Health inequalities: Political problematizations in Denmark and Sweden

Abstract

Problematisation is a crucial step in any political process. By defining the nature of a problem, pointing to reasons for dealing with it and identifying its causes as well as its possible solutions, problematisation frames an issue as relevant and accessible to political action. Through a study of political documents in the field of public health policies from Denmark and Sweden published during the previous decades, this article analyses the problematisation of social inequalities in health. The article concludes that, in spite of similarities between Denmark and Sweden, in several social and political issues, politicians in the two countries problematised social inequalities in health differently. There were differences in all aspects of the problematisation: timing, reason for dealing with the issue, descriptions, explanations and suggested solutions. While in Denmark social inequalities in health were predominantly defined as poor health of the disadvantaged caused by their own inappropriate behaviour, in Sweden they were defined as a gradient along income or educational achievements caused by both behaviour and living conditions. In Swedish problematisation, the welfare state played a central role and the citizen was seen as part of the community, dependent on the way society was organised. The Danish approach, on the other hand, implied a more individualistic interpretation of people’s conditions and health plights and the state were accorded a less prominent place. The policies chosen to address social inequalities in health follow the same pattern as the general public health policies in the two countries.