Literature Review: Social Inequality

Literature Review
Your name
Subject and Section
Professor’s name
Date
Literature Review
Introduction
Social inequality is a consequence of diversity in all aspects, including socioeconomic statuses, gender, race, ethnicity, and educational attainment. It creates a barrier that separates the majority from the minority groups and distinguishes differences in statuses. As a result, the lower ranks and the minority suffer from the gap, further degrading their current situation. This may be attributed to the exploitation by the higher ranks and majority groups, as the former is treated with prejudice and discrimination (Murali & Ovebode, 2004; Wright & Taylor, 2007, pp. 361-364). Afonso et al. (2015) explained that inequality does not pertain to the status of being equal. Instead, it should be analyzed based on the circumstances, and these include the inequality of outcomes and inequality of opportunities. The former is based on the development theory, which consists of several theories that aim to describe how to attain the intended changes in society. It analyzes how the standards of living are affected by health, education, nutrition, and income.
Conversely, the latter pertains to how the individuals should be measured based on their functionings, the ability, skills, and talents of a person valued by others, capabilities, or the liberty to decide and act (p. 1).
Based on the report of the United Nations Department of Economics and Social Affairs (2020), these factors have a negative impact globally because, despite the efforts in reducing the gap between social classes, the inequality among the per capita national incomes worldwide remains high, and this is attributed to global inequality that increased from thirty and forty percent in 1990 and 2010, respectively (p. 26). Consequently, the groups of lower social ranks are at a disadvantage due to the lack of opportunities secondary to income disparities (p. 41). Therefore, to prevent further widening the existing gap, it is essential to study factors surrounding social inequality, including the relevant theories, ethical dilemmas, and factors relating to social responsibility, to strategize excellent and long-term solutions through a comprehensive analysis.
Ethical Perspectives
In the United States, the wealth of the 400 wealthiest Americans exceeds that of those in the bottom fifty percent combined. It shows that from 1979 to 2007, the income of the top 1% based on wealth reached 275%, while those in the middle class have only grown up to 40%. This placed more individuals at risk of extreme poverty, demonstrating that inequality is nothing but a detriment to society (Reich & Satz, 2011).
In health, studies revealed that mental health issues are more common in socially disadvantaged people, including those with low incomes. Moreover, disparities also exist between genders, such that females are 24.4% while males are 8.9% likely to suffer from this (Marín-León et al., 2007). Cooper (2001) also stated that social inequality based on ethnicity in the United States has cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality even among the disadvantaged groups. The results revealed that African-Americans are two to three times more likely to ...