Is Social Inequality an Important Feature? A Sociological Analysis

This essay explores the concept of social inequality, defining it as the unequal opportunities related to social positions within a society. It discusses historical perspectives, highlighting that inequality has often been considered more normal than equality. The essay delves into the arguments against inequality, citing its inefficiency in human development, its correlation with health deficits and crime, and its creation of resentment and violence within communities. Drawing on Marx's perspective, the essay examines how capital and economic resources influence power structures and social consciousness. It also addresses factors contributing to increasing inequality in the United Kingdom, such as state benefits, rising property values, temporary employment, and regressive taxation. The essay concludes by acknowledging the incentive effect of inequality, where hard work is rewarded, potentially boosting productivity, while also recognizing the existence of unequal opportunities and health disparities at the bottom of the social ladder. The essay emphasizes the need for a balanced approach to address the challenges posed by social inequality while acknowledging its potential benefits.

Running head: SOCIAL INEQUALITY
Social Inequality
Name of the student
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Author note

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Social inequality refers to the existing of the unequal opportunities in relation to the
various social position that exist within the society. Social inequality is indicative of the
differences that exist between the people that can be said to be hierarchical in terms of nature
(Wallace, Nazroo & Bécares, 2016). Social inequality can be said to refer to hierarchical
distribution in relation to social along with cultural resources. This essay discusses about
social inequality and whether it is an important feature of society.
Historically it has been seen that inequality is conceived to be more normal as
compared to equality. Egalitarian ideals are related to the political ideals of the democracy
and a just society can be said to be the one where the needs of every individual are met. The
proponents of the concept of egalitarianism highlight that inequality violates the principles
pertaining to natural justice. According to Foster and Hagan (2015), inequality can be said to
be inefficient because it decreases potential in relation to human development. Those people
who are at bottom of ladder experience carries health deficits which shorten their lives. It can
be said that strong connection exists between poverty and the crimes. High level pertaining to
inequality creates resentment within the communities. It paves the way for criminal
behaviour in the society. Inequality can be said to be associated with that of lateral violence
which means the violence that occurs in between the disadvantaged groups. The nations that
have high level of the factor of inequality can be said to be inefficient as it limits the potential
markets. It reduces the human capital and constrains the opportunities in relation to
investment in the society. Large difference in relation to income paves the path for the
creation of ‘broken societies’. It has been stated by Gracia (2015) that race plays an important
role in shaping effect pertaining to inequality The ethnic minorities are excluded from
education that reduces their chances of employability. Inequality is instrumental in creating
relation of domination along with subordination that carries judgement pertaining to value of
various groups in the society.

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According to Marx, possessing of capital can help in the determination of form of that
of inequality. The economic determinist model of Marx and the structural model of Weber
perceived that economic resources can act as a source of power in the society. According to
Marx, objective class position produces consciousness that helps in determining how the
people will act. According to Montgomerie and Büdenbender (2015), Marxists have stated
that by dominating the economy, ruling classes will be able to control culture. Ideas that are
dominating I the society are the ones that would benefit the ruling class. Working class
people lived within industrial heartland of the cities. The relationships of the working class
with the neighbours were different from middle class. The distinct communities having social
identity which is rooted within the workplace experience can help in providing best strategy
that can improve the situation of these people. This lead to foundation of trade unions and the
movements of Labour Party. There existed oppositional culture that was expressed in relation
to industrial actions and in resistance to the right-wing political demand. According to
Zilanawala et al. (2015), ethnicity along with gender can help in diving working class and it
was brought down under that of cultural hegemony of that of the working-class culture. The
transition to the service economy helped in dissolving stability of the arrangements.
Expansion in relation to the service sector along with educational participation was
instrumental in creating social mobility. It lead to the emergence of large number of people
who belonged to the middle class.
There are certain factors that have paved the path for increasing inequality within
United Kingdom (UK). There are a large number of people in UK who are entitled to the
state benefits like sickness and the incapacity benefits. The rising values of property have
diminished the disposable income in relation to many young people. It has made renting more
expensive. According to Dorling (2015), there has been an increase in relation to wealth
inequality that has paved the way for income inequality. There are many people in UK who

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work on temporary basis in UK that is low paid. The tax that is levied on petrol and alcohol
has increased at a faster pace as compared to inflation. They are taking away a large
percentage of the disposable income of the people. The indirect taxes are taking away a large
part of the disposable income of the people. UK has high inequality as compared to the other
countries which are developed. The top 1 % in UK has income that is higher as compared to
the rest who are in the top 10 %. It was found that in the year 2012, average income of people
was 253,927 pound while top 1 % had average income that was £919,8823 . It is found that
income in UK is spread in an unequal manner across the various regions of UK. Average
household income within London is found to be high as compared to north-east.
Inequality exists in society owing to the incentive effect. In the event of a person
working harder he gets higher wage that cannot be called market failure. It has been stated by
Hurst, Gibbon & Nurse (2016) that the rewarding of hard work can help in boosting
productivity which can pave the path for greater national output. Inequality in the society can
provide encouragement to the entrepreneurs for taking the risks and for setting up new
business. In the event of some people being able to win extra income it can ‘trickle down’ to
the other people that can help them in surviving in the society (Lareau, 2015). There are some
people in the society who have higher skills that helps them in earning higher income.
Social inequality implies unequal opportunities that exist in society. It signifies the
difference that exist in between people that is hierarchical. People at the bottom position of
society suffers from health problems that shortens their life. Strong connection exists in
society between poverty and that of crimes. It can be concluded that inequality gives rise to
resentment along with criminal behaviour in a community. Marxists have pointed out that
domination of economy can help ruling classes in controlling culture. The dominating ideas
that prevail in society are useful for ruling class. The people who work hard in the society
become entitled to higher wage that increases the social disparity existing in society. The

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higher skills that some people possess in society help them in earning higher income that
helps them in enjoying a higher social position.

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References:
Dorling, D. (2015). Injustice (revised edition): Why social inequality still persists. Policy
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Foster, H., & Hagan, J. (2015). Punishment regimes and the multilevel effects of parental
incarceration: Intergenerational, intersectional, and interinstitutional models of social
inequality and systemic exclusion. Annual Review of Sociology, 41, 135-158.
Gracia, P. (2015). Parent–child leisure activities and cultural capital in the United Kingdom:
The gendered effects of education and social class. Social Science Research, 52, 290-
302.
Hurst, C. E., Gibbon, H. M. F., & Nurse, A. M. (2016). Social inequality: Forms, causes, and
consequences. Routledge.
Lareau, A. (2015). Cultural knowledge and social inequality. American Sociological
Review, 80(1), 1-27.
Montgomerie, J., & Büdenbender, M. (2015). Round the houses: Homeownership and
failures of asset-based welfare in the United Kingdom. New Political Economy, 20(3),
386-405.
Wallace, S., Nazroo, J., & Bécares, L. (2016). Cumulative effect of racial discrimination on
the mental health of ethnic minorities in the United Kingdom. American journal of
public health, 106(7), 1294-1300.
Zilanawala, A., Davis-Kean, P., Nazroo, J., Sacker, A., Simonton, S., & Kelly, Y. (2015).
Race/ethnic disparities in early childhood BMI, obesity and overweight in the United
Kingdom and United States. International journal of obesity, 39(3), 520.