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In Peripheral Sickness and in Core-like Health: An explorative case study analysis of the Covid-19 pandemic using World-Systems Theory

Shen, Mimmi Yiyi LU and Alexanderson, David LU (2021) STVA22 20211
Department of Political Science
Abstract
The Covid-19 pandemic is one of the deadliest in modern history. Vaccines are currently the primary resource used for stopping the pandemic and minimizing harm. Yet despite scientific literature demonstrating the inefficiency of inequitable vaccine distribution, richer countries have historically and are currently procuring disproportionate amounts of vaccines; causing higher mortality rates, decreased global economic activity and increased risk of viral mutations. This exploratory and qualitative case study aims to understand the unequal distribution of vaccines during the Covid-19 pandemic from a World-Systems Theory approach. This is done through the process of applying World-Systems Theory on the geography of vaccine production and... (More)
The Covid-19 pandemic is one of the deadliest in modern history. Vaccines are currently the primary resource used for stopping the pandemic and minimizing harm. Yet despite scientific literature demonstrating the inefficiency of inequitable vaccine distribution, richer countries have historically and are currently procuring disproportionate amounts of vaccines; causing higher mortality rates, decreased global economic activity and increased risk of viral mutations. This exploratory and qualitative case study aims to understand the unequal distribution of vaccines during the Covid-19 pandemic from a World-Systems Theory approach. This is done through the process of applying World-Systems Theory on the geography of vaccine production and acquisition, vaccine nationalism, intellectual property, and global health governance. The findings of this paper demonstrates that the world-system’s pursuit of endless capital accumulation causes inequitable distributions of production processes that both maintain unequal flows of surplus value but also concentrate leading industries in the core while depriving the periphery of the ability to establish them. Vaccine development, production and procurement is demonstrated to occur mainly in the core, an outcome detrimental to all. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Shen, Mimmi Yiyi LU and Alexanderson, David LU
supervisor
organization
course
STVA22 20211
year
type
L2 - 2nd term paper (old degree order)
subject
keywords
Vaccine nationalism, World-Systems Theory, Covid-19, Global Health Equity
language
English
id
9044553
date added to LUP
2021-07-06 13:17:33
date last changed
2021-07-06 13:17:33
@misc{9044553,
  abstract     = {{The Covid-19 pandemic is one of the deadliest in modern history. Vaccines are currently the primary resource used for stopping the pandemic and minimizing harm. Yet despite scientific literature demonstrating the inefficiency of inequitable vaccine distribution, richer countries have historically and are currently procuring disproportionate amounts of vaccines; causing higher mortality rates, decreased global economic activity and increased risk of viral mutations. This exploratory and qualitative case study aims to understand the unequal distribution of vaccines during the Covid-19 pandemic from a World-Systems Theory approach. This is done through the process of applying World-Systems Theory on the geography of vaccine production and acquisition, vaccine nationalism, intellectual property, and global health governance. The findings of this paper demonstrates that the world-system’s pursuit of endless capital accumulation causes inequitable distributions of production processes that both maintain unequal flows of surplus value but also concentrate leading industries in the core while depriving the periphery of the ability to establish them. Vaccine development, production and procurement is demonstrated to occur mainly in the core, an outcome detrimental to all.}},
  author       = {{Shen, Mimmi Yiyi and Alexanderson, David}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{In Peripheral Sickness and in Core-like Health: An explorative case study analysis of the Covid-19 pandemic using World-Systems Theory}},
  year         = {{2021}},
}