9 Social inequality
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Steffen Mau
Abstract
Scientific discussion about the causes of social inequality date from the writings of Karl Marx (1963 [1852]; Marx and Engels, 1952 [1848]) and Max Weber (1978 [1922]) (see also Section 3.2).1 Both authors traced the unequal distribution of resources and life chances back to structures and processes in the economy. Even more clearly than Weber, Marx espoused in this regard a vertical conception of social inequality, according to which individuals – based on their specific economic situation – can be assigned to distinct social groupings, namely social classes. Both authors founded within the nascent discipline of sociology a tradition of analysing vertical inequalities. This tradition inspired modern theories of class (Dahrendorf, 1959; Giddens, 1973; Featherman and Hauser, 1978; Giddens and Mackenzie, 1982; Erikson and Goldthorpe, 1992;Wright, 1997),2 of social strata (Davis and Moore, 1945; Lenski, 1966; Dahrendorf, 1967; Geiger, 1969) and of social milieus or social capital (Bourdieu, 1984; DiMaggio and Zukin, 1990; DiMaggio, 1997). In these theories, central dimensions of inequalities are power, prestige, education, income and property. In the 1980s, the focus of inequality research switched to non-vertical, horizontal disparities. Age- and gender-specific inequalities became more important, as did inequalities across regions, among household and family forms, or ethnicity. At the same time, realms of inequality beyond labour market-related realms (e.g. poverty and discrimination) came into focus. This development manifested itself in a differentiation of a plethora of theoretical concepts, whereby, for example, analyses of lifestyles gained in importance (e.g. Miles, 2000; Bögenhold, 2001; Trepper and Rouse, 2002; Blyton et al, 2010).
In this context, the current debate on the future development of inequality in modern capitalism is framed by two camps.
Abstract
Scientific discussion about the causes of social inequality date from the writings of Karl Marx (1963 [1852]; Marx and Engels, 1952 [1848]) and Max Weber (1978 [1922]) (see also Section 3.2).1 Both authors traced the unequal distribution of resources and life chances back to structures and processes in the economy. Even more clearly than Weber, Marx espoused in this regard a vertical conception of social inequality, according to which individuals – based on their specific economic situation – can be assigned to distinct social groupings, namely social classes. Both authors founded within the nascent discipline of sociology a tradition of analysing vertical inequalities. This tradition inspired modern theories of class (Dahrendorf, 1959; Giddens, 1973; Featherman and Hauser, 1978; Giddens and Mackenzie, 1982; Erikson and Goldthorpe, 1992;Wright, 1997),2 of social strata (Davis and Moore, 1945; Lenski, 1966; Dahrendorf, 1967; Geiger, 1969) and of social milieus or social capital (Bourdieu, 1984; DiMaggio and Zukin, 1990; DiMaggio, 1997). In these theories, central dimensions of inequalities are power, prestige, education, income and property. In the 1980s, the focus of inequality research switched to non-vertical, horizontal disparities. Age- and gender-specific inequalities became more important, as did inequalities across regions, among household and family forms, or ethnicity. At the same time, realms of inequality beyond labour market-related realms (e.g. poverty and discrimination) came into focus. This development manifested itself in a differentiation of a plethora of theoretical concepts, whereby, for example, analyses of lifestyles gained in importance (e.g. Miles, 2000; Bögenhold, 2001; Trepper and Rouse, 2002; Blyton et al, 2010).
In this context, the current debate on the future development of inequality in modern capitalism is framed by two camps.
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Front Matter i
- Contents iii
- List of tables v
- List of figures vi
- Acknowledgements viii
- List of EU countries ix
- Introduction and conceptual considerations 1
-
The European social model from a historical perspective
- Commonalities and intra-European exchange 9
- Political-economic models and institutional arrangements 49
-
European societies compared
- Political-economic models and institutional arrangements 49
- Population and family 87
- Migration 115
- Labour market and employment 135
- Education 173
- Social inequality 193
- Quality of life 225
-
European integration and European society in the making
- Institutional and political aspects of Europeanisation 263
- The dynamics of inequality in Europe 285
- Horizontal Europeanisation 303
- Subjective Europeanisation 329
- Conclusion: rise of a European society? 349
- References 357
- Index 417
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Front Matter i
- Contents iii
- List of tables v
- List of figures vi
- Acknowledgements viii
- List of EU countries ix
- Introduction and conceptual considerations 1
-
The European social model from a historical perspective
- Commonalities and intra-European exchange 9
- Political-economic models and institutional arrangements 49
-
European societies compared
- Political-economic models and institutional arrangements 49
- Population and family 87
- Migration 115
- Labour market and employment 135
- Education 173
- Social inequality 193
- Quality of life 225
-
European integration and European society in the making
- Institutional and political aspects of Europeanisation 263
- The dynamics of inequality in Europe 285
- Horizontal Europeanisation 303
- Subjective Europeanisation 329
- Conclusion: rise of a European society? 349
- References 357
- Index 417
