INEQUALITY AND ASSOCIATION: GRADUATED DIMENSIONS OF SOCIAL DIFFERENTIATION

• Authors: Karpinski Z.
• Languages of publication: PL

Abstracts

EN

The article is an attempt to test empirically the inequality theorem, a major theorem in Peter M. Blau's theory of inter­group relations. The theorem states that social inequality is conducive to social integration in the sense that an increase in inequality creates associations between members of different strata, even fairly distant ones, more probable. Social integration is understood broadly here in terms of rates of inter­group relations. A specific definition of the concept was proposed in the framework of the models of relational inequality which are discussed in detail in the article. These models allow for precise definition of the level of social inequality and the extent to which a society is integrated. In the empirical test of the inequality theorem, data from 7 editions of the Polish General Social Survey were used. To assess fit of the model tested, linear regression through the origin was employed. High values of the coefficient of determination obtained by the model indicate its good fit which, in turn, suggests that the inequality theorem is an appropriate description of the relationship between inequality and integration, even though it is highly counterintuitive.

Keywords

EN

GINI COEFFICIENT; INEQUALITY THEOREM; REGRESSION THROUGH THE ORIGIN; RELATIONAL INEQUALITY; SOCIAL INEQUALITY; THEORY OF INTER­GROUP RELATIONS

Discipline

• SOCIOLOGY: SOCIOLOGY

• Publisher: Institute of Philosophy and Sociology, Polish Academy of Sciences
• Journal: Studia Socjologiczne
• Year: 2006
• Issue: 3(182)
• Pages: 67-88
• Document type: ARTICLE

Contributors

author

Karpinski Z.

• Z. Karpinski, Szkola Nauk Spolecznych IFiS PAN, ul. Nowy Swiat 72, 00-330 Warszawa, Poland

Identifiers

CEJSH db identifier

06PLAAAA01643586