ABSTRACT
The previous two selections explored explanatory models and their relationship to behavior. The current selection emphasizes large-scale national and international structures that place limits on the ability of individuals to act in ways that protect their health. To Farmer, these forces represent a form of violence against the poor, who are disproportionately exposed both to disease and to inadequate or inappropriate medical care. Insufficient food, miserable hygienic conditions, and lack of health services combine to make malnutrition and disease more common in poor people. Diseases such as tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS progress more rapidly and outcomes are worse (see selection 22).
