Social inequality - conditions under which people have unequal access to social goods such as money, power and prestige; these are some types of relationships between people: personal inequality, inequality of opportunities to achieve desired goals (inequality of chances). Inequality of living conditions (welfare, education, etc.), inequality of results; it is a system of priorities and social advantages that regulates the factors of social survival, which may be associated with an advantageous position in social disposition, ease of movement into privileged strata, social strata and a whole set of characteristics that demonstrate an increase in the degree of social freedom and security. Social inequality is a system of relations emerging in society that characterizes the uneven distribution of scarce resources of society (money, power, education and prestige) between different strata, or layers, of the population; social inequality is the cause and consequence of social stratification. The main measure of inequality is the amount of liquid assets; in modern society, this function is usually performed by money. If inequality is represented as a scale, then at one pole there will be those who own the largest number goods (the rich), and on the other - the least (the poor). Wealth is expressed as a monetary amount equivalent to what a person owns. Wealth and poverty define a multidimensional stratification hierarchy. The amount of money determines the place of an individual or family in social stratification. Social inequality in power relations is manifested in the ability of a certain social subject (social layer, or stratum), in its own interests, to determine the goals and direction of the activities of other social subjects (irrespective of their interests), to manage the material, information and status resources of society, to form and impose rules and code of Conduct. Of key importance in measuring social inequality by power relations is the control of resources, which allows the ruling subject to subjugate other people. Social inequality in terms of level of education and prestige of social status, profession, position, occupation is determined by inequality of starting conditions or unequal conditions for the development of various social layers and strata (real injustice, infringement of natural human rights, creation of artificial social barriers, monopolization of conditions and rules of social production) . Social stratification is a constant ranking of social statuses and roles in the social system (from small group to society); this is the distribution of social groups in a hierarchically ordered rank (in ascending or descending order of some attribute); this is a concept that designates, firstly, the structure of society, and secondly, a system of signs of social stratification and inequality. Social stratification is the structuring of inequality between different social communities, groups or groups of people, or the hierarchical organized structure of social inequality existing in society. The term "stratification" is borrowed from geology, where it refers to social layers arranged in a vertical order. Social stratification is a rank stratification when the upper, or upper, strata, which are significantly smaller in the number of members of society included in them, are in a more privileged position (in terms of the possession of resources or the opportunity to receive remuneration) than the lower strata. All complex societies have several stratification systems, according to which individuals are ranked into strata. The main types of social stratification are: economic, political and professional. In accordance with the data, types of social stratification of society, it is customary to distinguish by the criterion of income (and wealth, i.e. accumulation) the criteria for influencing the behavior of members of society and the criteria associated with the successful fulfillment of social roles, the presence of knowledge, skills, abilities and intuition, which are assessed and are rewarded by society. Social stratification, which fixes natural and social inequality between people, is steadily maintained and regulated by various institutional mechanisms, is constantly reproduced and modified, which is a condition for the orderly existence of any society and the source of its development.



Causes of inequality.

Division of labor is considered one of the most important reason social inequality because economic activity considered the most important.

We can identify inequality based on a number of characteristics:

I) Inequality based on physical characteristics, which can be divided into three types of inequalities: 1) Inequality based on physical differences; 2) Sexual inequality; 3) Inequality by age;

The reasons for the first inequality include belonging to a particular race, nationality, a certain height, fatness or thinness of the body, hair color, and even blood type. Very often the distribution of social benefits in society depends on some physical characteristic. Inequality is especially pronounced if the carrier of the trait is part of a “minority group.” Very often a minority group is discriminated against. One type of this inequality is “racism”. Some sociologists believe that economic competition is the cause of ethnic inequality. Proponents of this approach emphasize the role of competition between groups of workers for scarce jobs. People with jobs (especially those in lower positions) feel threatened by job seekers. When the latter are members of ethnic groups, hostility may arise or intensify. Also, one of the reasons for the inequality of ethnic inequality can be considered personal qualities an individual, exhibiting which he considers another race inferior.

Sexual inequality is mainly caused by gender roles and sexual roles. Basically, gender differences lead to inequality in the economic environment. Women have much less chance in life to participate in the distribution of social benefits: from Ancient India, in which girls were simply killed, to modern society, in which it is difficult for women to find work. This is connected, first of all, with sexual roles - a man’s place at work, a woman’s place at home.

The type of inequality associated with age mainly manifests itself in the different life chances of different age groups. Basically, it manifests itself at young and retirement age. Age inequality always affects us all.

II) Inequality due to differences in prescribed statuses

Prescribed (ascriptive) status includes inherited factors: race, nationality, age, gender, place of birth, residence, marital status, some aspects of the parents. Very often, a person’s prescribed statuses interfere with a person’s vertical mobility, due to discrimination in society. This type of inequality includes a large number of aspects, and therefore very often leads to social inequality.

III) Inequality based on wealth ownership

IV) Inequality based on power

V) Inequality of prestige

These criteria of inequality were considered in the last century, and will be considered in our work in the future.

VI) Cultural-symbolic inequality

The last type of criterion can be partially attributed to the division of labor, since qualification includes a certain type of education.

Deprivation

Under deprivation should be understood as any condition that gives rise or can give rise to an individual or group a feeling of their own deprivation in comparison with other individuals, groups or with an internalized set of standards. The feeling of deprivation can be conscious, that is, individuals and groups experiencing deprivation can understand the reasons for their condition. But it is also possible for the situation to develop when deprivation is experienced as something else, that is, individuals and groups perceive their condition in a transformed form, without realizing its true causes. In both cases, however, deprivation is accompanied by a strong desire to overcome it. The only exceptions can be situations when deprivation is justified by the value system of a given society, for example, the caste hierarchy in India.

Five types of deprivation can be distinguished:

1. Economic deprivation stems from the uneven distribution of income in society and the limited satisfaction of the needs of some individuals and groups. The degree of economic deprivation is assessed using objective and subjective criteria. An individual, according to objective criteria, who is economically quite prosperous and even enjoys privileges, may nevertheless experience subjective feeling deprivation. For the emergence of religious movements, the subjective feeling of deprivation is the most important factor.

2. Social deprivation explained by the tendency of society to value the qualities and abilities of some individuals and groups higher than others, expressing this assessment in the distribution of such social rewards as prestige, power, high status in society and corresponding opportunities for participation in social life. The reasons for such unequal assessment can be very diverse. In modern society, the young are valued higher than the elderly, male workers are valued higher than their female counterparts, talented people are given privileges that are not available to the mediocre. Social deprivation usually complements economic deprivation: than less people has in material terms, the lower his social status, and vice versa. In general, an educated person stands 'higher' on the social and economic scale than an uneducated person.

3. Organismic deprivation associated with congenital or acquired individual deficiencies of a person: physical deformities, disabilities, dementia, etc.

4. Ethical deprivation is associated with a value conflict that arises when the ideals of individual individuals or groups do not coincide with the ideals of society. These types of conflicts can arise for many reasons. Some people may feel the internal inconsistency of the generally accepted value system, the presence of latent negative functions of established standards and rules, they may suffer from the discrepancy between reality and ideals, etc. Often a value conflict arises due to the presence of contradictions in social organization. There are known conflicts of this kind between society and intellectuals, who have their own criteria for excellence in art, literature and other areas of creativity, which are not shared by the general public. Many religious reformers (for example, Luther), as well as radical revolutionary politicians (Marx), apparently experienced a feeling of deprivation caused by an ethical conflict with society - the inability to lead a lifestyle consistent with their own value system.

5. Mental deprivation arises as a result of the formation of a value vacuum in an individual or group - the absence of a significant value system in accordance with which they could build their life. This is predominantly the result of an acute state of social deprivation that has not been resolved over a long period of time, when a person, as a spontaneous mental compensation for his condition, loses his commitment to the values ​​of a society that does not recognize him.

A common reaction to mental deprivation is the search for new values, new faith, meaning and purpose of existence. A person experiencing a state of mental deprivation, as a rule, is most susceptible to new ideologies, mythologies, and religions. In contrast to this category of people, those experiencing ethical deprivation demonstrate a deep commitment to their usual values. Mental deprivation manifests itself primarily in a feeling of despair, alienation, in a state of anomie resulting from objective states of deprivation (social, economic or organismic). It often results in actions aimed at eliminating objective forms of deprivation.

Social inequality - This is a type of social division in which individual members of society or groups are at different levels of the social ladder (hierarchy) and have unequal opportunities, rights and responsibilities.

Basic inequality indicators:

  • different levels of access to resources, both physical and moral (for example, women in Ancient Greece who were not allowed to Olympic Games);
  • different working conditions.

Causes of social inequality.

French sociologist Emile Durkheim identified two causes of social inequality:

  1. The need to reward the best in their field, that is, those who bring great benefit to society.
  2. People have different levels of personal qualities and talent.

Robert Michels put forward another reason: protection of the privileges of power. When a community exceeds a certain number of people, they nominate a leader, or an entire group, and give him greater powers than everyone else.

Criteria of social inequality.

Key inequality criteria Max Weber stated:

  1. Wealth (income differences).
  2. Prestige (difference in honor and respect).
  3. Power (difference in the number of subordinates).

Hierarchy of inequality.

There are two types of hierarchy, which are usually represented as geometric shapes: pyramid(a handful of oligarchs and a huge number of poor people, and the poorer, the greater their number) and rhombus(few oligarchs, few poor people and the bulk are middle class). A diamond is preferable to a pyramid from the point of view of stability of the social system. Roughly speaking, in the diamond-shaped version, middle peasants happy with life will not allow a handful of poor people to stage a coup and civil war. You don't have to go far for an example. In Ukraine, the middle class was far from being the majority, and dissatisfied residents of poor western and central villages overthrew the government in the country. As a result, the pyramid turned over, but remained a pyramid. There are other oligarchs at the top, and at the bottom there is still the majority of the country's population.

Addressing social inequality.

It is natural that social inequality is perceived as social injustice, especially by those who are at the lowest level in the hierarchy of social division. In modern society, the issue of social inequality is under the control of social policy bodies. Their responsibilities include:

  1. Introduction of various compensations for socially vulnerable segments of the population.
  2. Help for poor families.
  3. Benefits for the unemployed.
  4. Determination of the minimum wage.
  5. Social insurance.
  6. Development of education.
  7. Healthcare.
  8. Ecological problems .
  9. Improvement of workers' qualifications.

Aspects of inequality

Inequality in human society acts as one of the relevant objects sociological research. Its reasons also lie in several main aspects.

Inequality initially implies different opportunities and unequal access to available social and material goods. Among these benefits are the following:

  1. Income is a certain amount of money that a person receives per unit of time. Often, income is directly wage, which is paid for the labor produced by a person and the physical or mental strength expended. In addition to labor, it can also be the ownership of property that “works.” Thus, the lower a person’s income, the lower the level he is in the hierarchy of society;
  2. Education is a complex of knowledge, skills and abilities acquired by a person during his stay in educational institutions. Educational attainment is measured by the number of years of schooling. They can range from 9 years (part-time high school). For example, a professor may have more than 20 years of education behind him; accordingly, he will be at a much higher level than a person who has completed 9 grades;
  3. Power is the ability of an individual to impose his worldview and point of view on wider sections of the population, regardless of their desire. The level of power is measured by the number of people over which it extends;
  4. Prestige is a position in society and its assessment, which has developed on the basis of public opinion.

Causes of social inequality

For a long time, many researchers have wondered whether society can exist in principle if there is no inequality or hierarchy in it. In order to answer this question, it is necessary to understand the causes of social inequality.

Different approaches interpret this phenomenon and its causes differently. Let's analyze the most influential and famous ones.

Note 1

Functionalism explains the phenomenon of inequality based on diversity social functions. These functions are inherent in different layers, classes and communities.

The functioning and development of social relations are possible only under the condition of division of labor. In this situation, each social group carries out the solution of problems vital for the entire society. Some are engaged in the creation and production material goods, and the activities of others are aimed at creating spiritual values. A control layer is also needed that will control the activities of the first two - hence the third.

For the successful functioning of society, a combination of all three of the above types of human activity is simply necessary. Some turn out to be the most important, and some the least. Thus, based on the hierarchies of functions, a hierarchy of classes and layers that perform them is formed.

Status explanation of social inequality. It is based on observations of the actions and behavior of specific individuals. As we understand, every person who occupies a certain place in society automatically acquires his status. Hence the opinion that social inequality is, first of all, inequality of status. It stems both from the ability of individuals to perform a certain role, and from the opportunities that allow a person to achieve a certain position in society.

In order for an individual to perform one or another social role, he needs to have certain skills, abilities and qualities (to be competent, sociable, have the appropriate knowledge and skills to be a teacher, engineer). The opportunities that allow a person to achieve a particular position in society are, for example, ownership of property, capital, origin from a famous and wealthy family, belonging to a high class or political forces.

An economic view of the causes of social inequality. In accordance with this point of view, the main reason for social inequality lies in unequal treatment of property and distribution of material goods. This approach was most clearly manifested under Marxism, when it was the emergence of private property that led to the social stratification of society and the formation of antagonistic classes.

Problems of social inequality

Social inequality is a very common phenomenon, and therefore, like many other manifestations in society, it faces a number of problems.

Firstly, problems of inequality arise simultaneously in two of the most developed areas of society: in public and economic sphere.

When we talk about problems of inequality in the public sphere, it is worth mentioning the following manifestations of instability:

  1. Uncertainty about one’s future, as well as about the stability of the position in which the individual currently finds himself;
  2. Suspension of production due to dissatisfaction on the part of various segments of the population, which leads to a shortage of products for others;
  3. Growing social tension, which can lead to consequences such as riots, social conflicts;
  4. Lack of real social elevators that will allow you to move up the social ladder both from bottom to top and vice versa - from top to bottom;
  5. Psychological pressure due to a feeling of unpredictability of the future, lack of clear forecasts for further development.

In the economic sphere, the problems of social inequality are expressed as follows: an increase in government costs for the production of certain goods or services, a partially unfair distribution of income (received not by those who actually work and use their physical strength, but by those who invest more money), respectively, from here Another significant problem arises - unequal access to resources.

Note 2

A special feature of the problem of inequality of access to resources is that it is both a cause and a consequence of modern social inequality.

Inequality characterizes the uneven distribution of society's scarce resources - money, power, education and prestige - between different strata or segments of the population. On the inequality scale, the rich will be at the top and the poor at the bottom.

If wealth is a sign of the upper class, then income - the flow of cash receipts for a certain calendar period, say, a month or a year - characterizes all layers of society. Income is any amount of money received in the form of wages, pensions, rent, benefits, alimony, fees, etc. Even the alms of beggars, obtained by begging and expressed in monetary terms, represents a type of income.

On this basis, the following population groups can be distinguished: (Figure 1.1).

Figure 1.1 - Units of measurement of economic inequality by population group

From Figure 1.1 it follows that the population is divided into 4 groups:

1. Rich

2. Middle class

The fact is that along with a broad understanding of income, there is a narrow one. In a statistical sense, income is the amount of money that people earn due to belonging to a certain profession (type of occupation) or due to the legal disposal of property. However, beggars, even if they regularly earn a living by begging, do not provide any valuable services to society. And statistics take into account only those sources of income that are associated with the provision of valuable, socially significant services or with the production of goods. Beggars are included in the so-called underclass, i.e. literally not a class, or a layer below all classes. Thus, beggars fall out of the official income pyramid.

The essence of social inequality lies in the unequal access of different categories of the population to social significant benefits, scarce resources, liquid values. The essence of economic inequality is that a narrow layer of society owns the majority of national wealth. The income of the majority may be distributed differently. For example, in the United States, the income level of the majority allows us to speak of the presence of a large middle class, while in Russia the income level of the majority of the population is often below the subsistence level. Accordingly, the income pyramid, its distribution between population groups, in other words, inequality, can be depicted in the first case as a rhombus, and in the second as a cone. As a result, we get a stratification profile, or an inequality profile.

The essence of social inequality

The diversity of relationships, roles, and positions lead to differences between people in each particular society. The problem comes down to somehow ordering these relationships between categories of people that differ in many aspects.

What is inequality? In the very general view inequality means that people live in conditions in which they have unequal access to limited resources of material and spiritual consumption. To describe the system of inequality between groups of people in sociology, the concept of “social stratification” is widely used.

When considering the problem of social inequality, it is quite justified to proceed from the theory of socio-economic heterogeneity of labor. Performing qualitatively unequal types of labor, satisfying social needs to varying degrees, people sometimes find themselves engaged in economically heterogeneous labor, because such types of labor have different assessments of their social utility.

The essence of social inequality, as we have already said, lies in the unequal access of different categories of the population to socially significant benefits, scarce resources, and liquid values. The essence of economic inequality is that a minority of the population always owns the majority of national wealth. In other words, the highest incomes are received by the smallest part of society, and the average and lowest incomes are received by the majority of the population. The latter can be distributed in different ways. In the United States, the lowest incomes (as well as the highest) are received by a minority of the population, and the average income is received by the majority. In Russia today, the lowest incomes are received by the majority, the average incomes by a relatively large group, and the highest incomes by a minority of the population.

It is the socio-economic heterogeneity of labor that is not only a consequence, but also the reason for the appropriation of power, property, prestige by some people and the lack of all these advantages in the social hierarchy by others. Each group develops its own values ​​and norms and relies on them. If representatives of such groups are located according to a hierarchical principle, then these groups are social layers.

In social stratification there is a tendency to inherit positions. The principle of inheritance of positions leads to the fact that not all capable and educated individuals have equal chances to occupy positions of power, high principles and well-paid positions. There are two selection mechanisms at work here: unequal access to genuine quality education and unequal opportunities for equally qualified individuals to obtain positions.

Social stratification has a traditional character: inequality of status different groups people has been preserved throughout the history of civilization. Even in primitive societies age and sex combined with physical strength was an important criterion for stratification.

Let us imagine a situation where there are numerous social strata in society, the social distance between which is small, the level of mobility is high, the lower strata constitute a minority of members of society, rapid technological growth constantly raises the “bar” of meaningful work at the lower tiers of production positions, social protection of the weak, among other things, guarantees the strong and advanced peace of mind and the realization of potentialities. It is difficult to deny that such a society, such interlayer interaction, is more likely an ideal model in its own way than an everyday reality.

Majority modern societies far from this model. They are characterized by the concentration of power and resources among a numerically small elite. The concentration of such status attributes among the elite as power, property and education impedes social interaction between the elite and other strata and leads to excessive social distance between it and the majority. This means that the middle class is small and the upper class is deprived of communication with other groups. Obviously, such a social order contributes to destructive conflicts.

Hello everyone! This article is devoted to the most pressing topic - social inequality in modern Russia. Who among us has not wondered why some people are rich and others are poor; Why do some people subsist from water to compote, while others drive Bentleys and don’t care about anything? I am sure that this topic worried you, dear reader! It doesn't matter how old you are. There is always a peer who is luckier, happier, richer, better dressed…. etc. What is the reason? What is the scale of social inequality in modern Russia? Read on and find out.

Concept of social inequality

Social inequality is unequal access of people to social, economic and other benefits. By good we mean that (things, services, etc.) that a person considers useful for himself (a purely economic definition). You must understand that this concept is closely related to the term that we wrote about earlier.

Society is structured in such a way that people have unequal access to goods. The reasons for this state of affairs are varied. One of them is the limited resources for the production of goods. There are over 6 billion people on Earth today, and everyone wants to eat deliciously and sleep sweetly. And in the end, food and land are becoming increasingly scarce.

It is clear that the geographical factor also plays a role. In Russia, despite its entire territory, only 140 million people live, and the population is rapidly declining. But for example in Japan - 120 million - that's on four islands. With wildly limited resources, the Japanese live well: they build artificial land. China, with a population of over a billion people, also lives well in principle. Such examples seem to refute the thesis that what more people, the less goods and inequality should be greater.

In fact, it is influenced by many other factors: the culture of a given society, work ethic, social responsibility of the state, industrial development, development monetary relations And financial institutions etc.

In addition, social inequality is greatly influenced by natural inequality. For example, a person was born without legs. Or lost legs and arms. For example, like this individual:

Of course, he lives abroad - and, in principle, I think he lives well. But in Russia, I think, he would not have survived. Here, people with arms and legs are dying of hunger, and social services don’t need anyone at all. So the social responsibility of the state is extremely important in smoothing out inequality.

Very often in my classes I heard from people that if they get more or less seriously ill, the company they work for asks them to quit. And they can't do anything. They don’t even know how to protect their rights. And if they knew, then these companies would “get” a decent amount of money and next time they would think a hundred times whether it is worth doing this to their employees. That is, legal illiteracy of the population can be a factor of social inequality.

It is important to understand that when studying this phenomenon, sociologists use so-called multidimensional models: they evaluate people according to several criteria. These include: income, education, power, prestige, etc.

Thus, this concept covers many different aspects. And if you are writing a social studies essay on this topic, then reveal these aspects!

Social inequality in Russia

Our country is one of those in which social inequality is manifested to the highest degree. There is a very big difference between the rich and the poor. For example, when I was still a volunteer, a volunteer from Germany came to us in Perm. For those who don’t know, in Germany, instead of serving in the army, you can volunteer for a year in any country. So, they arranged for him to live with a family for a year. A day later, the German volunteer left there. Because, according to him, even by German standards, this is a luxurious life: a luxurious apartment, etc. He cannot live in such luxurious conditions when he sees homeless people and beggars begging on the streets of the city.

Plus, in our country, social inequality manifests itself in an extremely large form in relation to different professions. A school teacher receives, God forbid, 25,000 rubles for one and a half times the rate, and some painter can receive all of 60,000 rubles, the salary of a crane operator starts from 80,000 rubles, a gas welder - from 50,000 rubles.

Most scientists see the reason for such social inequality in the fact that our country is experiencing a transformation social system. It broke down in 1991, overnight, along with the state. But no new one has been built. That is why we are dealing with such social inequality.

You can find other examples of social inequality. That’s all for today - until new publications! Don't forget to like!

Best regards, Andrey Puchkov