated in a way where shot sequences were cut up into small bits. In between the colored takes were the non-colored shots to denote two timelines of what was the past and the present respectively. At some point towards the end of the movie, the black-and-white scene becomes colored specifically when Lenny takes the Polaroid picture of the dead Jimmy G, who was the second murder suspect endorsed by Teddy. This signified the beginning of a new chapter in the life of Leonard, and the true commencement of the story which somehow tragically ends with the death of its instigator, Teddy. The artistry presented in the film being of a different genre is as previously mentioned largely seen in the storys presentation to the viewer. The lead actor was also shown in black-and-white scenes and colored ones which showed contrasting characters one, the rugged, unshaven, unkempt, menacing and confused character who shoots the gun at Jimmy G. in black-and-white, and the other, the suit-clad formally dressed and more confident Lenny who drives a Jaguar in colored film. This implies that the main character had good and bad traits, although the bad traits were more emphasized but later exposed to be manipulations done by some of the other characters in the plot. One of these characters is Natalie who represents the femme fatale element in the movie, and who adds further intricacies to the plot and manipulates Lenny into a mental tug-of-war with Teddys statements. The cinematography of the film was excellent as emphasis was done where it was necessary, and accurate illumination was also appropriately achieved. Editing was also good especially in the cuts of the film that had to be fed in several lumps, and in two different formats of color and BW. Continuity in the film was smooth and flowed effortlessly. The film scoring was suitable and elicited empathy from the viewer in the scenes where dialogues were not really necessary. The closest thing to special effects in the film was the way that the first sequence was presented to the viewer where the Polaroid shot was being undeveloped instead of the other way around. It goes back up to the time Lenny shoots Teddy and the latter was screaming for his life. Acting in the film was superb. Guy Pearce as Leonard was able to deliver all the emotions expected from him and thus elicited the required compassion from the viewer. Teddy, Natalie, Sammy Jankins and all the other actors also did a good job in making the plot more focused on the plight of the main character, thereby allowing Lenny to stand out. The movie Memento has some allusions to significant theories and concepts. One of these is the concept of Cultural Materialism. The most active proponent of Cultural Materialism is Marvin Harris and the premise of this theory is that the social life of a human being is a direct response to problems arising from his earthly existence. Leonards actions can be rationalized as a practice of cultural materialism because he is merely responding to his problems instead of taking a proactive role in it. This is due in large part to his illness which he cannot control and which allows him to be manipulated by some shady characters in the film. Existentialism is another concept which is apparent in this movie. The plot evolves around the lead character, Leonard, who tries to find meaning in his existence as he grapples with his affliction rendering him confused and stressed at most times. He tries hard to think and look back but cannot, and this is what leads him to try to devise ways in which he could remember things, events, places and people who have somehow played an important role in his life, after the accident which claimed his short-term memory. Lastly, there is the hint of self-determination as seen in the main character as he tries his best to make decisions without the influence of others. Unfortunately, he was not aware of the subtle approach which was used by the movies disreputable characters who were always one step ahead of him in his plans. Still, it was revealed near the movies end that Lenny was also utilizing his selective memory to manipulate the situation in such a way as to be able to create and continually re-create his motives for vengeance. Since finding the possible suspects to his wifes murder was the only impetus which kept him alive, it was a need he had to satiate, and hence, an inspiration which kept him continually in pursuit of.

GDP vs Life Expectancy of Countries

GDP vs Life Expectancy of Countries We have chosen to discuss the relationship between GDP per capita vs. life expectancy at birth.   At first glance, it would appear that the GDP and wealth of a country should directly impact the life expectancy of its citizens.   However, when looking at the graph we see that while there is definitely a correlation between GDP and life expectancy, their relationship isnt linear.   This graph shows that the countries which have a GDP of less than $10000 USD per capita have a life expectancy ranging from 45-80 years.   In addition, the countries with a GDP of $15000- $40000 per capita have a relatively steady life expectancy of about 80 years with a slight decrease as the GDP approaches $40000.   This gives the graph a backwards L shape which is referred to as a Preston Curve1. In the poorer half of the world, the life expectancy ranges drastically between 45-80 years.   The countries with the lowest life expectancy are almost always affected by their GDP.   When a country has a low GDP, the citizens dont have enough money for essentials to survive.   They are forced to buy the cheapest foods which dont have the proper amounts of nutrients required to live long, healthy lives.   Likewise, these governments usually do not have enough money to support and aid these citizens.   Additionally, countries with low GDP tend to have poor health care systems to treat the terminally ill.   This issue is exacerbated in these places because the poorer countries are more likely to stricken with serious, potentially life threatening diseases like HIV.   On the other hand, many countries with low GDPs have a very high life expectancy.   One possible explanation for this phenomenon is that these countries are heavily involved in farming and agriculture.   Thus, they have easy, cheap access to healthy food and other essentials to survive while not contributing much to the GDP2.   Another possible conjecture is that these countries have many citizens that are involved in illegal smuggling.   A prime example is Mexico which has a GDP of a mere $6228 USD per capita coupled with a respectable life expectancy of 76 years.   These people can become very wealthy and live elegant, plentiful lives while contributing $0 to the GDP as much of their incomes is not reported because they do everything under the table.   A third explanation why some countries have a high life expectancy despite a low GDP is because its government strongly prioritizes needs over wants.   Cuba is a good example of this.   They have a very strong social support network that provides health coverage, government pensions and economic support to poor families3.   While poor countries are definitely impacted by low GDP, they have many ways to live long lives without too much money.   In the wealthier half of the world, life expectancy has remained steady at 80 years with a minor drop at the highest GDP levels.   There are many ideas to explain the steadiness in this part of the world.   Firstly, people in the top quarter of the world usually dont spend more on essentials than the second quarter of people.   They tend to spend more on wants such as fancy cars, vacations, electronics, etc.   Hence, the second quarter isnt lacking in any essentials that the first quarter has that would affect their life expectancy.   Additionally, almost all governments in the top half of the world have excellent social and health services.   Thus, even the poor in these countries receive appropriate and suitable care.   However, as we approach the richest countries, the graph takes a slight dip down.   Some statisticians believe that there is nothing concrete to suggest any definitive reasons for this.   However, some try to explain this phenomenon.   Firstl y, people with a high income are more susceptible to traffic fatalities as they are usually on the road more often.   Similarly, they have the means to participate in risky, thrill seeking and expensive activities like sky diving.   These people also tend to drink more which can lead to all sorts of illnesses.  Ã‚   Another explanation given is pollution.   The richest countries are the ones with the resources to produce high amounts of pollution.   It has been proven that young children are especially susceptible to this.  Ã‚   Economists Kenneth Chay and Michael Greenstone think that the 1981-1982 oil shock recession may have saved as many as 2,500 infant lives in the United States through the slight reductions in air pollution caused by the reduced economic activity4.   To summarize, although there is definitely a connection between high GDP and long lives, the relationship isnt perfect. As with any study, it is very difficult to distinguish between correlation and causation.   Does A cause B? Or does B cause A? Is there a confounding or mediating factor? The relationship between GDP and life expectancy is no exception.   While we cant definitively prove that there is a causal effect, there is a strong correlation.   As a result, it is incumbent on the governments in countries to with low life expectancy to take steps to increase the life expectancy of their citizens. Some examples include but are not limited to educational programs and food vouchers. It is our fervent hope that one day the life expectancy across the globe will be similar regardless of financial status. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preston_curve http://www.statisticalconsultants.co.nz/blog/life-expectancy-at-birth-versus-gdp-per-capita-ppp.html http://financialnerd.com/relationship-life-span-gdp-per-capita/ https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/10/the-relationship-between-gdp-and-life-expectancy-isnt-as-simple-as-you-might-think