Social inequality is always expressed in... Causes and problems of social inequality. Why does social inequality exist in society?

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);
• various conditions labor.

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 a diamond-shaped version happy with life the middle peasants will not allow a handful of poor peasants 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 responsibility of social policy authorities. 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.

Introduction.

“Even in a prosperous society, the unequal status of people remains an important and enduring phenomenon... Of course, these differences are no longer based on the direct force and legal norms on which the system of privileges in a caste or class society was based. Nevertheless, in addition to the cruder divisions of property and income, prestige and power, our society is characterized by many differences of rank - so subtle and at the same time so deeply rooted that claims about the disappearance of all forms of inequality as a result of equalizing processes can be perceived as but at least skeptical.”

Dahrendorf R.

Inequality is an integral element of any society. We are talking about social inequality, which is reproduced in fairly stable forms, as a reflection of the political, economic, cultural and normative structure of society. Research by anthropologists suggests that inequality already existed in primitive societies and was determined by strength, dexterity, courage, religious awareness, etc. Inequality is generated even by natural differences between people, but it manifests itself most deeply as a consequence of social factors. As a result, some individuals, groups or layers have greater capabilities or resources (financial, power, etc.) than others. The existence of social inequality can be taken as an axiom. However, an explanation of its nature, the foundations of historical evolution, and the relationship of specific forms remains one of the key problems of any sociological research.

Inequality in modern sociological theory.

There are different definitions of inequality: “Inequality is the conditions under which people have unequal access to social goods such as money, power and prestige”; “Social inequality is a specific form of social differentiation in which individuals, social boundaries, layers, classes are at different levels of the vertical social hierarchy and have unequal life chances and opportunities to meet needs”; “In its most general form, inequality means that people live in conditions in which they have unequal access to limited resources for material and spiritual consumption.” All these definitions reflect different aspects of social inequality.

In sociology, one of the first explanations of inequality was given by E. Durkheim in his work “On the Division of Social Labor.” The author's conclusion is that different kinds activities are valued differently in society. Accordingly, they form a certain hierarchy. Moreover, people themselves have different degrees of talent, skill, etc. Society must ensure that the most able and competent perform the most important functions; this in turn determines various rewards.

Within the framework of structural functionalism, the concept of stratification was developed by American sociologists K. Davis and W. Moore. Inequality acts as a natural way of self-regulation and survival of society, its organization, and as an incentive for advancement. Thus, society is not just differentiated, but hierarchically structured, according to the principle of “higher” - “lower”.

The analysis of the vertical stratification of society is reflected in the theory of stratification. The very concept of “stratification” came to sociology from geology, where “strata” means a geological layer. This concept quite accurately conveys the content of social differentiation, when social groups are arranged in social space in a hierarchically organized, vertically sequential series along some dimension of inequality.

The criteria for organizing inequality may be different. This serves as the basis for a multidimensional approach to the study of social stratification in Western sociology. As you know, for many years we were dominated by class theory, based on a one-dimensional approach to the analysis of social differentiation, where the determining criterion is the attitude to property and the means of production. Hence, at various stages of development of society, the main classes of the haves and have-nots were distinguished: slaves and slave owners, peasants and feudal lords, proletarians and bourgeois.

However, the “closedness” to the economy could not explain the diversity and volume that real life characterize the social differentiation of society. M. Weber expands the range of criteria, including attitude to power and social prestige, which allows one to take one or another place on the social ladder in accordance with one’s status.

P. A. Sorokin identifies different forms of social differentiation. Property inequality gives rise to economic differentiation, inequality in the possession of power indicates political differentiation, division by type of activity, differing in the level of prestige, gives grounds to talk about professional differentiation.

In modern Western sociology, based on a multidimensional approach, different dimensions of stratification are distinguished: based on gender, age, race, property status, education, etc.

However, social differentiation is only one component of social stratification. Another, no less important, is social assessment.

American sociologist T. Parsons emphasized that social hierarchy is determined by the cultural standards and values ​​prevailing in society. In accordance with this, in different societies, with the change of eras, the criteria determining the status of an individual or group changed.

Causes of inequality.

Division of labor is considered to be one of the most important causes of social inequality because economic activity is considered to be 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 the personal qualities of an individual, demonstrating which he considers another race inferior.

Sexual inequality is caused mainly by gender roles and sex 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.

Social groups as one of the manifestations of social inequality.

The word “group” entered the Russian language at the beginning of the 19th century. from Italian (Italian groppo, or gruppo) as a technical painter's term used to designate several figures making up a composition (joint position). This is exactly how the dictionary explains it foreign words the beginning of the 19th century, which, among other overseas “curiosities,” contains the word “group” as an ensemble, a composition of “figures, whole components, and so adjusted that the eye looks at them at once.” The first written appearance of the French word groupe, from which its English and German equivalents were later derived, dates back to 1668. Thanks to Moliere, a year later, this word penetrates literary speech, still retaining its technical connotation. The wide penetration of the term “group” into a variety of fields of knowledge, its truly commonly used nature, creates the appearance of its “transparency,” that is, understandability and accessibility. It is most often used in relation to certain human communities as collections of people united according to a number of characteristics by a certain spiritual substance (interest, purpose, awareness of their community, etc.). Meanwhile, the sociological category “social group” is one of the most difficult to understand due to its significant discrepancy with everyday ideas. A social group is not just a collection of people united along formal or informal grounds, but a group social position that people occupy. “We cannot identify the agents who objectify a position with the position itself, even if the totality of these agents is a practical group mobilized for united action for the sake of a common interest.”

A social group is one of the main forms of interaction between people, their united social position associated with satisfying the needs of the individuals occupying it to carry out joint actions.

The definition of a social group includes four main points:

social interaction - that is, communicative interaction carried out using sign systems (“codes”);

stigma - “pasting labels” by which we recognize membership in a group, formed into a social gestalt (an image in the mass consciousness) - the lifestyle of a given group;

identification - identification by an individual of himself with a given group through the opposition “we - others” with the establishment of social boundaries and filters at “input-output” (and the implementation of “reflexive monitoring”, according to E. Giddens);

habitualization - that is, “habituation” (according to P. Bourdieu), an individual’s mastery of a given social position and the formation of attitudes and stereotypes inherent in a given group.

The signs by which group membership is determined and which underlie identification may or may not coincide with each other. For example, members of an organization distinguish each other by their identification, while non-members identify them by their dress code.

Each individual belongs to several groups - different ones at different periods of his life. He is a member of the family class, student group, labor team, group of friends, member of a sports team, etc.

Social groups can vary in size - small and large, and formal and informal. Small groups are formed within the scope of interpersonal relationships. In large groups personal contacts between all members are no longer possible, however, such groups have clear formal boundaries and are controlled by certain institutional relationships, most often formal. Most social groups exist in the form organizations.

An individual's membership groups are called ingroups (my family, my company, etc.). Other groups to which he does not belong are called outgroups.

IN traditional society dominated by small groups built mainly on relationships kinship. IN modern society structure groups and the basis for their formation become more complex and diversified. An individual belongs to many groups at the same time, which raises the problem of group identity.

There are also large groups whose members have no interpersonal or formal relationships and cannot always identify their membership - they are connected only on the basis of proximity interests, lifestyle, standards consumption And cultural samples (property groups, origin groups, official status and so on.). These are groups in which membership is based on proximity or coincidence of social status - status groups.

The same individuals in different locations and in different connections form different social groups. The division of individuals into main groups according to one of the social sections acts at the same time as an internal division for other main social sections. Let us take for example the social division into city and village residents. In relation to these vast communities (city dwellers and villagers), the independent division into mental and physical workers acts as a subordinate division, forming a layered section within them. And vice versa, if society is considered from the point of view of the division into mental and physical workers, then in relation to it the division into townspeople and villagers appears as a layered one. The basis for the correlation of divisions within social communities (large social groups) is the interrelation of social phenomena in society as a whole, which acts as a subordinated system of social relations between people.

When analyzing the social structure, one of the main tasks is to identify, firstly, those properties by which one can judge the integrity of a community (say, territorial), and secondly, the properties that determine the heterogeneity of this social community, the plurality of historically determined stable social properties by which individuals are classified are subordinated in a certain way. This subordination is one of the features of the entire system of social relations inherent in a specific social organism, the social structure of which is being studied. Two problems arise here: 1) By what criteria should social groups (communities) be distinguished as elements of the social structure? 2) What indicates the subordination of these intergroup relations? We find the explanation in the fact that social groups (communities) and the relationships between them are a product of human activity. They exist due to the fact that people act to satisfy their needs and interests, while sharing functions (roles), uniting, and cooperating. Truly human existence is possible only in the connection of interacting groups of people who find at each given moment certain social relations (primarily production), enter into these relations. Consequently, the mechanism of the existence and development of social groups and social relations is “hidden” in the system of human activity .

Relations between people in the process of this activity are the basis for the formation and reproduction of social groups.

Systematicity and integrity of social relations as special type social relations are given by the needs and interests of social groups, that is, a collection of people who have similarities in their objective position in the system of social relations.

Main social groups.

In our domestic tradition, social groups refer to social classes, layers and other large units of the macrosocial structure of the entire society, as well as units of the mesosocial structure of territorial communities (cities, agglomerations, etc.). To all of them social group- a generic, collective concept. In the context of the sociology of inequality, it is these groups that are of decisive importance.

In our work we will dwell in more detail on the main, in our opinion, social groups, called classes.

The process of transition from an economy based on an administrative-bureaucratic way of managing social production and distribution to an economy based on market relations, and from the monopoly power of the party nomenklatura to representative democracy is extremely painful and slow. Strategic and tactical miscalculations in the radical transformation of social relations are aggravated by the peculiarities of the economic potential created in the USSR with its structural asymmetry, monopolism, technological backwardness, etc.

All this was reflected in the social stratification of Russian society in the transition period. To analyze it and understand its features, it is necessary to consider the social structure of the Soviet period. In Soviet scientific literature, in accordance with the requirements of official ideology, a view was affirmed from the position of a three-member structure: two friendly classes (the worker and the collective farm peasantry), as well as a social stratum - the people's intelligentsia. Moreover, in this layer, representatives of the party and state elite, a rural teacher, and a library worker seemed to be on equal terms.

This approach veiled the existing differentiation of society and created the illusion of society moving towards social equality.

Of course, in real life this was far from the case; Soviet society was hierarchized, and in a very specific way. According to Western and many Russian sociologists, it was not so much a social-class society as an estate-caste society. The dominance of state property has turned the overwhelming mass of the population into hired workers of the state, alienated from this property.

The decisive role in the location of groups on the social ladder was played by their political potential, determined by their place in the party-state hierarchy.

The highest level in Soviet society was occupied by the party-state nomenklatura, which united the highest layers of the party, state, economic and military bureaucracy. Not being formally the owner of national wealth, it had a monopoly and uncontrolled right to its use and distribution. The nomenklatura has endowed itself with a wide range of benefits and advantages. It was essentially a closed class-type layer, not interested in growing numbers; its share was small - 1.5 - 2% of the country's population.

A step lower was the layer that served the nomenklatura, workers engaged in the field of ideology, the party press, as well as the scientific elite, prominent artists.

The next step was occupied by a layer that was, to one degree or another, involved in the function of distribution and use of national wealth. These included government officials who distributed scarce social benefits, heads of enterprises, collective farms, state farms, workers in logistics, trade, the service sector, etc.

It is hardly legitimate to classify these layers as the middle class, since they did not have the economic and political independence characteristic of this class.

Of interest is the analysis of the multidimensional social structure of Soviet society in the 40s and 50s, given by the American sociologist A. Inkels (1974). He views it as a pyramid, including 9 strata.

At the top is the ruling elite (party-state nomenklatura, senior military officials). In second place is the highest layer of the intelligentsia (prominent figures of literature and art, scientists). Possessing significant privileges, they did not have the power that the upper stratum had. Quite high - third place was given to the “aristocracy of the working class”. These are Stakhanovites, “lighthouses”, shock workers of the five-year plans. This layer also had great privileges and high prestige in society. This was followed by the main group of intellectuals (middle managers, heads of small enterprises, scientists and scientific-pedagogical workers, officers, etc.). Fifth place was occupied by “white collar workers” (small managers, employees who, as a rule, did not have higher education). The sixth layer is the “prosperous peasants” who worked on advanced collective farms, where special working conditions were created. In order to form “exemplary” farms, they were allocated additional state financial, material and technical resources, which made it possible to ensure higher labor productivity and living standards. In seventh place were workers of medium and low qualifications. The size of this group was quite large. Eighth place was occupied by the “poorest strata of the peasantry” (and these constituted the majority). And finally, at the bottom of the social ladder there were prisoners who were deprived of almost all rights. This layer was very significant and consisted of several million people.

Studying the social structure of Soviet society in the second half of the 80s, domestic sociologists T. I. Zaslavskaya and R. V. Ryvkina identified 12 groups. Along with the workers (this layer is represented by three differentiated groups), the collective farm peasantry, the scientific, technical and humanitarian intelligentsia, they identify the following groups: political leaders of society, responsible employees of the political administration apparatus, responsible workers in trade and consumer services, a group of organized crime, etc. Here a multidimensional model was used. Of course, this division is very arbitrary; the real social structure “goes into the shadows”, since, for example, a huge layer of real production relations turns out to be illegal, hidden in informal connections and decisions.

In the context of a radical transformation of Russian society, profound changes are taking place in its social stratification, which have a number of characteristic features.

Firstly, there is a total marginalization of Russian society. It can be assessed and its social consequences can only be predicted based on the totality of specific processes and conditions in which this phenomenon operates.

Marginalization caused by the mass transition from lower to higher strata of society, i.e., upward mobility (although it has certain costs), can generally be assessed positively.

Marginalization, which is characterized by a transition to the lower strata (with downward mobility), if it is also long-term and widespread, leads to severe social consequences.

In our society we see both upward and downward mobility. But what is alarming is that the latter has acquired a “landslide” character. Particular attention should be paid to the growing layer of marginalized people, knocked out of their socio-cultural environment and turned into a lumpen layer (beggars, homeless people, tramps, etc.).

The next feature is the blocking of the process of formation of the middle class. During the Soviet period in Russia there was a significant segment of the population that represented a potential middle class (intelligentsia, office workers, highly skilled workers). However, the transformation of these layers into the middle class does not occur; there is no process of “class crystallization.”

The fact is that it is these layers that have descended (and this process continues) into the lower class, being on the verge of poverty or below it. First of all, this applies to the intelligentsia. Here we are faced with a phenomenon that can be called the phenomenon of the “new poor”, an exceptional phenomenon that has probably not been encountered in any society in the history of civilization. Both in pre-revolutionary Russia and in developing countries any region modern world, not to mention, of course, about developed countries, she had and still has a fairly high prestige in society, her financial situation (even in poor countries) is at the proper level, allowing her to lead a decent lifestyle.

Today in Russia the share of contributions to science, education, healthcare, and culture in the budget is catastrophically decreasing. The wages of scientific, scientific and pedagogical personnel, medical workers, cultural workers are increasingly lagging behind the national average, not providing a subsistence level, but for certain categories a physiological minimum. And since almost all of our intelligentsia are from the budget, impoverishment is inevitably approaching them.

There is a reduction in scientific workers, many specialists move to commercial structures (a huge share of which are trade intermediaries) and are disqualified. The prestige of education in society is falling. The consequence may be a violation of the necessary reproduction of the social structure of society.

A similar situation found itself in the layer of highly skilled workers associated with advanced technologies and employed, primarily in the military-industrial complex.

As a result, the lower class in Russian society currently constitutes approximately 70% of the population.

There is a growth of the upper class (compared to the upper class of Soviet society). It consists of several groups. Firstly, these are large entrepreneurs, owners of capital of various types (financial, commercial, industrial). Secondly, these are government officials related to state material and financial resources, their distribution and transfer to private hands, as well as overseeing the activities of parastatal and private enterprises and institutions.

It should be emphasized that a significant part of this layer in Russia consists of representatives of the former nomenklatura, who have retained their places in government government structures.

The majority of apparatchiks today realize that the market is economically inevitable; moreover, they are interested in the emergence of a market. But we are not talking about the “European” market with unconditional private property, but about the “Asian” market - with truncated reformed private property, where the main right (the right of disposal) would remain in the hands of the bureaucracy.

How is social inequality expressed? What are its reasons?

Answer

Social inequality- a form of differentiation in which individuals, social groups, strata, classes are at different levels of the vertical social hierarchy and have unequal life chances and opportunities to satisfy needs.

The problem of social inequality is one of the most important in modern society. Explanations of the reasons for this phenomenon and its assessment are different. According to one point of view, in any society there are particularly important and responsible functions. They can be performed by a limited number of gifted people. By encouraging these people to perform these functions, society gives them access to scarce goods. From this point of view, social stratification is inevitable in any society; moreover, it is useful because it ensures its normal functioning and development.

There is another position: social stratification is the result of an unjust social structure, which is based on the appropriation by the owners of the means of production of basic goods. Supporters of such views conclude: social stratification must be eliminated, the road to this lies through the elimination of private property.

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 become increasingly scarce.

It is clear that the geographical factor also plays a role. Russia, despite its entire territory, is home to only 140 million people, 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 strongly 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 manifests itself in 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

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 the wage that 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 solves problems that are vital for the entire society. Some are engaged in the creation and production of material goods, while 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 wealth. 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 one coming significant issue– 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.