The Problem of Social Inequality ─ Why It Destroys Democracy, Threatens the Planet, and What We Can Do About It

It is not just growing gaps in income within and between nations that pose a problem but rising levels of social inequality. Currently, upwards of 80% of one’s life chances are determined by factors over which we have absolutely no control.Morally irrelevant criteria such as ethnicity, gender, nationality, religion, or parent’s education and income, lock people into place. This poses grave dangers for our collective future because it means we are squandering the very human energy and creativity we need to deal with emerging problems such as climate change.

Social inequality threatens the democratic project because it destroys the trust on which governments depend and it gives rise to corrupt political and economic institutions. Systems of inequality are inherently unstable. We are now wasting valuable human and material resources to maintain these systems. Each investment made to maintain inequality comes with diminishing returns and eventually will lead to environmental and societal collapse.

The author clearly confronts the question of whether or not capitalism and globalization are the causes of social inequality and by tracing the origins of capitalism identifies where we took a wrong turn. How can we get out of the traps we have created for ourselves? We need to reboot capitalism. Drawing on diverse examples from a range of countries, McNall develops a set ofrules of resilience that are necessary conditions for the creation and maintenance of democratic societies, as well as a set of rules essential for creating a sustainable future.

Scott G. McNall is Emeritus Provost and Professor at California State University (CSUC), Chico and currently an affiliated Professor in the Department of Sociology at the University of Montana. He was the founding Executive Director of the Institute for Sustainable Development at CSUC. He lives with his wife, Sally, in Missoula, Montana.