LM+Annotation+10 

Evans, Gary W., and Elyse Kantrowitz. “Socioeconomic Status and Health: The Potential Role of Environmental Risk Exposure.” //Annual Review of Public Health// 23.1 (2002): 303–331. //CrossRef//. Web. 6 Oct. 2013.


 * 1. What three quotes capture the critical import of the text?**

• “In this paper we provide an overview of data indicating that income is inversely correlated with exposure to suboptimal environmental conditions. By environmental conditions we mean the physical properties of the ambient and immediate surroundings of children, youth, and families, including pollutants, toxins, noise, and crowding as well as exposure to settings such as housing, schools, work environments, and neighborhoods. We also brieﬂy cite evidence that each of these environmental factors, in turn, is linked to health.” (303)

• “The amount and quality of research on environmental effects on health and well-being are substantially greater than evidence of income differentials in exposure to poor environmental quality” (319)

• “…we hypothesize that the likelihood of singular environmental exposure accounting for the SES health gradient is small. We believe that it is the conﬂuence of suboptimal conditions that is most likely to function as a potent mechanism helping to account for SES-related differences in health. Research on cumulative risk exposure among children offers a useful analogue. This work shows that children exposed to one or perhaps two serious risk factors suffer at most modest decrements in psychological or cognitive functioning. However, the accumulation of multiple risk factors dramatically elevates the probability of adverse socioemotional and cognitive developmental outcomes (16, 111). The gap in our analysis of income, environmental risk, and health is such that few data exist showing the relation between income and multiple sources of environmental risk. We do know with some clarity that income is inversely related to exposure to a higher frequency of social stressors and to more adverse social stress.” (323-324)


 * What makes certain communities vulnerable to multiple exposures? For example, coal mining, then fracking?


 * 2. What is the main argument of the text?**

The text highlights exposure to environmental risk as a key factor in the production of the “socioeconomic status-health gradient.” It highlights the correlation between income and similar measures of socioeconomic status and environmental risk factors.


 * 3. Describe at least three ways that the main argument is supported**

• The text discusses the existing data on the relationship between SES and exposure to environmental risk, looking at both environmental conditions (i.e.hazardous wastes, air pollution, noise pollution), as well as specific community settings (i.e. home, school, work, neighborhood).

• The article then provides an analysis of the existing research on the relationship between environmental exposure and health consequences. However, this section is much shorter than the previous one, and the authors identify a need for further research on the topic.

• The authors identify the need for further research into the topic of environmental risk exposure and its health implications.


 * 4. Describe the main literatures that the text draws on and contributes to.**

The text draws upon the existing literatures on environmental risk exposure/environmental inequality and environmental health. By tying the two together, the authors conclude that both fields could benefit from a further explanation of the relationship between the two.


 * 5. Explain how the argument and evidence in the text supports, challenges, or otherwise relates to the argument or narrative that you imagine developing.**

a. The need for further research on the relationships between SES, environmental risk, and environmental health is highlighted in this article. This is a gap that, by studying the populations affected by fracking, my work could help fill.

b. The text discusses the idea that multiple exposures to environmental risks could play a significant role in environmental health. This is particularly relevant to my work, as the communities affected by Marcellus Shale gas extraction are not unfamiliar with environmental risk, given the history of coal mining in the area. This begs the question of how/if SES makes these communities exceptionally vulnerable to environmental risk exposure. Are they easy targets for industry? If so, why?

c. Along those same lines, fracking itself provides a whole host of environmental issues. There is minimal research on such a topic.


 * 6. List at least three details or examples from the text that you can use to support the argument or narrative that you are developing.**

• Most of the existing research deals with the existence of single environmental risk factors.

• The existing research indicates strong correlation between poverty and exposure to toxic chemicals. (see pg. 305)

• “Income is often directly related to environmental quality, especially when low-income samples are contrasted with samples that are not poor.” And “Environmental quality is inversely related to multiple physical and psychological health incomes.”