Does Inequality Matter?
Sociol 180 Fall 13 MidTerm 1 Possible Questions.
Question 3:
3. Does inequality matter? Imagine that you are asked to write an editorial for the New York Times on this general topic. What might you say? What empirical evidence might you use to support your claims?
Liberals believe different answers to this question than conservatives
I. Liberals believe
A. It is unjust.
Millions of children go to sleep hungry in the world’s richest nation – the U.S.
B. Society unfairly says poor are lazy and deserve to be poor. How can children deserve to be poor?
II. Conservatives believe
A. Poor are lazy and do not want to work hard.
B. Inequality gives the poor a reason to work harder
C. If you take away their reason to work harder, poor will continue to be lazy.
III. Inequality does matter because it harms society
A. Inequality makes a society resentful and in conflict. Poor hate rich, rich hate poor.
B. Inequality makes society not trust each other Wilkinson & Pickett 2010
a. Wilkinson & Pickett study compared US which has high inequality rate with other countries, especially Scandinavia which has low inequality
b. Study showed Americans do not trust each other, but Swedish do trust each other
C. Inequality results in social problems Wilkinson & Picket, 2010: When comparing nations with high inequality to countries with low inequality, the countries with the high inequality have
a. More mental illness
b. More addictions to drugs and alcohol
c. More teenage pregnancies
d. More murders
e. More people in prison
D. Inequality hurts democracy Mark Franklin study in 2001
a. With a lot of inequality, the rich have much more power than the poor.
b. Rich get better police protection, better schools in suburbs, etc.
c. Rich candidates for office get elected easily – we have many rich leaders, very few poor leaders
d. Results in apathy and cynicism. People no longer willing to vote. US has low voting rates
Question 3:
3. Does inequality matter? Imagine that you are asked to write an editorial for the New York Times on this general topic. What might you say? What empirical evidence might you use to support your claims?
Liberals believe different answers to this question than conservatives
I. Liberals believe
A. It is unjust.
Millions of children go to sleep hungry in the world’s richest nation – the U.S.
B. Society unfairly says poor are lazy and deserve to be poor. How can children deserve to be poor?
II. Conservatives believe
A. Poor are lazy and do not want to work hard.
B. Inequality gives the poor a reason to work harder
C. If you take away their reason to work harder, poor will continue to be lazy.
III. Inequality does matter because it harms society
A. Inequality makes a society resentful and in conflict. Poor hate rich, rich hate poor.
B. Inequality makes society not trust each other Wilkinson & Pickett 2010
a. Wilkinson & Pickett study compared US which has high inequality rate with other countries, especially Scandinavia which has low inequality
b. Study showed Americans do not trust each other, but Swedish do trust each other
C. Inequality results in social problems Wilkinson & Picket, 2010: When comparing nations with high inequality to countries with low inequality, the countries with the high inequality have
a. More mental illness
b. More addictions to drugs and alcohol
c. More teenage pregnancies
d. More murders
e. More people in prison
D. Inequality hurts democracy Mark Franklin study in 2001
a. With a lot of inequality, the rich have much more power than the poor.
b. Rich get better police protection, better schools in suburbs, etc.
c. Rich candidates for office get elected easily – we have many rich leaders, very few poor leaders
d. Results in apathy and cynicism. People no longer willing to vote. US has low voting rates