Inequality

James Pass
Nov 2 · 7 min read

Relevant interest

· Societal Inequality

· The government, corporate owners of income producing properties, and the citizens of the United States

  • Generational Influences
  • Corporate owners and managers of income producing properties
  • The government

Inequality versus a Christian Approach

· Inequality affects people from an economic and social perspective. Many people believe that inequality stems from generational backgrounds, while others believe that inequality stems from the location of the individual. This is the difference between the socialist and economist perspective as one values individual environmental influence and the other focuses on income and monetary value.

· The perspectives on inequality differ amongst individuals at different levels. People in power are the key determiners in control of the way everyone else operates, therefore they are most times oblivious to certain problems and situations that face many of those in the lower sector of living. This is an example of the mobility gap. The theory of mobility discusses the increase of the mobility gap due to American poverty, unusually large premiums employers pay for college degrees (DeParle, 2012), and the generational wealth gap between poor and wealthy children . For example, the lower class is faced with poverty, inadequate healthcare, and failing educational systems putting their children behind almost from birth. This is where the gap begins between the classes of society and inequality increases.

· There have been policies implemented, such as “Affirmative Action”, which references a set of procedures that are meant to prevent, remedy, and deter discrimination among job applicants. These policies have been put in place to decrease income inequality and therefore reduce social inequalities as a domino effect.

· “Originally designed to increase diversity among employees, students, politicians, or businesses by advantaging candidates from under-represented social groups, these rules have become the target of criticism (Sorinel, 2010).”

Biblical Worldview

· We are all seen as equal and as one in the view of Christ Jesus, therefore we shall all treat, employ, and work as equals.

· Galatians 3: 28, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus (The Holy Bible).”

· The focus has been set on monetary value and we must reward individuals according to their production rather than their social status.

Blog

Inequality has ruled the way of the land for as long as time can remember. Inequalities exists among groups of people by way of income inequality, social inequality, and psychological inequalities. People differ from place to place; however, those differences pave the way for which they may obtain receipt for their economic output. History has placed categorical characteristics on individuals as well as entire economies. Due to such divisions, inequalities have drawn attention to internal pros and cons of different walks of life.

From a sociological perspective, inequality begins in childhood. The environment for which an individual is raised plays a key part in how the individual will fair into adult hood. There is a 1% of individuals who possess most of the world’s wealth. These individuals are raised and groomed for power (Sorinel, 2010). The other 99% fall into inferior classes and possess a lesser access to educational resources, networks, and organizations that may put them on equal level with the wealthy.

Generational Influences

Have you ever visited a housing project? What are the schools like in those areas? When you examine impoverished areas, you must consider the living conditions, educational systems, and job market in those areas. Many of those areas have poor conditions, therefore providing residents in those areas with little access to the resources that would allow them to market themselves in an equal position to their wealthy counterparts. These children are born into low income families in impoverished neighborhoods, with poor educational facilities and inadequate healthcare. Many of these children follow the paths of their parents or the environment around them. There about 8% of men who started from the bottom and came out successful (DeParle, 2012). The stakes are low for the lower-class individuals in an economy, their resources are limited, and generations are passing this down to their children, therefore increasing the mobility gap within societies like the United States.

Wealthy children are given a boost at birth, as they are born into networks with the best resources, education systems, and influence on political factors that affect their day to day lives. This group of individuals live their lives free from the consequences of inequality such as racism, poverty, unemployment, discrimination, and so on.

Corporate Owners and Managers of High Production Companies

The parents of the children born wealthy are people of privilege and power. These parents are the corporate owners and top-level managers of large companies (Sorinel, 2010). Their parents are the influences of policy in the government. Their parents are the one’s increasing the mobility gap and increasing inequality amongst people. The employers that seek workers that will perform big task for little pay directly influence inequality.

These employers affect geographic inequality as these workers tend to reside in impoverished areas. They are willing to accept lesser pay for any type of income to feed their families. These employers are providing a net over their employees and keeping entire nations from benefiting from the economic gains of equality. When a nation is progressive and reducing inequalities amongst its citizens, the country sees a boost in its economy. There are benefits to equality and detrimental results from inequality.

The Government

Power inequality affects the government and the decisions made in high official positions. People of wealth control most of the world’s income, therefore they share significant influence on the policies and decisions of political powers (Sorinel, 2010). This type of control leads to influences via interest groups, policy formations, and official appointments. Each of these categories directly affects the lives of the inferior groups in societies.

Affirmative Action

Affirmative Action was put in place to control the inequality growth rate. It was meant to deter discrimination and give people in the United States equal opportunities for the advancement of their marketability in the world’s marketplace. The policy draws controversy because of the effects of such standards. It is argued that people that are not qualified for positions and opportunities are given the reward because of Affirmative Action standards. Others will argue that affirmative action helped to significantly close the mobility gap in America. While the white male is seen as the superior in the United States, Affirmative Action has helped women and minorities to place themselves on equal footing to compete with their superior. The reduction of inequality helps to grow the economy for the benefit of all its citizens. The availability of resources and fairness in opportunities is the key to closing the mobility gap. Citizens deserve to be compensated for their output, as their output can go directly back into the economy, resulting in reducing inequality among nations world-wide.

Biblical Perspective

It is not meant for no man to be considered better than the other, as God created all man equal. Is it Christian to hold man that has lesser means in a stagnant position of regression? Is it moral to ignore the consequences of inequality, such as crime, poverty, and unfair wages? The bible states in 2nd Corinthians 8:13–14, “For I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened, but that as a matter of fairness your abundance at the present time should supply their need, so that their abundance may supply your need, that there may be fairness (The Holy Bible).” This means that in order to combat inequality, those in higher positions of power but do what is necessary to create better systems for those in the lower classes to prosper in, so that they may in turn produce prosperity for those in power. What you put into the people is reflected in what the people put out.

Jesus commissioned his disciples and provided them with invitations to come and get to know him, to learn his teaching and bring others to gain the word of the truth, to act in his manner, and to spread his teachings in his name. Jesus set the example for man to follow in order to achieve discipline. If man followed the footsteps of the disciples with these four invitations, then inequality would greatly be greatly reduced. People in power can visit the lower-income areas and witness the living conditions of their employees. They will be able to identify areas that need improvement. The creation of programs and organizations to help provide better opportunities for the lower classes that follow the same structure as those born into wealth would give children born to impoverished families a fresh start in society. Acting in the way of Jesus Christ and sharing the knowledge and wealth with their people is the key discipline that will lead to economic success. The passing of the fruit will feed the nation in the United States and abroad. The bible tells us to lift our brothers and sisters, therefore we must do so in order to close the generational mobility gap created by inequality.

References

DeParle, J. (2012, January 4). Harder for Americans to Rise From Lower Rungs. New York Times .

Sorinel, C. (2010, December 1). Immanuel Wallersteing’s World-Systems Theory. Economic Science Series, pp. 220–224.

The Holy Bible. (n.d.). English Standard Version.

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