Global Uprising: Global Uprising: Global Uprising

Global Uprising: Global Uprising: Global Uprising: SHIRLEY BABOOLAL



Scott Sernau (Social Inequality in a global age) - Social stratification and inequality have remained at the core of sociological thinking from the classical theorists on through the work of current scholars who are demonstrating new interests in issues of race, class and gender. Students are more concerned and interested in learning about the part aspects of inequality that they see affecting themselves than they are examining the whole structure of social inequality.

The Great Debate - An imbalance between rich and poor is the oldest and most fatal ailment of all republics. (Plutarch, Greek Philosopher, 46-120 A.D.).

Consider the following questions for a moment. Is inequality a good thing? And good for whom? This is philosophical rather than an empirical question?

Is inequality necessary to motivate people or can they be  be motivated by other factors such as love for the common good or the instrinsic interest of a particular vocation?.

If we seek equality, what does that mean? Do we seek equality of opportunities or equality of outcomes?

Aristotle did not believe that a society should be marked by extremes of wealth and poverty. For Aristotle , however, inequality was rooted in  human nature.

The Romans succeeded the Greeks in dominating the Mediterranean  built their empire on this Aristotelian view  of the world as had Alexander. Like many others, the Romans gave their ideology of inequality, "a racial bias" that could justify slavery. The influential Roman narrator and counselor Cicero warned his friend Atticus ,"Do not obtain your slaves from Britain because they are so shaped and so utterly incapable of being taught that they are not fit to form part of the household of Athens".

It is noticeable that inequality is based on the rich and poor and racial bias but is it a good thing?

Some measures of inequality is almost universal. inequalities occur everywhere. Is it because inequality is inevitable or is it just a universal hindrance (perhaps like prejudice, intolerance, ethnocentrism and violence)?