SOCIAL
INEQUITY IN SOCIETY
Introduction
Human societies vary in the extent
to which social groups as well as individuals have unequal access to advantages.
Rousseau had made a distinction between natural and social inequality. The
former emerge from the unequal division of physical and mental abilities among
the members of a society. The latter arise from the social entitlement of
people to wealth or economic resources. Social divisions exist in every society
(country). But India’s social inequalities are a unique one. Social status,
responsibilities, socio religious privileges and occupational position have
been determined by birth. Hierarchy, stratification, class divisions are
notions used by anthropologists, sociologists, and political scientists to
describe and denote social inequality.
Social Inequity – Definitions
v “Social inequality is the existence
of unequal opportunities and rewards for different social positions or statuses
within a group or society. ’’
v “When unequal opportunities or
rewards exist in a society for people of different social status or position,
it is called social inequality. ’’
v “Social inequality occurs when
resources in a given society are distributed unevenly, typically through norms
of allocation that engender specific patterns along lines of socially defined
categories of persons’’.
Social inequality
It is regrettable that the Indian
society is full of social inequalities. These have been formed on the basis of
religion, class and region which keep the interest of their community. In
politics, religion and caste are dominant in our country. This can be clearly
seen during our elections.
Areas of social inequality
include access to voting rights, freedom of speech and assembly, the extent of
property rights and access to education, health care, quality, housing,
travelling, transportation and other social goods and services. Apart from that
it can also be seen in the equality of family and neighborhood life,
occupation, job satisfaction and access to credit. If these economic divisions
harden, they can lead to social inequality.
Types of Social Inequality
Basically there are five types of
social inequalities.
v Political Inequality
v Income and Wealth Inequality
v Life Inequality
v Gender Inequality
v Caste Inequality
Conclusion
A large number of people in India
are still excluded from the educational system and hence cannot participate
meaningfully in the economic, social, political and cultural life of their
communities. The main reason behind it is the impact of social inequality. Only
through social equality and harmony we can develop our nation as well as our
people.
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Meerut : Lal Book Depot.
Subramanian, P.(2016). Course
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