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Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Mind the Gap
http://bostonreview.net/BR35.4/fischer.php
Interesting review and response article to a new book, The Spirit Level: Why Greater Equality Makes Societies Stronger.
Interesting review. I wonder what is the perfect amount of inequality to have. With inequality studies it is often apparent that neither great equality nor great inequality is very good for societies: the former because there is reduced motivation for people to use talents wisely (everyone will have the same reward, no matter what the effort), the latter because of lack of opportunity for the majority of population to advance. I've always thought it a big mistake to do what this book seems to do - equate equality with something good and inequality with something bad. The reviewer is right to point out the weaknesses of such approach.
It is also interesting to think about the link that the book's authors' try to create between some inequality which leads to stress and self doubt, which then leads to various outcomes. If this was the case, why would people flock to the US which fares so poorly in this book's correlations? Even if they are misled about 'the terrible inequality-induced stresses here', wouldn't they leave as soon as they discover them?
Interesting review. I wonder what is the perfect amount of inequality to have. With inequality studies it is often apparent that neither great equality nor great inequality is very good for societies: the former because there is reduced motivation for people to use talents wisely (everyone will have the same reward, no matter what the effort), the latter because of lack of opportunity for the majority of population to advance. I've always thought it a big mistake to do what this book seems to do - equate equality with something good and inequality with something bad. The reviewer is right to point out the weaknesses of such approach.
ReplyDeleteIt is also interesting to think about the link that the book's authors' try to create between some inequality which leads to stress and self doubt, which then leads to various outcomes. If this was the case, why would people flock to the US which fares so poorly in this book's correlations? Even if they are misled about 'the terrible inequality-induced stresses here', wouldn't they leave as soon as they discover them?