Changing patterns of inequality

Defining Social Inequality

Social inequality refers to the uneven distribution of resources, wealth, opportunities, and social status within a society.

Changing Patterns of Class Inequality

Class inequality remains a significant issue, but the specifics have changed. A widening income gap has emerged, especially between the super-rich and the rest of society.
Job insecurity, zero-hour contracts, and the gig economy have increasingly contributed to class inequality.
The nature of middle-class occupations has also changed, with more people working in the service industry and in insecure or low-paid jobs.

Heightened Ethnic and Racial Inequality

In certain societies, racial and ethnic minorities often face discrimination, leading to significant disparities in income, employment, education, and healthcare.
Recent shifts in immigration policy could potentially increase ethnic and racial inequality, causing further polarisation in different societies.

Gender Inequality Transitions

There’s been progress in the fight against gender inequality. Changes range from legislative combat against discrimination in the work place, through to shifts in public attitudes toward traditional gendered roles.
Despite the progress, women still face inequality in several aspects including pay, domestic responsibilities, and representation in positions of power. This signifies changing, yet continuous, aspects of gender inequality.

Changes in Global inequality

Global inequality levels, in terms of wealth and income distribution across different nations, have seen changes over recent years.
The income gap between high-income and some middle-income countries seems to be decreasing, but that between high-income and low-income countries has widened.
The shifts in global inequality can be attributed to various factors such as changes in government policy, globalisation, technological advancements, and the interventions of international financial institutions.

Impact of Technological Advancements on Inequality

Technological advancements have brought about radical transformations in society, which have implications for social inequality.
Rapid automation and digitisation have led to increasing economic rewards for those with specific high-level skills, thus widening the gap between them and low-skilled workers.
Digital divide: Access and ability to use new technologies also varies widely. This results in making those without digital literacy or access further disadvantaged in our digitised world, thereby increasing the inequality.