Social (In)Equality

Can there exist a society without social inequality? The answer lies in understanding the causes of the unequal positioning of society’s members. Sociology, as a discipline of study alone, lacks a single universal explanation for this phenomenon. There are varying methodological schools and theories that interpret social inequality differently. For example, social functionalism explains inequality based on the diverse social roles played by the different layers, classes, and communities. Functioning: the development of society is possible only through division of labour, where each social group provides a solution for the corresponding critical and integral path of the asked tasks – some members are engaged in the production of material goods, others create spiritual values, the third controls...etc. Essentially, a functioning society requires an optimal management of all kinds of human activity. As some tasks are deemed more important than others, the social hierarchy is invariably with those who provide overall direction and management of society. Only they can maintain and ensure social unity by creating the necessary conditions for the successful implementation of other functions.

The discourse of social inequality in the principal functionality is fraught with seriously dangerous subjectivist interpretation. In its economic context, the root cause of social inequality lies within the unequal relation to the distribution of wealth and property – very much aligned with Marxism.

Accordingly, the emergence of private property has led to social stratification, creating antagonistic classes. The exaggeration of private property’s role in the social stratification of society has pushed Marx and his followers to the conclusion that the only possibility to eliminate social inequality would be by establishing public ownership of the means of production.

Written history does not know of societies without social inequality. The struggle of people, parties, groups, and classes – it is a struggle for the possession of great social features, advantages and benefits.

As society evolves, its social groups develop invariably, ensuring access to the privileged and providing unequal distribution of social benefits. In other words, all societies throughout history have had a social dogma of inequality. The ancient philosopher Plato once argued that any city, no matter how small it was, is, in fact, divided into two halves – one for the poor, another for the rich, and those two halves quarrel among themselves. In essence, the unequal division of the two halves creates stratification.

Karl Marx linked social inequality with the advent of private property and the conflict of interests within different classes and social groups. Ralf Dahrendorf similarly argued that economic and social inequalities, underlying the ongoing conflict of groups and classes along with the struggle for the redistribution of power and status, is formed as a result of the market mechanism of supply and demand regulation. Pitirim Sorokin explained the inevitability of social inequality to key factors including internal bio-psychical differences between and among people; the environment (natural and social), objectively puts individuals at a disadvantage; collective life of individuals, which requires the development of attitudes and behaviors that lead to social stratification. Therefore, social stratification translates into a hierarchy of social values, while social inequality is inevitable and reflects a historical process of societal development.

• The author is co-founder and chairman, American Center for Strategic and International Affairs, Associate Professor of International Relations and Diplomacy, and an Abshire-Inamori International Fellow Social media platforms @khalid.aljufairi (instagram) and @khalidaljufairi (X platform).