Inequality refers to the differences in living conditions in a society; it could also be defined as an unequal distribution of a country’s resources across its population. Inequality is obviously an important issue, since higher levels of inequality will usually translate into higher levels of poverty, crime and social unrest. However, it is often ignored by society. This is because people have many misconceptions about inequality and it’s origins. Some argue that there is an equality of opportunity and that it’s people’s fault if they earn less than they should. However this is a myth, since most hard working low-income students rarely attend college and when they do, they usually attend public universities. Which leaves them at a great disadvantage, so the idea that poor people are poor because they ‘haven’t worked as hard’ or because they are ‘lazy’ is a very ignorant one, which people choose to believe in order to justify inequality.
I decided to explore inequality further because it is deeply rooted in Egyptian society; it is one of the few places where you can find luxurious, five-star hotels right next poverty-stricken slums and since the revolution the problem of inequality has been a hot topic in Egyptian society and politics. Egypt’s Gini coefficient, which is the most commonly used measure of income inequality, stands at around 30.7 (World Bank 2009). Inequality is seen as limiting to both Egypt’s potential economic growth and to the desired reduction in poverty.
Agricultural economics expert Nadia Belhaj Hassine sums up inequality perfectly in the World Bank review of inequality of opportunity in Egypt:
Inequality of outcomes, such as in income or education, reflects differences in effort an...
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...reasing trade liberalization. This includes policies such as tarrif reductions, which have lead to expansions of many economic sectors, which in turn have reduced inequality for urban and rural skilled men, as well as for women (gender inequality) and has seen increased employment opportunites for women. However, the success of such policies in reducing inequality had its limitations, as at the same time there has been an increase in inequality for unskilled men and for skilled women in rural areas (Chahir & Zaki 2012). It can be said that such trade liberalization policies are partially responsible for Egypt’s declining income inequality as the expansion of certain sectors has reduced gender inequality and inequality between rural and urban areas, while increasing inequality for men who are unskilled and skilled women in rural areas.
Economic inequality and injustice come in the same hand. Poor people are more likely to experience inequality and injustice. The negative assumptions of poor people are created by the media and politicians. Promoting economic justice by offering people living in poverty some form of social support. Barbara Ehrenreich found in her experiment the workforce for low-wage was difficult. Conley talks about the different types of social inequalities and how they have been unsuccessful.
People from lower classes try to achieve success but tend to struggle depending upon their foundation. The problem that people don’t want see is that we all want to become successful, and have the capability to do so but are just restricted by the lack of income.
Income inequality has been and will forever continue to be a highly discussed topic in society. As a social experiment, income equality has historically failed. The adage from the communist era “from each according to his ability; to each according to his needs,” ran counter to human nature and experience. On balance, there are positive aspects to unequal income which include; its success in creating a more educated work force, competition among people to succeed and more stimulated productivity, which do not always, but tend to balance out any negative impacts such as; concentration of wealth, social consequences and outsourcing, that it may have.
If I had to describe a moment from INEQUALITY FOR ALL that is really sticking with you – maybe you found it particularly inspiring or particularly troubling it would be the statement made by Robert Reich, “Of all developed nations the U.S. has the most unequal distribution of income.” What was it about that moment that is so memorable? He also states, “the richest 400 people in America have more wealth then the bottom 50 million of us put together.”
Jared diamond reiterated, time and time again, that global inequity coincided with geography. Egypt, in comparison to France, had the natural disadvantage of being dealt with a desert climate, as opposed to France’s favorable cultivating climate. This allowed for France to naturally be more skilled in areas such as planting crops; having the adverse effect for Egypt. The lack of water also contributed to the inequality, as animals were able to thrive in environments that offered a surplus of water. Lastly, a more favorable geography in developed countries plays a major role as to why developing countries are not quite developed. Jared Diamond’s thesis thoroughly explains this as geography is reason for the unequal distribution of wealth in the world today.
Social equality is the concept in which all individuals possess the same fundamental basic liberties, opportunities, moral value/respect, and social benefits. The concept of ‘equality’ has a multiplicity of meanings and definitions, and with the rise of liberalization and democratization around the world ‘social equality’ has become the most predominant. As economic openness creates greater wealth disparities, the parallel rise of democratization has enabled citizens to demand more accountability measures and public welfare services from their governments in order to manage such disparities. Although the movement towards greater social equality has made significant strides with the establishment of equal rights (especially in the 1960s following the civil rights and women rights movement), inequality is still widespread in society among different ethnicities, social classes, and even religions. Inequality is not, however, a characteristic that only encompasses/embodies developing countries, but also embodies developed countries as well.
Rowlingson, K. ( 2011). Does inequality cause Health and Social Problems? Birmingham: Joseph Rowntree Foundation.
...ng into the other factors that would constitute poverty in Cairo’s informal settlements, like the lack of basic services like education and transportation as well as the lack of sanitation and healthcare, we were forced to look into the emergence of these informal settlements as possibly an effect of rural inequality. However, regardless of the truth behind the levels of poverty in Cairo, public perception of poverty as ruralisation of the cities, seems to have linked the ideas of poverty, overcrowding, crime and violence to each other, leading to an increasing divide between the rich and the poor. The rich are forming their own gated communities in an attempt to protect their lifestyles that are in fact maintained by service by the poor, creating a dysfunctional society. It also appears that the government seems to be doing little to mend this ever growing rift.
"The Poverty Of Equality." American Spectator 45.3 (2012): 26-30. Academic Search Complete. Web. 16 Dec. 2013.
Wealth Inequality: Its Causes and Cures." CFED Inclusive Economy Blog. CFED, Mar. 19, 2018. 2013. The. Web.
Inequality as previously mentioned is a subject that gets debated when brought up and in any debate there is two sides. In class we have discussed both side of the story of inequality, and it has give me a better perspectives of income inequality. When discussion income inequality, we brought up the concept of the economic pie in which states that the economic pie is a reference to the way income gets distributed among the lower, middle, and higher class of America. So the concept of the economic pie states that the rich is getting richer, so they are
Income inequality has affected American citizens ever since the American Dream came to existence. The American Dream is centered around the concept of working hard and earning enough money to support a family, own a home, send children to college, and invest for retirement. Economic gains in income are one of the only possible ways to achieve enough wealth to fulfill the dream. Unfortunately, many people cannot achieve this dream due to low income. Income inequality refers to the uneven distribution of income and wealth between the social classes of American citizens. The United States has often experienced a rise in inequality as the rich become richer and the poor become poorer, increasing the unstable gap between the two classes. The income gap in America has been increasing steadily since the late 1970’s, and has now reached historic highs not seen since the 1920’s (Desilver). UC Berkeley economics professor, Emmanuel Saez conducted extensive research on past and present income inequality statistics and published them in his report “Striking it Richer.” Saez claims that changes in technology, tax policies, labor unions, corporate benefits, and social norms have caused income inequality. He stands to advocate a change in American economic policies that will help close this inequality gap and considers institutional and tax reforms that should be developed to counter it. Although Saez’s provides legitimate causes of income inequality, I highly disagree with the thought of making changes to end income inequality. In any diverse economic environment, income inequality will exist due to the rise of some economically successful people and the further development of factors that push people into poverty. I believe income inequality e...
Since most of us are accustomed to the democratic concept of equality, it is common to relate income inequality to social inequality. To truly comprehend the issue of income inequality, one must first objectively separate the two ideas. A capitalistic democracy is a double-standard system (Okun). Such a system pursues an egalitarian political and social ...
Inequality today is one of the most significant problems that America faces. According to Inequality.org in 2015 Household income of the top 0.1% of the population gained $6,747,439 while bottom 90% of the population got $34,074 (Inequality.org). The gap between incomes only continues to grow every year, which requires a change in social and economic policies of the country. However, it should be remembered that economic indicators can tell about working conditions, living conditions, nutrition, education of representatives of various groups of the population, but they can not show a picture of the realizability and opportunities to be successful in life for different groups of the population. That is why at the end
Inequality is increasing in the Unites States and it affects you as students in your everyday life, as a member of your family, a member of society and many other societal aspects. Inequality in wealthy and inequality in income are two complete separate areas. Inequality in income is the amount or lack of money you earn from work or investments. Inequality in wealth is the amount or lack of items that you own, house, car, savings, or retirement accounts. Name some ways that inequality can affect you? Inequality can be differentiated in all roles of society and socialization including education, occupation, race, gender, rurality, and mobility.