Types of Inequality in Sociology

Inequality in terms of opportunities or rewards between members of a society who have varied social rank or positions is an example of what is referred to as social inequality. There are several aspects of inequality, and each state has its own unique set of dimensions.

The notion that people who live in the United States have a higher standard of life than the vast majority of people who live in other areas of the world is widespread. It is accurate to some extent; nonetheless, the country still has a lot of problems with socioeconomic inequality. Why does that hold true? There are two different ways that could be interpreted to explain that. The first one is pointing the finger at low-income people. The idea behind this is that those who are poor are to blame for their own situation. They are not working because they are unable to find work due to a lack of education, motivation, or appropriate skills. The second option is to place blame on the larger culture. It gives the impression that society as a whole is to blame for poverty. There are insufficient employment opportunities for the families to be supported. 

Types of social Inequality

In their most basic forms, there are five different kinds of social inequality. They are as follows, and they have been listed: 

Political inequality

Inequality on the political front refers to situations in which citizens are not treated equally before the law. 

Income and wealth inequality

Inequality in terms of both income and wealth refers to a situation in which there is a disparity, primarily, in the amount of money earned by different people. 

Life inequality

Inequality in life refers to differences in access to resources and opportunities that, if filled, would result in a higher standard of living for all people. 

Inequality in Treatment and Accountability

Despite the fact that this concept has received less scrutiny, it nonetheless creates difficulties in terms of agency and responsibility. 

Inequality of Membership

This is something that can be found in the membership of a faith, a family, or a nation. 

Examples of social Inequality:

I could provide you with a large number of examples of social inequality in the United States. There are many employment opportunities in the country that are contingent on social inequalities such as differences in income, gender, educational level, and racial background on both the national and regional levels.

One of the most prevalent examples is the disparity in income that exists between black and white people in the United States. The gap between the median household incomes of blacks and whites in the year 1967 was $19,000, but by the year 2012, it had reached $27,000, and it is continuing to widen. In 1967, the gap was $19,000. In 2012, it reached $27,000.

Another prevalent example is the unequal treatment of women and men. There is a disproportionately low number of women in leadership positions, political decision-making processes, and political activities. The participation of women in a variety of occupations and sectors across the globe is, without a shadow of a doubt, rising, despite the fact that women continue to face pay disparities in many settings. Their salaries are lower in comparison to those of men’s salaries.

The same level of healthcare services is not available to each and every person in the world. Inequalities can be attributed to factors such as race, gender, and economic status. There is a disparity in the quality of healthcare facilities that are available to various groups of residents. When compared to people who are not wealthy, those who are can more readily visit doctors and obtain drugs than those who are. 

Ways to tackle the problem of social inequality

In today’s world, there are tools available for acquiring and evaluating data connected to the economy of many countries located all over the world, and study on social stratification and inequality may be carried out as well. It is necessary to take action in order to close the significant gap that now exists between the wealthiest and the poorest of the population. There is a wide variety of approaches available to combat the issue of social inequality. Some of them are as follows: 

• Ensure that people of all income levels have access to reasonably priced health care of a good standard.
• Take action to address the issue of unequal pay. It would appear that the average real wages are decreasing, whilst the salaries of executive positions are rising. It is well past time to find a solution to this disparity.
• Along with the provision of better jobs, chances for training and the development of new skills should also be made available.
• It is important that more and more employment opportunities be made available across the country for everyone.
• The last point, but perhaps not the least important, is that taxes should be equitable. The low-income group is in need of assistance, and it must be offered. 

When it comes to revitalising the social well-being of the people, even the smallest of efforts can bring about enormous changes over time. 

Conclusion 

The existence of social disparity has an impact on almost every facet of our life. For instance, were you aware that children who are raised in homes with lower incomes have a three times greater risk of passing away in their first year of life as a result of illness, accident, or violence compared to children who are raised in households with moderate to upper incomes? People who have incomes in the middle and higher classes live an additional five years longer than those who have incomes in the lower classes, on average.