The

 Fundamental  Principles  of  Inequality

 The  Fundamental  Principles  of  Inequality
• What  is  inequality?
• Why  is  there  inequality?
• Must  there  always  be  inequality?
• What  are  the  basic  principles  of  inequality?
• Can  there  be  a  society  without  inequality?
 What  is  Inequality?
• What  are  individual  and  group  differences?
• What  are  individual  and  group  inequaliAes?
• Are  any  parAcular  inequaliAes  necessary?
 Understanding  Inequality
• What  do  the  studies  of  jury  deliberaAons  
demonstrate  about  inequality?
• What  do  the  studies  of  Bales  groups  demonstrate  
about  inequality?
 Understanding  Inequality
• Principle  #1:    Inequality  is  created  by  social  
interacAon
– Inequality  is  a  necessary  part  of  social  organizaAon
– There  will  always  be  inequality,  but  no  parAcular  inequality
 Understanding  Inequality
• Principle  #2:    Any  individual  or  group  difference  can  
be  transformed  into  a  dimension  of  inequality
– Appearance
– Race
– Gender
– Social  Class
 Understanding  Inequality
• What  do  the  status  characterisAcs  studies  
demonstrate  about  inequality?  
 Understanding  Inequality
• Principle    #3:    InequaliAes  generalize
– InequaliAes  expand  from  one  status  characterisAc  to  affect  
people’s  percepAons  and  performances
• The  basis  of  stereotypes
– Performance  becomes  a  funcAon  of  status
• A  self-­‐fulfilling  prophecy
• Stereotype  threat
 Understanding  Inequality
• Principle  #4:    Inequality  is  supported  both  by  those  
“at  the  top”  and  by  those  “at  the  boWom”
– Inequality  is  affirmed  by  the  percepAons  and  
performances  of  those  at  the  top  and  the  boWom
• Inequality  not  simply  imposed  and  enforced  from  above
– Inequality  is  affirmed  by  the  feelings  and  emoAons  created  
in  those  at  the  top  and  the  boWom
• Feelings  and  emoAons  of  the  powerful  and  powerless
• Compare  to  the  Stanford  prison  experiment
 Understanding  Inequality
• Principle  #5:    PaWerns  of  inequality  are  strong  and  
stable
– Once  established,  inequaliAes  hard  to  change
– Become  a  social  reality
– Generate  their  own  jusAficaAons,  an  ideology
– Cohesion  among  those  at  the  boWom  difficult  to  maintain
– EmoAons  reinforce  the  structure  of  inequality