inequality

Examples of inequality in the following topics:

• The Significance of Social Inequality

  • Sociologists study many types of inequality, including economic inequality, racial/ethnic inequality, and gender inequality.
  • Sociology has a long history of studying stratification and teaching about various kinds of inequality, including economic inequality, racial/ethnic inequality, gender inequality, and other types of inequality.
  • Although inequality is everywhere, there are many controversies and questions about inequality that sociologists are interested in, such as where did inequality come from?
  • Do we justify inequality?
  • Can we eliminate inequality?

• Introduction

  • Sociology has a long history of studying stratification and teaching about various kinds of inequality, including economic inequality, racial/ethnic inequality, gender inequality, and other types of inequality.
  • Although inequality is everywhere, there are many controversies and questions about inequality that sociologists are interested in such as where did inequality come from?
  • Do we justify inequality?
  • Can we eliminate inequality?
  • We end with consequences of inequality and theories explaining global inequality.

• Evaluating Global Theories of Inequality

  • Social theorists think differently about global inequality based on their sociological perspective.
  • Marxists, by contrast, see global inequality as indicative of exploitation and consider it a detriment to society.
  • Whatever sociological theory one adopts to explain the existence of inequality, not all theorists consider inequality to be a problem that needs correction.
  • Those who evaluate global inequality and consider it to violate human rights may advocate for solutions to inequality using the language of social justice.
  • Protestors at Occupy Wall Street adhere to the position that income inequality is a detriment to society.

• Growing Gap Between Rich and Poor

  • The term typically refers to inequality among individuals and groups within a society, but can also refer to inequality among countries.
  • Acknowledged factors that impact economic inequality include, but are not limited to:
  • The gap in wages produces inequality between different types of workers.
  • Apart from market-driven factors that affect wage inequality, government sponsored initiatives can also increase or decrease inequality.
  • Typical government initiatives to reduce economic inequality include:

• Questions for Discussion

  • 3) How does a functionalist understand inequality?
  • How does a conflict theorist understand inequality?
  • 4) If our actions and behaviors mostly reproduce the condition in which we live, how can we change inequality?
  • 5) What can be done to lessen the negative effects of inequality on people's lives?

• The Interactionist Perspective

  • The interactionist perspective on social inequality focuses on the way that micro-interactions maintain structural inequality.
  • The interactionist perspective on inequality focuses on how micro-interactions reflect and create unequal power dynamics.
  • When considering larger systems of inequality, interactionists look at the inequality between social roles.
  • The interactionist perspective on inequality looks at how certain social roles have more power, or authority, than others.
  • Design a scenario which illustrates the interactionist perspective on inequality in action

• The Conflict Perspective

  • The conflict perspective views the family as a vehicle to maintain patriarchy (gender inequality) and social inequality in society.
  • The Conflict perspective refers to the inequalities that exist in all societies globally.
  • According to conflict theorists, the family works toward the continuance of social inequality within a society by maintaining and reinforcing the status quo.
  • The traditional family form in most cultures is patriarchal, contributing to inequality between the sexes.
  • According to conflict theorists, the family works toward the continuance of social inequality within a society by maintaining and reinforcing the status quo.

• Market-Oriented Theories

  • Market-oriented theories of inequality argue that supply and demand will regulate prices and wages and stabilize inequality.
  • Market-oriented theories of inequality are focused on the laws of the free market.
  • Considering inequality, market-oriented theories claim that if left to the free-market, all products and services will reach equilibrium, and price stability will reduce inequality.
  • Thus, the status of agricultural laborers will rise, and inequality will be reduced.
  • Generally, market-oriented theories hold that when supply of labor and goods meets demand, the economic order will reach equilibrium, and inequality will either be non-existent or will be stable.

• Lenski's Synthesis

  • In Lenski's view, inequality is a natural product of societal development.
  • In sociologist Gerhard Lenski's view, inequality is a product of societal development.
  • The origins of inequality can be found in the transition from hunter/gatherer societies to horticultural/pastoralist societies.
  • According to Lenski, this means that such societies do not exhibit inequality.
  • Paraphrase the process which led to inequality, according to the Gehard Lenski's theory, including different levels of society

• Growing Global Inequality

  • Current research indicates, however, that global inequality peaked around 1970.
  • Since 1970, global inequality has decreased.
  • Even though global inequality has decreased in recent decades, inequality is persistent and shows no signs of disappearing.
  • Sociologists who study global inequality have proposed social reproduction theory as one way to explain the persistence of inequality.
  • Global inequality remained persistent but had decreased somewhat.