Social Justice Activism

Economic Inequality
There are a wide variety of types of economic inequality, most notably measured
using the distribution of income (the amount of money people are paid) and
the distribution of wealth (the amount of wealth people own). Besides economic
inequality between countries or states, there are important types of economic inequality
between different groups of people.
Important types of economic measurements focus on wealth, income, and consumption.
There are many methods for measuring economic inequality, with the Gini
coefficient being a widely used one. Another type of measure is the Inequality-adjusted
Human Development Index, which is a statistic composite index that takes inequality
into account. Important concepts of equality include equity, equality of outcome,
and equality of opportunity.
Research suggests that greater inequality hinders economic growth, with land
and human capital inequality reducing growth more than inequality of income. Whereas
globalization has reduced global inequality (between nations), it has increased
inequality within nations.
Measurements
Share of income of the top 1% for selected
developed countries, 1975 to 2015
In 1820, the ratio between the income of the
top and bottom 20 percent of the world's
population was three to one. By 1991, it
was eighty-six to one. A 2011 study titled
"Divided we Stand: Why Inequality Keeps
Rising" by the Organisation for Economic
Co-operation and Development (OECD)
sought to explain the causes for this rising
inequality by investigating economic
inequality in OECD countries; it concluded
that following factors had a role:
Changes in the structure of households can play an important role. Singleheaded
households in OECD countries have risen from an average of 15% in the
late 1980s to 20% in the mid-2000s, resulting in higher inequality.
Assortative mating refers to the phenomenon of people marrying people with
similar background, for example doctors marrying doctors rather than nurses.
OECD found out that 40% of couples where both partners work belonged to the
same or neighboring earnings deciles compared with 33% some 20 years before.
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