5 Topics in Social Inequality
Social inequality is the uneven distribution of resources within a given society. It includes, but is not limited to, unequal wealth distribution. More wealth provides more opportunities to an individual. Race and gender are other important attributes that give advantages to some groups of people and simultaneously disadvantage others.
There is a big gap between the perceived level of social inequality and the realities. In our current society, you would have to be a socialist to believe in absolute equality!
The social ladder includes the various social classes within a society. The family one is born into initially determines social class. On the other hand, social mobility is about the degree to which original circumstances affect one’s ability to move up on the social ladder. Specific groups of people have greater chances for mobility. Race, education, and parents’ marital status can be powerful, determining characteristics of social mobility for lower-class individuals.
The relative economic disadvantage, not the overall poverty, leads to more violence in a society. Disadvantaged, lower-class groups feel a lack of control in their lives. The persistence and increase of social inequalities translate a lack of concern, making them feel unimportant to society. This emotional response then triggers more violence.
https://focus.psychiatryonline.org/doi/abs/10.1176/appi.focus.20150017
5. Social Determinants of Mental Health
