Analysis of the Causes of Economic Inequality from the Perspective of Social Stratification

DOI: https://doi.org/10.62517/jmsd.202512622

Author(s)

Miaolin Liu

Affiliation(s)

Department of Economics, Chuo University, Tokyo, Japan

Abstract

Economic inequality is a major challenge faced by contemporary society, and its formation and deepening are closely related to the social stratification structure. Starting from the theory of social stratification, this article systematically analyzes the multi-dimensional causes of economic inequality, revealing how elements such as economic resource distribution, social status differences, political power structure, and cultural capital accumulation interact with each other to jointly shape the pattern of economic inequality. Research has found that economic inequality is not only a product of the economic system but also the result of the complex interweaving of social stratification. Its governance requires comprehensive measures from multiple perspectives.

Keywords

Social Stratification; Economic Inequality; Multi-Dimensional Causes; Governance Path

References

[1] Trump, K. S. (2020). When and why is economic inequality seen as fair. Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences, 34, 46-51. [2] Willis, G. B., García-Sánchez, E., Sánchez-Rodríguez, Á., García-Castro, J. D., & Rodríguez-Bailón, R. (2022). The psychosocial effects of economic inequality depend on its perception. Nature Reviews Psychology, 1(5), 301-309. [3] Marx, K. (2024). Capital: Critique of Political Economy, Volume 1. In Capital. Princeton University Press. [4] Swedberg, R. (2007). Max Weber's interpretive economic sociology. American Behavioral Scientist, 50(8), 1035-1055. [5] Paccagnella, M. (2015). Skills and wage inequality: Evidence from PIAAC. OECD Education Working Papers, (114), 0_1. [6] Piketty, T. (2020). Capital and ideology. Harvard University Press. [7] Bourdieu, P. (2019). Distinction: A social critique of the judgement of taste. In Social Stratification, Class, Race, and Gender in Sociological Perspective, Second Edition (pp. 499-525). Routledge. [8] Acemoglu, D., & Robinson, J. A. (2019). The narrow corridor: States, societies, and the fate of liberty: Winners of the 2024 Nobel Prize in economics. Penguin UK.