Social inequality facts for kids

World map showing how human development changes when we consider inequality.

How wealth is shared around the world in 2020.

Social inequality happens when resources in a society are not shared equally. This often creates different groups of people who have very different amounts of things. Things like power, money, education, and even respect can be unevenly given out. This can be based on things like a person's family, their background, or their gender. Social inequality usually means that not everyone ends up with the same opportunities or results in life.

Social inequality is closely connected to economic inequality. This is usually about how income or wealth is shared unfairly. While experts in economics and sociology study this in different ways, both agree it's a big issue. But it's not just about money. Other important things like good homes, transportation, and access to education or legal help are also often shared unevenly. This can affect a person's social standing.

What is Social Inequality?

Social inequality is shaped by many things, like where someone lives or if they are a citizen. It's also affected by how society thinks about people, for example, if poor people are seen as "deserving" or "undeserving." Understanding this helps us see how unfairness shows up in society.

In very simple societies, where people have fewer different jobs or roles, social inequality might be very low. For example, in tribal groups, a leader might have a few special items, but their daily life is much like everyone else's. These cultures often value harmony more than wealth. They might even try to stop social differences from growing to avoid conflict. But as societies become more complex, social inequality often grows, leading to a bigger gap between the richest and poorest people.

Societies can be grouped into three types based on inequality:

• Egalitarian societies: Everyone has equal chances and rights. People with special skills are not seen as better than others. Leaders have influence, but not power. Everyone shares and participates equally. There are no social classes.
• Ranked societies: These are often farming communities. People are grouped by their status or respect, not by how much power or resources they have. The chief and their family have the highest status, and others are ranked lower based on how closely related they are.
• Stratified societies: These societies are divided into classes like upper, middle, and lower. This is based on wealth, power, and respect. The upper class usually has the most influence. People can sometimes move between these classes. Social status can also be passed down through families.

How wealth was shared globally by different groups in 2017.

There are different kinds of social inequality:

• Wealth inequality: This is about differences in how much money and property people own.
• Treatment and responsibility inequality: Some people get more benefits or privileges than others. In jobs, some might get more responsibility and better pay, even if others are equally skilled.
• Political inequality: This is when people have different access to government resources, meaning they don't have equal civic rights.
• Life inequality: This comes from unequal opportunities that affect a person's quality of life.
• Membership inequality: This is about differences in the number of members in a family, nation, or religious group.

Your social standing can be based on two things:

• Ascribed characteristics: These are things you are born with or given, and you can't control them. Examples are your gender, skin color, or your parents' social status.
• Achieved characteristics: These are things you earn or choose. Examples include your education level or your job.

In most societies, a person's social standing is a mix of both. But in some places, only ascribed things matter. This means there's little chance to move up, and this is called caste inequality.

Your place in society affects almost every part of your life and your future chances. The best way to guess someone's future social status is to look at the social status they were born into. Experts study how these differences start, what resources are shared unequally, and how inequality affects society.

Ideas About Inequality

People have many different ideas about whether inequality is good, bad, or just natural. Some ideas say that inequality is a "natural" part of society and can even be good. They believe it encourages people to work hard and be creative. This is often linked to ideas about free markets where individuals make most economic choices.

Wealth inequality in the United States grew between 1989 and 2013.

On the other hand, some people believe that inequality should be reduced or controlled. They argue that too much inequality can lead to conflict and unhappiness. They might suggest that society needs to step in to make things fairer. For example, some believe that while some inequality might be natural, it should not affect basic human needs, rights, or starting opportunities like education.

Today, many believe that social inequality can cause political problems. They think that good social and political systems can help markets work smoothly. This can lead to political stability and economic growth. When there's more economic growth, everyone can benefit, and it's easier to make fair changes.

Inequality and Social Class

Connecting with people who have higher incomes can help you move up financially. But data shows that people often stay within their own income groups.

An 1862 painting showing poor people meeting a rich man.

A street in Camden, New Jersey showing signs of urban decline.

Your Socioeconomic status (SES) is a way to measure your place in society. It combines your job, education, and income. It's often used like "social class," which describes groups of people with similar standing.

For Karl Marx, there were two main social classes:

• Those who own the factories and businesses (the "means of production").
• Those who sell their work to the owners.

He believed these two groups had opposing interests, leading to social conflict.

Max Weber looked at social class based on wealth, respect, and privileges. He thought social classes tend to stay the same over generations, keeping inequalities like differences in income, education, and social standing.

In many Western countries, social classes are often divided into:

• Upper class: Usually wealthy families with inherited money and economic power.
• Middle class: Often rely on two incomes and bank credit. Includes professionals with strong economic resources.
• Working class: People in manual labor jobs.
• Lower class: The poor, with limited opportunities.

Your job is often a big part of your class, as it affects your lifestyle and opportunities.

Social stratification is how society is arranged in layers based on social class, wealth, or political power. It can be based on:

• Politics: Who has authority and power.
• Economy: Income and wealth levels.
• Occupation: Some jobs, like doctors or lawyers, are highly respected and give orders.

There are three main systems of social stratification:

• Caste system: You are born into your social level, and it's usually fixed. This affects your job and social roles.
• Estate system: People worked on land for protection. Communities were ranked by the nobility of their lords.
• Class system: Based on income and social status. People can move between classes by earning more or gaining authority.

To measure social inequality, experts often use income and wealth. The Gini coefficient is a common tool. It measures how evenly income or wealth is spread. A Gini coefficient of 0 means everyone has the same, while 1 means one person has everything.

Meritocracy and Social Inequality

Many societies say they are meritocracies. This means they believe resources are given out based on a person's "merit" (their intelligence, talent, and effort). However, research shows that resources are often given out based on social groups, not just merit. Even very smart or talented people can face disadvantages. This can be linked to racial, gender, and other types of inequality.

The Gini coefficient is often used to compare inequality between countries. But it's important to remember that two countries can have the same Gini coefficient but very different economies or quality of life.

Types of Inequality in Society

Certain social traits often lead to inequality. When experts look at income or wealth data, they find that things like gender, race, and ethnicity play a big role in how much money people have. This doesn't mean merit doesn't matter, but these other factors can often affect how merit is valued.

Gender Inequality

Gender inequality means women and men are treated differently because of their gender. This happens in how jobs are divided, roles are given, and social rewards are shared. Sexism, which is prejudice and discrimination based on sex or gender, is a big reason for social inequality.

A woman and three men in a meeting.

Women are often not well-represented in politics and decision-making around the world. Organizations like the United Nations work to find and fix barriers that stop women from having equal access in society. When societies create artificial differences between men's and women's roles, it can hurt women's lives and limit social and economic progress.

Gender discrimination can also affect men who express their gender in ways seen as "feminine." Transgender and gender-diverse people may face discrimination because their gender identity doesn't fit traditional ideas. They can be seen as unproductive or disruptive.

Many global problems like HIV/AIDS, illiteracy, and poverty affect women more than men. Women's health is often at risk. In many countries, girls lack access to education, which limits their opportunities to succeed and contribute to the economy.

Even though more women are working globally, they often face lower wages than men for the same work. This is true in many countries, both rich and developing. Women also face a "glass ceiling"—unseen barriers that stop them from reaching top jobs, no matter how qualified they are. This hurts women and society's development. Protecting women's rights helps women feel like they belong and encourages them to contribute.

Women and people whose gender identity doesn't fit traditional ideas still face violence at home, between people, and from institutions. These problems are often linked to how masculinity is seen as dominant and aggressive.

Racial and Ethnic Inequality

Racial or ethnic inequality happens when there are unfair social differences between racial and ethnic groups. This is often based on things like skin color or where someone comes from. It happens because of racism and systemic racism.

Racial inequality can mean fewer opportunities for people from marginalized groups. This can lead to cycles of poverty and less political power. For example, in the past, "redlining" in places like Chicago stopped Black people from getting loans to move out of poor neighborhoods.

When a racial or ethnic group becomes a minority in a society, its members often face discrimination. This can include being forced to fit in, being excluded, or even worse. For example, laws meant to stop "voter fraud" in the U.S. have sometimes made it harder for African Americans to vote. These barriers hurt communities by reducing economic chances, education, and overall health.

In the United States, some argue that mass incarceration is used to create inequality for African Americans and Hispanics. The "War on Drugs" has led to many poor and vulnerable people being jailed.

Age Inequality

Age discrimination means treating people unfairly because of their age, especially in jobs, promotions, or access to resources. It's also called ageism. This includes adultism, which is discrimination against children or people under adult age. For example, some places might not allow young people after a certain time.

Almost every society has age-stratification, meaning different social roles are expected for different ages. Age discrimination happens when age is unfairly used to give more or fewer resources. In modern societies, young and old people can be at a disadvantage. For example, in the U.S., poverty has gone down for people over 65 but has risen for children under 18. This is partly because more older people get Social Security and Medicare benefits.

Globally, about half of the world's young people (under 24) live with very low incomes. This means they and their families have access to only a small part of the world's total income. Young people often start with low-paying jobs or part-time work while still in school. They might also be forced into less stable jobs because they lack experience.

Inequalities in Health

Health inequalities are differences in health or in things that affect health between different groups of people.

Health Care

Health inequalities are often linked to whether people can get health care. In rich countries, these differences are biggest where there isn't a universal health care system, like in the United States. Because U.S. health care is mostly private, getting care depends on how much money you have. Health care is seen as something you buy, not a right. This leads to health differences based on gender, income, and race. In the U.S., millions of people don't have health insurance.

While universal health care might not remove all health inequalities, it greatly reduces them. When people have to pay for their own health care, it creates social inequality because only those with money can get it.

Patients waiting to see a doctor in a hospital.

In countries with universal health care, like Canada, access to health services has improved a lot. People don't have to worry about paying for care. However, some inequalities still exist, like different levels of access to certain services. Health status is also affected by more than just medical care.

In developing countries, fair access to health care is very important for reaching global development goals. Health inequalities can vary a lot between countries. For example, in Indonesia in 1990, the poorest 20% of households received only 12% of government health spending, while the richest 20% received 29%. Wealthier groups are also more likely to see doctors and get medicine.

Food

Experts have studied "food deserts." These are neighborhoods where it's hard to find fresh, healthy food. This often leads to people making unhealthy food choices. Food deserts are thought to be a big reason for childhood obesity in the U.S. and other countries. For example, in Greece, childhood obesity has increased a lot due to poverty and a lack of fresh food.

Global Inequality

Countries by their total wealth in trillions of U.S. dollars.

Total wealth by world regions in 2018.

The world's economies have grown unevenly over time. Some regions became rich and healthy, while others stayed poor and had more disease. After World War II, there was a "North-South divide" between rich, developed countries and poorer, developing ones. However, since the 1980s, this gap has started to close in some fast-developing countries.

If we look at the Gini coefficient for world income, it has generally increased over time, meaning global inequality has grown. Even in countries that used to be very equal, like Germany and Sweden, income inequality has increased. By 2013, a very small group of 85 billionaires had as much wealth as the poorest half of the world's population (3.5 billion people). Where you are born (your citizenship) and your parents' income explain most of the differences in global income.

Inequality and Economic Growth

Income equality helps economic growth last longer in both rich and developing countries, more than trade or foreign investment.

In capitalist economies, economic growth is very important. It was once thought that economic inequality was necessary for economic growth. But recent research challenges this idea. While some inequality might help growth in certain situations, generally, inequality is not always good for growth. In fact, it can sometimes slow it down.

Experts like Milanovic (2011) say that inequality between countries is more important for world economic growth than inequality within countries. However, local inequality still matters for local economic growth. The 2008 financial crisis led to governments spending a lot of money to help banks. This caused public debt and raised concerns about growing inequality within countries.

Studies show that developing countries with high inequality tend to grow more slowly. Countries that increased inequality also had slower economic growth per person. Extreme inequality, especially when wealth is concentrated among a few rich people, makes us question current economic plans. It suggests that fairness should be a main goal in development.

Research by Ostry and others (2014) suggests that reducing income inequality (by sharing income more fairly) does not hurt economic growth. In fact, they found that increasing inequality, especially when it's already high, leads to low or unsustainable growth.

Piketty and Saez (2014) point out that wealth inequality is much higher than income inequality. The richest 10% own most of the wealth, while the poorest 50% own almost no wealth. This means that for many people, the idea of owning a lot of capital is very abstract. Piketty (2014) suggests that wealth is building up because economic growth is low. This could lead to a society where a few people live off their wealth, while most work just to survive, similar to the 19th century.

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