What is human inequality. The stratification of society

And they have unequal life chances and opportunities to meet their needs.

In its most general form, inequality means that people live in conditions in which they have unequal access to limited resources of material and spiritual consumption.

Fulfilling qualitatively unequal working conditions, satisfying social needs to varying degrees, people sometimes find themselves engaged in economically heterogeneous labor, because such types of labor have a different assessment of their social utility.

The main mechanisms of social inequality are the relations of property, power (domination and subordination), social (i.e., socially fixed and hierarchized) division of labor, as well as uncontrolled, spontaneous social differentiation. These mechanisms are mainly associated with the features market economy, with inevitable competition (including in the labor market) and unemployment. Social inequality is perceived and experienced by many people (primarily the unemployed, economic migrants, those who are at or below the poverty line) as a manifestation of injustice. Social inequality, property stratification of society, as a rule, lead to an increase in social tension, especially in the transition period. This is what is characteristic of Russia today.

The main principles of social policy are:

the establishment of socialist power with the subsequent transition to communism and the withering away of the state;
protection of living standards by introducing various forms of compensation for price increases and indexation;
providing assistance to the poorest families;
issuance of assistance in case of unemployment;
ensuring social insurance policies, establishing a minimum wage for workers;
development of education, health protection, environment mainly at the expense of the state;
pursuing an active policy aimed at ensuring qualifications.

Literature

Shkaratan, Ovsey Irmovich. Sociology of inequality. Theory and reality; National research University "Higher School of Economics". - M.: Ed. house high school Economics, 2012. - 526 p. - ISBN 978-5-7598-0913-5

SOCIAL EQUALITY- - a type of social relations, which is characterized by the same rights and freedoms of individuals belonging to different classes, social groups and strata, their equality before the law. Antipode S. r. - social inequality that arose with ... ... Encyclopedic Dictionary of Psychology and Pedagogy

A concept denoting the same social status of people belonging to different social classes and groups. SR idea. as a principle of the organization of society in different historical epochs was understood in different ways. Philosophy of the ancient world, ... ... The latest philosophical dictionary

English inequality, social; German Ungleichheit, soziale; frlpedashe sociale; specific form of social differentiation, with a swarm of individual individuals, social. boundaries, layers, classes are at different levels of the vertical social. hierarchies have unequal... Encyclopedia of Sociology

INEQUALITY, a, cf. 1. Lack of equality (in 1 and 2 values), equality. N. forces. Social n. 2. In mathematics: a relation between quantities showing that one quantity is greater or less than another. Inequality sign (> ... Explanatory dictionary of Ozhegov

SOCIAL EQUALITY- a concept denoting the same social status of people belonging to different social classes and groups. The idea of S.R. as a principle of the organization of society in different historical epochs was understood in different ways. Philosophy of the ancient world, ... ... Sociology: Encyclopedia

Liberalism ... Wikipedia

A; cf. 1. Lack of equality in smth. Social, economic n. N. forces. N. before the law. N. women. 2. Math. A ratio between numbers or quantities indicating that one of them is greater or less than the other (indicated by the sign ≠ or ◁, ... ... encyclopedic Dictionary

inequality- INEQUALITY, a, cf Social rule, which consists in non-observance of the equal rights of people in society, the equal position of someone, something, lack of equality; Syn.: inequality; Ant.: equality. Economic inequality of regions. Inequality… … Explanatory dictionary of Russian nouns

inequality- A; cf. 1) Lack of equality in smth. Social, economic inequality / venestvo. Unequality / balance of forces. Inequality/equality before the law. Inequality/respect for women. 2) math. A ratio between numbers or quantities indicating that one of them is greater or less than ... ... Dictionary of many expressions

Books

There is social inequality! , Group "Plantel". After reading this book, the old fairy tales about princes and princesses sound and are perceived differently. After all, it is about the economic and social inequality that existed in the past ...

12. The stratification of society

Inequality between people exists in any society. This is quite natural, given that all people have differences, and it is just as impossible to make them equal as it is impossible to make everyone the same externally and internally. Even with the same income, some live economically, while others experience a constant shortage of funds. Absolute equality is a dream that allows one to hope that a society of complete social justice will one day be built.

People have repeatedly made attempts to build a socially just society. Almost constantly, with varying intensity, there is a struggle between the rich and the poor. Sectors with low and middle incomes do not want to put up with the fact that a significant part of social wealth belongs to a narrow circle of people, so they are trying to eliminate the existing injustice.

The greed of the rich, their unwillingness to share funds with the rest of society - this is one of the reasons leading to unbridled stratification. Bloody revolutions, change of political regimes - these are the consequences of the indifferent attitude of the "elite" to ordinary people, to those who actually create all material wealth, receiving little in return.

On currently failed to achieve social justice. Not a single revolution was able to eliminate inequality, and after any of them stratification arose again, the spiral of the class hierarchy twisted in a new way, accumulating energy for the next social upheavals.

Significant inequality polarizes society, perpetuates social injustice, making some masters of life and eternal executors (slaves) of others. Inequality is accompanied by poverty, which creates a fertile ground for the marginalization of the population, inciting a person to join criminal communities, extremist, terrorist organizations. It is because of poverty that people often fall under bad influence, follow where they promise quick earnings and a good life.

It seems that the easiest way to eliminate inequality, to take and equally share all public wealth. But how then to evaluate the work of an idler and a hardworking person, how to encourage the best? This issue should not be looked for simple solutions. Achieving equality among people is not easy, if only because there are too many reasons due to which there is a stratification among people. The civilized approach does not consist in striving to completely eradicate the causes of inequality, but in fighting so that it does not take on excessive, depressing forms.

The emergence of inequality in society can be explained by:

natural differences between people;
social and public factors;
features of the social and state structure.

1. Natural differences between people (differences due to the natural data of a person)

All people differ in their possession:

mental abilities, talents;
entrepreneurial skills;
knowledge and experience;
moral, value orientations;
physical, external data.

Mental capacity help a person in any activity. They allow you to acquire knowledge, help you solve problems, find non-standard solutions, make discoveries, and develop the right behavior strategy. All this contributes material well-being human and inequality.

Talented people have unequal opportunities compared to the rest. If their unique natural talents are in demand by society, and not wasted, then they achieve success and recognition.

Entrepreneurial ability include a set of qualities, skills that allow a person to find opportunities for making a profit when engaging in any type of activity, make reasonable consistent decisions, create and apply innovations, and take acceptable, justified risk. Entrepreneurial skills are to some extent related to mental abilities, but still have some differences. These additionally include the ability to communicate, establish relationships, establish contacts with people and maintain relationships with them. There is also an entrepreneurial instinct that allows a person to intuitively make the right decisions.

Knowledge and experience important in any business. An experienced person has undeniable advantages over a person who for the first time decides on a new business for himself. Without experience and knowledge, it is easy to make mistakes. It takes time to accumulate experience, and during this period a person often acts recklessly, acting "at random". However, it is much more rational to study the knowledge gained by other people. This will avoid many wrong actions.

IN modern world moral attitudes do not help, but, on the contrary, interfere with earning big money. Positive moral qualities do not allow the use of dishonest methods for enrichment. Those who use such techniques usually win. However, to create an equal competitive environment, where everyone succeeds with their skills and abilities, and not with cunning and deceit, compliance with moral rules is a necessary condition.

External Data play a significant role in life. To a handsome man it is easier to achieve greater success with the opposite sex, it is easier to successfully marry, marry, and also get a job where external data matters.

Physical Data allow a person to feel good, work without significant stress. Lack of physical data can become a limitation for work in some areas. It can be hard for a person with poor health or a disabled person to work, even at the easiest job.

Alas, in modern society, cases are not uncommon showing that the advantages described above do not work. So, situations arise in teams when, in the total mass of employees, the smartest, talented person"overwrite", do not give him the opportunity to open up, show himself to the fullest. Often, management fears smart, responsible employees, assuming that they can take their place.

2. Inequality due to social and social factors:

possession unequal opportunities at birth;
different levels of education;
gender inequality;
inequality due to age;
inequality by nationality, race;
inequality in place of residence;
inequality due to family composition;
possession of a profitable profession, position;
a fortunate combination of circumstances conducive to the enrichment of a person.

Possession of unequal opportunities at birth

A child born in a family of wealthy parents has more opportunities. His parents can afford to hire tutors for individual lessons, pay for classes in circles, sports clubs, and take care of the child's leisure. Financial resources are a guarantee of good education and full development. Of course, all this is true if parents really care about their children and their future, and are not preoccupied with demonstrating their own superiority, turning a child into an obligatory attribute of personal success.

Material possibilities dictate the way of life, create the illusion that one has only to wish, how everything will be fulfilled. In rich families, the problem associated with a lack of love and attention is very common. People, busy with work, satisfaction of personal ambitions, deprive children of the most necessary - communication in the family. A child locked in a "golden cage" narrows the social circle, he becomes a stranger to peers from less wealthy families.

In low-income families, children are sometimes deprived of the most necessary: good nutrition, quality clothing, normal living conditions. But it happens that difficulties do not always act negatively, sometimes they temper, teach to fight, to defend one's own position. As a result, a person adapts better to living conditions, gets used to achieving everything on his own, without relying on anyone.

The division of people into classes based on their origin is wrong. A person from a poor family who has received an education, has shown diligence and has gone through several levels of the social hierarchy, can be much better than a person with wealth from birth, devoid of understanding how difficult it is to achieve a high social position.

Different level of education

The lack of education in modern society is seen as a serious disadvantage that creates obstacles to employment. Even for unskilled positions, the employer prefers to hire a person with an education, because it raises labor discipline and cultural level. Uneducated people are more likely to work in less profitable sectors of the economy and are almost always in lower positions, resulting in low incomes.

The ongoing penetration into all spheres of life of computer science, electronics, technology makes new demands on modern workers, increases the demand for qualified, educated specialists. Now a person is required high level knowledge, the ability to learn quickly, assimilate new information, etc.

gender inequality

Biological differences between men and women create an insurmountable barrier to eliminating gender inequality. To overcome differences completely, for example, a woman will have to become as strong as a man, and a man will have to learn how to bear children. Differences between the sexes are manifested in thinking, temperament, perception, psyche, etc.

A woman will not be able to work in many male professions, especially where physical strength is required, and a man - in women's. The division of professions by gender is quite natural. So, it is rare to meet a woman who wants to work as a loader, bricklayer, security guard or driver. It is also difficult to find a male caregiver, a nanny, a nurse, a seamstress, etc.

Society evaluates women's and men's labor differently. For some reason, women's professions are usually low-paid, even for the same job as a man, a woman often receives lower salary. Perhaps this is because the low wage women are not considered as a serious problem, since it is assumed that most of them should be supported at the expense of the spouse. But this deprives women of independence and does not take into account the fact that, in fact, most of them do not receive any support from men.

The birth of a child by a woman is an obstacle to building a career. A woman falls out of labor activity, taking on a significant amount of unpaid, unappreciated homework. Burdened with children, she is simply forced to devote a significant part of her time to the house.

Structure modern society is still very patriarchal: highly paid and prestigious job usually done by men. In countries with a low standard of living, low literacy and education, the most important source of employment for women remains Agriculture or other works with a predominance physical labor. In developed countries, women have the opportunity to study and work. They are more employed in health care, education, and other areas related to intellectual activity.

The double standard in relation to women is determined by traditions, customs, family values, existing ethics and morality. Gender inequality harms the entire society and negatively affects economic development. Countries where women enjoy equal rights are more developed and prosperous.

Inequality due to age

At each age, a person has different learning abilities, different creative and physical activity. It is not necessary to expect from an elderly person that he will be the same as a young one. Due to physiological changes with age, it becomes harder to absorb and remember information, harder to work. This is largely due to the negative attitude of employers towards people of pre-retirement age.

Young people also have problems with employment. To a young man, a recent graduate of an educational institution, finds it difficult to find a job due to lack of experience. It turns out a vicious circle when there is no experience and nowhere to get it. Some employers discriminate against young people, pay lower wages than older employees, believing that they must first earn equal treatment. If society is aimed at the future, at development, then young people should integrate as quickly as possible into adult working life on equal terms. A person at a young age wants to earn money, live well, start a family, this requires significant funds.

Inequality by nationality, race

Apparently, the remnants of the slave system have not yet been completely eliminated, if people of a different nationality, race are limited in their choice of work and are forced to go to low-paid, hard labour, change residence, country in search of a better life. Integration into normal life in another country may take more than one decade, and all this time there will be obstacles to equal membership in society, especially if there are external differences, poor knowledge of local traditions, language.

But it's not just migrants who face challenges. Modern migration flows are gaining such strength that the population historically residing in a given territory may be in an unequal position, in the minority. National diasporas and clans defend their interests, ignoring the laws adopted in society, create the environment they need, frankly ousting the indigenous population from some areas of activity.

An employer who hires a migrant who is willing to work for "penny" harms, first of all, his fellow citizens, depriving them of employment opportunities. An excess number of migrants leads to a drop in wages in some sectors of the economy. When cheap labor is available, there is no need to improve production processes to increase labor productivity.

Inequality by place of residence

Discrimination at the place of residence is associated with unequal access to educational, medical and other services, with the inability to find a job in the specialty. This is clearly seen in cities where there is only one city-forming enterprise, or in countryside where the range of occupations is limited to agriculture.

An obstacle to moving a person to more prosperous regions can be a lack of funds, lack of housing, unwillingness to part with loved ones. If a person decides to change the country of residence, then there will be additional difficulties in obtaining citizenship.

An ordinary person is not to blame for the fact that he was born, grew up and lives in a depressed region or country, that his social status is predetermined by unequal territorial opportunities.

The state itself differentiates the regions, establishing differences between them. People for equal work, depending on the region, receive different wages. Such differences can be justified only if there is an urgent need to attract the missing specialists, or as compensation for difficult climatic conditions. In all other cases, discrimination of people by place of residence cannot be justified in any way.

Possession of a profitable profession, position

Usually young people want to learn and get one of the prestigious professions in order to be in demand, highly paid specialists in the future. But this is not always possible to achieve different reasons, one of them is unequal access to educational services. A person who is capable by nature can study at a school with "weak" teachers. As a result, his abilities will remain undiscovered by anyone.

A large difference in wages for individual professions gives rise to social inequality. The overvaluation of some of them leads to a significant difference in salaries by dozens of times, in relation to the average earnings of all other workers. The criteria for such differentiation are unclear. Indeed, with the appropriate organization of training, it is possible to fill the deficit of any specialists within a few years, or even months. Only a person with unique abilities and talents really deserves a high assessment of society, including in material terms. However, there are relatively few such people.

Managers have the highest salaries today. A manager, even a middle manager, can receive a salary equal to the salary of a small team. Is his contribution to the work so significant? Most likely no. It’s just that such a system has developed in which it is quite legal, the appropriation of results has become commonplace. social labor, which manifests itself in the form of inflated payments to the administrative apparatus. Otherwise, as legalized theft, this state of affairs cannot be called. A doctor who saves lives or a scientist who conducts important research receives a meager monetary reward compared to directors large companies, whose salaries can support entire organizations. The benefits from the activities of the management are not comparable with their income, in addition, it should be taken into account that the appointment to leadership positions is not always done in an honest, open way.

Inequality due to family composition

Let's take a family of two as an example. They are successful and make good money together. They can be attributed to the notorious middle class. At some point, they decide to have a baby. After a certain period of time, a woman goes on maternity leave, family incomes decrease. With the advent of the child, costs increase, which further reduces standard of living families. As a result, the middle class family will move closer to the less wealthy segments of the population. But what if there are already several children in the family?

To ensure the average per capita income of the middle class for a family of four or five people, the head of the family will have to work hard, losing health, sacrificing personal time and life. The situation is even worse when a woman is a single mother, deprived of support. Her social position is very precarious and almost always borders on poverty.

A fortunate combination of circumstances that contribute to the enrichment of a person

It's rare to win the lottery, but it does happen. A person can become a millionaire in an instant. Chance plays a big role in our life. Even many scientific discoveries were made quite by accident.

Some people are always in search of their soulmate and cannot find it in any way, they change jobs all their lives in search of more money and cannot earn anything. In contrast, others immediately settle for a good place, earn decent money, get married and live with one person all their lives. Here, luck plays a significant role. Winning the lottery, receiving an inheritance, unexpected success in business - all these events are of a random nature and have a noticeable impact on a person's life.

To increase the likelihood of a successful set of circumstances will help active life position, because, as you know, water does not flow under a lying stone.

3. Inequality generated by the peculiarities of the social and state structure

The inequality associated with the existence of the state is expressed:

the need to maintain a hierarchy;
in possession material values, property;
in belonging to a certain group of persons, parties, diaspora, sects, etc. ;

Hierarchy in the state

In any control system there is a certain hierarchy, there are control centers and transmission links through which a separate object or objects is managed. When the hierarchy is eliminated, the system will be destroyed as a single integral structure.

In the state, the hierarchy is expressed in the form of the presence of branches of power and structures that perform the functions of management, execution and control in society. Power by its very existence creates inequality between those who have it and those who do not. It is not possible to eliminate such inequality, otherwise, the state itself will have to be destroyed.

The need to maintain control in society gives rise to the division of people into classes:

managers, directly to whom the power belongs;
people close to power, i.e. officials called to control and execute the will of the authorities;
people protecting the authorities: the police, other law enforcement agencies;
people occupying a privileged position in society, thanks to their position, wealth;
ordinary people: workers, employees, intellectuals, who perform the main work of maintaining and servicing the entire state system.

People who are clothed state power, there are special powers through which they can influence any organization, which puts them in the hierarchy above any head of a commercial company. Big business, realizing this, is trying to bring into power structures the people they need, organizes the defense of their interests. The merging of business and power is a problem of modern society, leading to the fact that a relatively small layer of the richest people begins to have full power, acting in purely personal interests, not paying attention to the opinion of the majority, putting proprietary interests above state ones.

Possession of wealth, property

The possession of the means of production, financial assets, and other types of property is one of the sources of social inequality between people. Property can be obtained by inheritance, gift, acquired with personal or borrowed funds, seized by force or through financial fraud.

Property, properly disposed of, is capable of generating profit for its owners. The money that is in circulation creates new money and makes those who possess it even richer, increasing social stratification.

Under the capitalist system, capital tends to be concentrated in a relatively small stratum of society - the financial elite. The concentration of significant resources in one hand creates an obstacle to the realization of the abilities of other people. Most of the society is forced to work for already successful people. Simple people are partly deprived of opportunities to realize their professional preferences, because for the organization own business they may not have enough funds, and it is very difficult to break into already occupied market niches. And yet, sometimes, an ordinary person manages to start his own business and successfully develop it.

In any field of activity, success is helped by several factors, among which the personal qualities of a person and a successful combination of external circumstances are especially significant. Having accumulated some funds, the owner of his own business seeks to expand it in order to feel more confident. Having reached a certain level in business, he joins a special privileged part of society. People who have financial resources, have significant potential, carry out managerial functions. They can set up businesses, hire workers, set wages. The owners of large commercial companies have a significant impact on the economy, on the lives of ordinary people.

The class of owners tries to fix its exclusive position in society by creating special living conditions for itself. Accumulated wealth is passed down from generation to generation, creating inequality regardless of human ability.

Belonging to a certain group of persons

A group of people, united by some common interests, is able to accumulate forces and means to maintain its existence. Adjacency of a person to a group promises him certain benefits. In case of life problems, there will be someone to turn to for help. The simplest and famous example groups of people are a family. It is in it, most often, that a person finds spiritual and material support.

Belonging to a political party, to a religious sect, or even to a criminal organization are all examples of groups that people usually belong to. They help their members in moving up the career ladder, assist in business. This is done with the expectation that, in the future, from a successful person it will be possible to receive any dividends for the rest of the group.

Ways to eliminate inequality

1. It is impossible to eliminate the causes of inequality due to internal and external differences between people. It is unfair to reduce everything to a simple "leveling", not paying attention to personal achievements and results. People who work better should earn more, this is quite logical. But it should be understood that no matter how unique talents a person possesses, he is in demand only because he lives in society. Without society, none of us could express ourselves, realize our abilities.

What would a person do with his talents if he suddenly found himself alone in a dense forest or on a desert island? Surely he would have waged a constant struggle for his existence, trying to simply survive. The usual comfort will disappear from his life, there will be no things that people use every day without much thought. Any disease will become extremely dangerous when there are no doctors and medicines nearby. In such a situation, the maximum that a person can achieve is to build modest housing and create tools similar to those used in the Stone Age. No matter how hard he tries, he alone cannot do what people achieve by living in society.

The above example shows the existence of a person's dependence on society and suggests that the merits of individuals should not be overestimated. Everything that modern civilization has achieved is the product of the joint creativity of many people, over several generations, and it should not be allowed that even very capable people lived in luxury, as they would not be able to express themselves outside of society.

Money has never played a decisive role in the development of society. Many scientists and researchers were driven forward, first of all, by curiosity and the desire to understand the truth, and not by the desire to profit. Not money and wages are incentives for learning, getting something new, but a person's natural interest in everything unknown, the desire for knowledge, for understanding the world around him.

2. In a civilized society, there must be a system that provides control over people's income and expenses. This must be done in order to have an understanding of the origin of the funds, confidence that they were not obtained in any dishonest way. The excess of expenses over income indicates the receipt of money from unrecorded sources, and their origin should be explained. In principle, total control is not needed, it is quite enough to check what funds are used to make large purchases, especially luxury goods.

Control over income will help to avoid the existence of a shadow, unofficial labor market in the state, where relations between the employer and the employee are not regulated by law, and where it is impossible to determine the employment of a person, his income. Such a phenomenon as a salary "in an envelope" is an example of the unfair distribution of money and deception of the state. Additionally, control will help identify leaders who use their official position for personal enrichment.

The desire of a person to earn money is beneficial to society, since it constantly needs active people interested in their own well-being. Monetary reward helps to additionally motivate a person to achieve high performance in work. When money is earned by honest labor, and not acquired by deceit, then this is beneficial to the person himself and society.

3. The state is obliged to smooth out the difference in income between the lowest paid and highest paid segments of the population. It is unacceptable when some make ends meet, while others do not know where else to spend their money. In no case should the difference in incomes reach significant sizes, otherwise, it negatively affects the whole society. When a significant difference between the incomes of citizens is reached, the problem of inequality becomes acute. The state is obliged to provide support to the socially unprotected segments of the population, people with low incomes, and, even better, to act proactively and prevent the emergence of a category of needy citizens.

Today, money has begun to define the face of power. The richest are people who are in power, close to her or serving her interests. Social justice will not be achieved in the state until it ceases to act in accordance with the will of people who have big money, does not begin to make and implement decisions that are beneficial to the whole society.

4. Equal access to educational services regardless of social background, place of residence, etc., will enable a person to reveal his abilities. Lack of equal access actually means perpetuating economic, social and cultural inequalities.

A prerequisite for maintaining equality in education is the availability of free education at all its levels, the creation of a sufficient number of places in educational institutions so that everyone who wants to learn can realize their preferences. The only obstacle to getting an education can be an incorrect assessment of one's own capabilities by the person himself, the lack of sufficient physical and mental data necessary for training in the chosen profession. However, in a quality education system, abilities are identified, and training in accordance with them is recommended.

The state that invests in education invests in human capital makes society more cultural and developed.

5. It is very difficult to eliminate social inequality as long as laws are preserved in society that allow inheriting material values without any restrictions. Through inheritance, people from rich family will have clear advantages from birth.

To eliminate this cause of inequality, it is necessary to work out measures that limit the amount of inherited property and funds. The motive for the accumulation of wealth for children and grandchildren, as an incentive to increase savings, must be gradually destroyed. Such measures will ensure social justice and an equal start for young people, regardless of who their parents were.

6. The structure of the economic structure in any country is heterogeneous. There are highly profitable industries associated with mining, trade, IT, etc., and there are industries that, by definition, will never be able to make a profit (education, medicine, science). Without redistribution in the state financial resources organizations that perform social functions will not be able to exist. The work of a teacher or a doctor is no less important than the work of an oilman, gasman or programmer. In order to avoid injustice, the state should monitor the wages in different sectors of the economy and equalize them as much as possible.

7. Fair pay implies that people get paid for the same job equal pay. This is possible if the organization has a transparent, open system, reflecting the income of each employee. However, today it is not customary to declare one's own income, which is explained by the existing injustice in the distribution of funds. If everything was without deceit, then there would be nothing to hide. Today, very often people, working in the same team, doing the same work, receive different salaries.

Employers contribute to the maintenance of inequality by creating an atmosphere of secrecy. The true purpose of such behavior is to save on employees, to extract the maximum benefit for yourself. They take into account the psychology of people, realizing that someone may agree to work for less money.

A civilized approach is to ensure that all people working in the same team know the income of their colleagues. Then it will become clear how fair the remuneration is, and whether it corresponds to the real return from each individual person.

Of course, the work of people who contribute more to the common cause should be valued higher, but this difference should not differ significantly. It should be borne in mind that the result of labor in a team is of a social nature.

To prevent the stratification of people, it is necessary to ensure a fair distribution of profits received in the organization, and to eliminate a significant difference in income between managers and subordinates.

8. If uncontrolled migration processes occur in any country, then it has internal sources instabilities that contribute to the uncontrolled movement of people. Usually people do not leave their homeland because of a good life. For most of them, migration is a forced necessity, an attempt to escape from wars, violence, hunger, poverty, etc.

Countries that receive migrants have the responsibility of integrating newcomers into society. Provision of housing, teaching the language, professions are costly activities. Funds for all this are taken from the budget, which means they are taken from local residents. The manifestation of humanism is certainly a good thing, but not a single economically developed country will be able to accept everyone who wants to come to it, to shelter disadvantaged people from all over the world. Mass migration is a negative phenomenon, and it is necessary to fight not with the consequences, but with the causes that cause it.

To reduce migration flows, it is necessary to prevent military conflicts, overcome backwardness in the cultural and educational spheres, and eliminate economic inequality between countries.

9. In any organization there are always people who perform managerial functions. They occupy a special position in society, because of this, inequality arises. To eliminate it, there is one universal recipe, it is necessary to ensure a periodic change of leaders.

The principle of change of leadership may well be applied nationwide. The turnover of the managerial staff creates conditions for ensuring social mobility and implies the movement of people from one social group to another.

At work, bosses must periodically replace each other, in the state - politicians, and all this must be perceived as binding rule, to maintain social justice. In order to prevent incapable or mercenary people from getting into leadership positions, it is necessary to conduct a thorough selection, first of all, according to the moral and mental qualities of a person.

10. It is very difficult to eliminate inequalities completely. Therefore, people need to educate an adequate perception of it. Condemn extreme manifestations of inequality, flaunting wealth, luxury. One should not measure the success of a person solely by the possession of material values and prosperity. The real wealth of a person is his intellect and moral qualities. People should be aware of the exceptional value of human life, and that no things can be compared with it in value.

diary

capital deception

Money in the morning, chairs in the evening. This option still seems acceptable, compared to what modern officials offer us: money - today, and a service - in a few years. Doesn't this look like a scam?

About housing and communal services

In Russia, the annual increase in tariffs for housing and communal services has already become commonplace. The need for this is due to the fact that service companies and resource providers need to compensate for losses from inflation.

Depending on the degree and type of inequality, four main historical types of stratification are distinguished.

The first type - slavery - economic, social and legal form enslavement of people, bordering on complete lack of rights and an extreme degree of inequality. Historically, there are two forms of slavery - patriarchal (primitive) and classical (antique). Under the primitive form of slavery, the slave, being a member of the same ethnic group, was in fact the junior member of the patriarchal family. He lived in the same house with the owners, could participate in social life, enter into marriage with the free, inherit the property of the owner. His life was protected by legal norms. O. Patterson identified three universal features of slavery. First, the slave owner has virtually unlimited rights to violence or the threat of violence against the slave. Second, the slave experiences "birth alienation", being genealogically isolated and deprived of all birth rights. Thirdly, there is no sense of respect for the slave.

A primitive form of slavery existed in the past in all societies. Classical slavery developed in Ancient Greece and Rome, in the 40-60s of the XIX century. in the south of the USA, in medieval China and the Soviet Gulag.

The second historical type of stratification is caste. A classic example of a caste society is India. In addition to it, castes are partly observed only in some African societies.

A caste is a stratum in which a person owes membership only by his birth. The caste position is fixed by Hinduism - the national religion. According to its main provisions, people live countless lives: they die and are born again, each in a caste corresponding to their behavior in a previous life. If a person behaved badly, violating caste customs, he was born in a low caste, and vice versa. The caste is closed - it is impossible to leave it, endogamous - only intra-caste marriages are allowed. Castes are ranked according to the degree of "ritual purity" attributed to their members and occupation.

A classic example of the class division of society is medieval Europe, Russia - from the second half of the 18th century.

The rights and obligations of each estate were not only determined by law, but also consecrated by religion. Membership in the estate was inherited. Each estate was divided into many layers, ranks, levels, professions. The nobility supplied officers, politicians, the clergy led the spiritual life of the population, legitimized the system. The third estate included peasants, merchants, artisans, scientists, doctors, lawyers, etc. It paid taxes and replenished the state bureaucracy. Unlike castes, inter-class marriages were allowed. Sometimes a high status could be bought (in England, starting with King Richard the Lionheart) or received as a reward, a gift from the monarch (for example, the fate of Alexander Menshikov, favorite of Peter I). In modern Great Britain, very often well-known politicians, famous actors, athletes, etc. receive an aristocratic title of nobility as a reward (for example, Baroness M. Thatcher).

Slavery, caste and class systems form a closed society, where social movements from stratum to stratum are prohibited or significantly limited.

open society begins to form with the advent of the class (fourth) type of stratification.

Classes are understood in the broad sense of the word and in the narrow sense. In a broad sense (Marxist approach), a class is understood as a large social group of people who own or do not own the means of production, occupying a certain place in the system of social division of labor and characterized by a specific way of earning income.

2. K. Marx and M. Weber on the foundations of social inequality.

The famous sociologist Max Weber, conducting many years of research that laid the foundation for his theory of social stratification, brought to it his own, completely different from the vision of other theorists, a three-dimensional approach. The basis of his three dimensions of social stratification are: economy, power and prestige. Subsequently, these three dimensions were called autonomous by him.

According to the theory of Max Weber, it is property, or rather the types of its ownership, that make it possible for the emergence of economic classes in which there are measures of access to power, the formation of political parties, and the prestige of some of them creates status groups.

Weber defines class as the ability of an individual to gain access to various goods and income in market conditions. Simply put, a class includes individuals with starting positions, professions, incomes, and access to resource opportunities. This sociologist, not without reason, believed that classes take place only in a society with a capitalist system, since it is this system that is determined by market relations. But in the conditions of the market, individuals are divided into two types: the first offer goods and services, and the second only labor force. In turn, the former differ from the latter only in the quantitative possession of property.

Like other theorists of sociology, Max Weber does not in any of his works have a clear classification of the structure of the society he studied, in particular the capitalist one. Therefore, most sociologists who study the work of this theorist give us completely different lists, depending on their own interpretation. According to the general opinion, the classifications determined on the basis of the works of Weber by Radaev and Shkaratan are considered the closest. It looks like this:

Working class;

Petty bourgeoisie;

Intelligentsia and engineering and technical workers;

Administrative and managerial personnel;

Owners;

Landlords;

Entrepreneurs.

The economic component, mentally divided into two parts, allows us to attribute the owners to one of the parts with invariably positive attitude and the proletariat with its negative moods due to the lack of property and, by and large, qualifications for its possible implementation in market conditions. With such a stratification in the center, a middle class is formed, which includes small owners and people who have certain skills and knowledge required in market conditions.

The next division according to Weber's theory is the division based on prestige and the resulting vertical of status groups, in other words, the hierarchy. The basis in which communities serve, in which the concept of honor is formed, defined as any of the qualities appreciated by a large number of individuals in the community. Often this kind of assessment was associated with a class difference, in which property should be noted, or rather, the quantitative possession of it played an important role, and possibly the dominant one, but both people with property and those without property could be included in one status group.

Max Weber considered the acquisition of honor (prestige) in status groups possible only by firmly assigning strictly exclusive activities to group members, imposing a ban on other individuals doing the same, in other words, monopolizing any benefits. This was manifested within the groups in the following way - the possibility of wearing certain clothes, jewelry, insignia, the production of a certain product, the recreation of a separate and different from other individuals of the group to emphasize the exclusivity of members of this particular status group and possible strengthening and increasing the distance between groups. Also, to create exclusivity, marital relations of persons within the same circle and similar measures of isolation through exclusivity were widely used. All this led to the formation of a progressive isolation of the status group.

The third basis for social division Weber considered power differences to in turn give rise to the emergence of parties in which people united according to their beliefs. According to Weber, a person belonging to a certain group has equal amounts of power, wealth and prestige, which are independent of each other. Parties, on the other hand, represent interests according to the status of the individuals included in them and, of course, with the possibility of replenishing their ranks from their own status groups, but an optional condition for the formation of parties is class or status orientation, but rather loyalty to any status groups ideally.

Weber's only expressed agreement with other theorists who have studied the theory of sociological stratification is the acceptance of the existence social differentiation as axioms, but in understanding its nature, internal relationships, his theory is distinguished by its three-dimensional vision.

Similar information.

I welcome everyone! This article is devoted to the most acute 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 survive 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 are the scales of social inequality in contemporary Russia? Read on and find out.

The concept of social inequality

Social inequality is the 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 (purely economic definition). You must understand that this concept is closely related to the term that we wrote about earlier.

Society is designed 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 food, land, in the end, becomes extremely scarce and scarce.

It is clear that the geographical factor also plays a role. Russia, for all its territory, has only 140 million people, and the population is rapidly declining. But for example in Japan - 120 million - this is on four islands. With wildly limited resources, the Japanese live well: they build artificial land. China, with a population of over a billion people, is also, in principle, doing well. Such examples seem to refute the thesis that the more people, the less benefits and inequality should be greater.

In fact, it is influenced by many other factors: the culture of a given society, the work ethic, Social responsibility states, the development of industry, the development of 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 his legs and arms. Here is an example of how 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. We have people with arms and legs dying of hunger, and social services no one is needed 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 sick more or less seriously, then the company in which they work offers 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 “hit” a decent amount and the next time they would think a hundred times whether it is worth doing this with their employees. That is, the legal illiteracy of the population can be a factor of social inequality.

It is important to understand that when studying this phenomenon, sociologists use the 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 an essay on social studies on this topic, then disclose these aspects!

Social inequality in Russia

Our country is one of those in which social inequality is manifested to the 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 Perm. Who does not know, in Germany, instead of serving in the army, you can volunteer for a year in any country. So, they put him to live in a family for a year. A day later, the German volunteer left. Because, according to him, even by the standards of Germany, this is a chic life: a chic apartment, etc. He cannot live in such chic conditions when he sees that the homeless and beggars are asking for alms on the streets of the city.

Plus, in our country, social inequality manifests itself in an extremely great shape in relation to different professions. School teacher- receives 25,000 rubles for one and a half rates, God forbid, and some painter can receive all 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 in our country there is a transformation social system. It broke down in 1991, overnight, along with the state. A new one has not been built. Therefore, we are dealing with such a social inequality.

You can find other examples of social inequality and. And that's all for today - until new publications! Don't forget to like!

Sincerely, Andrey Puchkov

Aspects of inequality

Inequality in human society is one of the topical objects of 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:

Income - represents a certain amount of money that a person receives per unit of time. Often, income is directly wages that are 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 the income of a person, the lower he is in the hierarchy of society;
Education is a complex of knowledge, skills and abilities acquired by a person during his stay in educational institutions. The level of education is measured by the number of years of education. They can range from 9 years (junior high school). For example, a professor may have more than 20 years of education behind him, respectively, he will be much higher in level than a person who has completed 9 classes;
Power - the ability of an individual to impose his worldview, point of view on the wider population, regardless of their desire. The level of power is measured by the number of people to whom it extends;
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 a 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 in different ways. Let's analyze the most influential and famous.

Remark 1

Functionalism explains the phenomenon of inequality in terms of diversity social functions. These functions are inherent in different layers, classes and communities.

Functioning, development public relations are possible only if there is a division of labour. In this situation, each social group carries out the solution of tasks 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. We also need a control layer that will control the activities of the first two - hence the third follows.

For the successful functioning of society, a combination of all three of the above types is simply necessary. human activity. Some are the most important, and some are the least. Thus, on the basis of function hierarchies, 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 statuses. It follows both from the ability of individuals to fulfill a certain role, and from the possibilities 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, to have the appropriate knowledge and skills to be a teacher, an engineer). Opportunities that allow a person to achieve a particular position in society are, for example, in the ownership of property, capital, origin from a well-known and wealthy family, belonging to a high class or political forces.

An Economic Perspective on the Causes of Social Inequality. In accordance with this daughter of view, the main cause of social inequality lies in the unequal attitude to property, the distribution of material wealth. This approach manifested itself most clearly under Marxism, when it was the emergence of private property that led to social stratification 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.

First, the problems of inequality arise simultaneously in two of the most developed areas of society: in public and economic sphere.

When we talk about the problems of inequality in the public sphere, it is worth mentioning the following manifestations of instability:

Uncertainty in one's future, as well as in the stability of the position in which the individual is now;
Suspension of production due to dissatisfaction on the part of various segments of the population, which leads to a lack of production for the rest;
The growth of social tension, which can lead to such consequences as unrest, social conflicts;
The absence of real social elevators that will allow you to move up the social ladder both from the bottom up and vice versa - from the top down;
Psychological pressure due to the feeling of unpredictability of the future, the lack of clear forecasts for further development.

In the economic sphere, the problems of social inequality are expressed as follows: an increase in government spending on the production of certain goods or services, a partially unfair distribution of income (not those who really work and use their physical strength receive, but those who invest more cash), respectively, another significant problem comes from here - unequal access to resources.

Remark 2

The peculiarity of the problem of inequality of access to resources lies in the fact that it is both a cause and a consequence of modern social inequality.