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book: Challenging Inequalities
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Challenging Inequalities

How We Got Stuck and Where We Go Next
Language: English
Published/Copyright: 2026

About this book

A comprehensive look at inequalities and why they matter

There is a widespread sense throughout the developed world that progress towards a better society has stalled. Many countries, including the UK, have experienced persistent economic stagnation accompanied by declining trust in institutions. Governments are struggling to respond not only to traditional economic problems but also to newer challenges posed by climate change, migration and technological change. Challenging Inequalities connects these conditions to inequality—inequality not just of income and wealth but of health, political participation and opportunity. It not only offers a detailed analysis of the different forms of inequalities but also an in-depth consideration of why inequalities matter, how they have changed and what can, or should, be done about them.

The book explains the enduring effects of early life experiences and education and examines the trends in employment and earnings over recent decades. It argues that economic stagnation since the financial crises of 2008–2009 has exposed inequalities originating in the 1980s. Not only have incomes stagnated, but so has progress towards reducing health inequalities and dealing with inequalities across gender, ethnicity, geography, age and educational level. The combination of earnings inequality and economic stagnation has led to the growing importance of wealth, the increasing concentration of economic power in an older generation and a decline in social mobility. Economic inequalities have also resulted directly in dangerous differences between regions and in political power across groups.

The need to address inequality has never been more urgent. Challenging Inequalities offers a road map for how we have arrived at such a perilous spot—and how we can change course to achieve better outcomes for all.

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    Frontmatter

    i
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    Contents

    v
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    Foreword

    ix
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    The IFS Deaton Review Panel

    xi
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    Acknowledgements

    xiii
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  • 1 Why Inequality?
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    Introduction

    1
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    What Has Happened to Income Inequality?

    5
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    Wealth and Opportunity

    12
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    More Stagnation

    17
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    Where Next?

    19
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  • 2 Why Does Inequality Matter?
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    Introduction: Setting the Scene

    23
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    Objections to Forms of Inequality: Causes

    24
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    Objections to Forms of Inequality: Consequences

    26
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    Relational Inequality

    36
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    Objections to Inequality as a Concern

    38
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    Conclusion

    46
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  • 3 Family, Education, and Opportunity
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    Introduction

    48
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    Intergenerational and Social Mobility

    49
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    Parenting and the Early Years

    52
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    The School Years

    60
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    Nuances: Ethnicity, Gender, and Place

    65
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    Pathways Through Post-Compulsory Education

    68
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    Final Thoughts

    74
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  • 4 Stalling Progress in the Labour Market
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    Introduction

    77
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    Remembering the Progress

    81
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    Dislocation and the Beginnings of Our Current Predicament: The 1980s

    87
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    A Period of Calm and Problems Papered Over: 1993–2008

    90
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    Stagnation: 2008 to the Present

    95
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    Stuck for Ideas?

    97
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  • 5 Coming Apart
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    Introduction

    103
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    Jobs

    107
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    Firms

    114
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    Places

    123
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    People

    128
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    A New Industrial Policy?

    133
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  • 6 Where It All Ends Up
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    Introduction

    136
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    Wealth and Intergenerational Inequalities

    137
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    Health and Disability

    145
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    Politics

    156
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    Summing Up

    162
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  • 7 Conclusions
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    Introduction

    164
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    Five Principles

    169
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    Three Big Challenges

    181
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    Finding a Way Forward

    186
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    Notes

    191
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    References

    201
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    Dimensions of Inequality: The IFS Deaton Review

    217
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    Index

    227
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    A NOTE ON THE TYPE

    235
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Publishing information
Pages and Images/Illustrations in book
eBook published on:
April 28, 2026
eBook ISBN:
9780691287157
Pages and Images/Illustrations in book
View content
https://doi.org/10.1515/9780691287157
eBook ISBN: 9780691287157
Keywords for this book
Agglomeration effects; Asset prices; Attainment; Career progression; Cash transfers; Concerned inequalities; Cribb et; Deaths despair; Deprived areas; Deprived tenth; Disposable incomes; Economic disadvantage; Economic distribution; Economic growth; Economic inactivity; Economic opportunities; Economic power; Economic stagnation; Economic status; Education health; Education levels; Educational outcomes; Emotional development; Emotional skills; Environmental factors; Equality; Ethnic groups; Ethnic minority; Ethnic minority groups; Evidence; Expectancy; Financial crisis; Financial services; Geographical; Geographical differences; Geographical inequalities; Health outcomes; Higher education; Housing costs; Housing supply; Immigration; Income; Income distribution; Income earnings inequality; Income wealth; Increase earnings; Inequalities; Inequality; Inequality earnings; Inequality matter; Inequality overall; Intergenerational mobility; Jobs firms; Labor; Labor market; Lack growth; Levels education; Living standards; Lower levels education; Market inequalities; Market power; Market rewards; Minimum wage; Minority; Minority groups; Mobility; Mortality; Offs; Poorer backgrounds; Poverty
Audience(s) for this book
For an expert adult audience, including professional development and academic research
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