Category Archives: economic inequality

Part 1 of 2. Creating Opportunities: A Comparison of Top-down and Bottom–up Systems

Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778), a political philosopher and essayist, described an endemic moral inequality that was related to power and wealth. As men come together, Rousseau claimed, there is a drive to compare themselves to others – driving men to seek … Continue reading

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On the Rationalization of Inequality

Voltaire observed, “One day everything will be well. Everything is fine today. That is our illusion.” Illusion is the ability to manipulate how other people perceive reality. What began in September 2011 as a small group of protesters camping out … Continue reading

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Part 2 of 2: The Class System and Education

Most social scientists in the U.S. agree that society is stratified into social classes. Social classes are hierarchical groupings of individuals that are usually based on wealth, educational attainment, occupation, income, or membership in a subculture or social network. The … Continue reading

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Part 1 of 2. The Class System and Education

The value referred to as the American Dream is indicative of the American social class system. The American Dream reflects what we see as the kind of equality of opportunity that can exist only in a class system. Americans believe … Continue reading

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Part 2 of 2: A Paradigm Shift

During the early 1900s participants of the Progressive movement were troubled by the plight of the urban poor. They worried that the ‘promise’ of the American system did not extend evenly (Rothman 1980) to all segments of society – it … Continue reading

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Part 1 of 2. A Paradigm Shift

In the 19th century Hegel developed a theory to explain historical development as a dynamic process. This not only enforces the concept that conflicts are not bad, but good for generating understanding. According to Hegel it goes a step further, … Continue reading

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Part 2 of 2. Dare to Think

During the Occupy Wall Street (OWS) protests neither the oligarchs nor the bankers found it necessary to respond. The rationale for this attitude has been around for years. Ayn Rand (1905-1982), a novelist and philosopher who developed a philosophical system … Continue reading

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On Sustainability

The increasing challenge for determinants of health approach is the creeping trends of small government and minimal regulations that have subverted the plans for sustainable environmental and social conditions that would bring enduring and equitable health gains. The modern economic … Continue reading

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The Illusion of Control

Illusion is the ability to manipulate how other people perceive reality. When you have discovered that someone or something is not as good as you believed, you become disillusioned. Thirty years of deregulation in the market place supported globalization and … Continue reading

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In Response to Evangelism of Fear

The Roman Empire maintained strong top down control. The Empire came into contact with the religious beliefs of major cultures, and was happy to assimilate any deities they encountered. With the passing of the Roman Republic into an Imperial system, … Continue reading

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