According to the OECD, the term inequality in the opposite of equity can be defined as evenness or fairness within the social, political, and economic perspectives. Equity forms the core value of both the western democratic tradition and religions. From the concept of equality, inequality can be described as unfair or uneven treatments of the people within the society or unequal distribution of resources, income, and other factors between different sectors in the society. Inequality can be defined as the unfair or uneven conditions within the society, where some people control more wealth, money, opportunities, income, as well as political favoritism than others (Stiglitz, 2013). For some reasons, economists have included economic background of the people in the society as another form of equality. Inequality comes in different forms: The different types of inequalities are political inequality, inequality of outcome, economic inequality, Social inequality, and inequality of opportunity (Clark 2015).
First, political inequality can be defined using either distributional or interdependency approaches. With respect to distributional approach, political inequality is defined as structured differences within the society in the acquisition and distribution of political resources. On the other hand, interdependency approach defines this type of inequality as the influences that a person or persons have on government legislation as compared to others (Stiglitz,
Fairness or equity is another important category used by normative theorists. When talking about fairness, the example of the economic pie, as discussed in class comes to mind. Economic efficiency makes attempts to increase the size of the economic pie. Fairness (equity) is how this economic pie is ultimately distributed throughout various institutions within the state. Ethics, morality, sanctity of life, and freedom from discrimination are also factors of fairness; a prime example would be the Canadian healthcare system. The healthcare policy in Canada dictates that all individuals should receive equal level
Inequality exists around us. One of the inequalities is the income received by a person or member of a family. This income includes wages, salaries, pensions, and interest derived from assets. Income inequality refers to the various income within a given population. This inequality is especially high in the United States.
We live in a society that is very unequal, in a way that people get treated differently depending on their social class, race or gender. Social inequality means the situation in which individual groups in a society do not have equal social status, social class or social circle. Clear boundaries in society are made that prevents
Every author interprets and define social equity a little differently. Social equity issues, refers to the distribution of fairness. (Guy & McCandless, 2012). Social equity is rooted in the idea that each person is equal and has inalienable rights. With America’s being a blend of social, religious, economic, and political characteristics, the
Income inequality describes the extent to which income is distributed unevenly among residents of an area. High levels of inequality indicate that a small number of people receive most of the total income, and that most people receive only a small share of the total. There are many advantages and disadvantages associated with the inequitable distribution of income.
It is a commonly accepted that inequality is increasing throughout the globe, with startling statistics such as the recent Oxfam report indicating that the richest 85 people in the world own more wealth than the poorest 3.5 billion people(Oxfam Australia Media, 2014). Inequality is thought of as disparities or gaps, such as the distance between a low income and a high income household, or the ratio of their incomes (Divided We Stand, 2011). Domestic inequality refers to inequality within a country and
Income and wealth distribution: comparing the differences in levels of income and wealth between different social groups help measure inequalities in society. The income is a regular flow of money earned by someone working or from someone’s benefits, pension or their savings. Wealth is defined on property, shares or other belongings that could be sold to make an income. This is very hard to measure accurately and to
When the resources in a society are distributed unevenly it leads to social inequality. Often inequality is understood as being socio-economic and it is now closely associated with social inequality. “Social inequalities are differences in income, resources, power and status within and between societies. Such inequalities are maintained by those in powerful positions via institutions and social processes.” (Warwick-Booth, 2013 p.2)
Inequality is defined as ‘‘The unequal distribution of valued social resources within society or between societies’ (Blakeley & Staples, (2014 ) p13, 25). Thus it is the
Income and wealth inequality refers to the degree to which income is unevenly distributed among people in an economy. The share of total income received by different groups measures inequality, this visually represented in the Lorenz curve. The line of perfect equality bisects the graph with the percentage of income
Although equality and equity are not the same, the concepts are intimately related. With the absence of a single accepted definition of equity, there is general agreement that equity implies quality. The measurement of inequality pertains to statistical variation. Equity on the other hand requires normative judgements based on moral theories. Inequality in consumption means that different people receive different
One of the social issues concerning power, status, and class in American society today is income inequality. The income gap between the social classes has increased drastically throughout the last few decades, creating a significant gap between the wealthy and the poor. This gap has become so large that the middle class has nearly diminished, creating a social class comprised of the rich and the poor. The significant gap between the two social classes is unhealthy for the economy because it provides too much power in the hands of those with high social status.
Income inequality has been a major issue in American history. There are many different factors that contribute to inequality. These include education, wealth, discrimination, ability, and monopoly power.
Inequality is ubiquity in our world, most people are looking at the downside or the surface of this phenomenon. In fact, that inequality is the drive of historical and social progress.
As we know, like ethnic inequality, income inequality, gender equality as well as the relationship between poverty and inequality, are complex. They are found across