3a. Social Inequality

Question 1

Define inequality:

Answer 1

Extreme differences between poverty and wealth due to a variety of factors eg. age, ethnicity, gender, religion and education.

Question 2

Define spatial inequality:

Answer 2

The unequal distribution of factors such as income, education, or health across geographic space at any scale

Question 3

Define quality of life:

Answer 3

The extent to which peoples needs and desires are met eg does everyone have equal rights

Question 4

Define standard of living:

Answer 4

The ability to access services and goods.

Eg food, water, clothes, housing and personal mobility

Question 5

Indicators determining standard of living and quality of living:

Answer 5

Social -
Political -
Economic -
Environmental -

Question 6

Describe examples of social factors that influence SOI and QOL:

Answer 6

Fear of crime, standard of health, standard of education, percentage on free school meals

Question 7

Describe examples of political factors that influence SOI and QOL:

Answer 7

Opportunities to vote across all elections

Question 8

Describe examples of economic factors that influence SOI and QOL:

Answer 8

Level of income, access to leisure services, access to employment, % of lone-parent families

Question 9

Describe examples of environmental factors that influence SOI and QOL:

Answer 9

Vandalism, evidence of litter, level of pollution, quality of housing

Question 10

What is the difference between poverty and deprivation?

Answer 10

Poverty refers to not having enough money to support a decent standard of living
Deprivation refers to a general lack of resources and opportunities

Question 11

What is the cycle of deprivation?

Answer 11

Poverty (low wages/unemployment) - Poor living conditions - ill-health - poor education - poor skills

Question 12

How does the UK government measure levels of deprivation?

Answer 12

Index of Multiple Deprivation to assess relative levels

Question 13

What 7 factors are used to give Index of Multiple Deprivation?

Answer 13

Income 
Employment 
Health
Education 
Crime 
Access to housing and services
Living environment

Question 14

What ways can social inequality be measured?

Answer 14

Income 
Housing 
Education 
Health care 
Employment

Question 15

Income: What is the World Bank’s Definition of poverty?

Answer 15

US$1.25/day purchasing power parity

Question 16

Income: why use PPP?

Answer 16

Allows global comparisons to be made between countries as costs vary considerably from one country to another

Question 17

Income: how many citizens in UK fall below poverty threshold?

Answer 17

13 million citizens including 3.5 million children

Question 18

Income: what technique can be used to measure levels of inequality in incomes within a country?

Answer 18

Gini coefficient - a ratio with values between 0 and 1.0

The lower the value the more equal the distribution of income

Question 19

Housing: what in particular is an important indication of social inequality?

Answer 19

Housing tenure = the system under which housing is occupied

Question 20

Housing: types of housing tenure

Answer 20

Owner-occupied

Rent from private landlords or local authorities

Question 21

Education: why can education be underestimated in LIDCs?

Answer 21

If only formal qualifications are included then LIDCs are perceived to have lower levels of education
BUT
Informal education can be achieved eg milking a cow, learning to cook

Question 22

Education: what gives a good indication of inequality in education?

Answer 22

Literacy rates - a measure of the ability to read and write at a basic level

Question 23

Health care: what measure can be used to demonstrate social inequality?

Answer 23

Number of doctors per 1000 people

Question 24

Health care: what factors affect health?

Answer 24

Access to clean water
Effective sanitation 
Quality and quantity of diet 
Air quality 
Social behaviour eg attitudes towards HIV

Question 25

Employment: why is this not always difficult to assess?

Answer 25

Employment doesn’t guarantee social equal eg might be receiving low wages

Question 26

What factors explain why social inequality varies?

Answer 26

Wealth
Housing 
Health
Education 
Access to services

Question 27

How does wealth explain why social inequalities vary?

Answer 27

• Low incomes are linked to factors such as ill-health, lower education attainment and poor access to services
• Particularly low educational attainment is a major factor in reducing social equality
• Disposable income is important: amount leftover after essentials have been bought

Question 28

How does housing explain why social inequalities vary?

Answer 28

Poor quality housing can lead to ill-health
People resort to being homeless particularly in urban ACs
Housing inflation rates exceeding income can cause groups to be excluded from housing market
Second home-ownership increase has raised property prices in rural areas

Question 29

How does health explain why social inequalities vary?

Answer 29

Sub-standard housing, poor diet, unhealthy lifestyles and stress of poverty impact health
Lack of access to medical services eg elderly can’t access due to limited mobility + health care is unequal in rural areas

Question 30

How does education explain why social inequalities vary?

Answer 30

Achieving universal primary education was an MDG
Illiteracy excludes people from employment opportunities
Issue in rural LIDCs

Question 31

How does access to services explain why social inequalities vary?

Answer 31

Influences quality of life and standard of living

Question 32

What are two measure of how access to services can be measured?

Answer 32

1. By assessing number of doctors per 1000 people - EG Norway = 4 Brazil = 2 Kenya = less than 2. Access to internet (digital divide) - possessing equipment and quality of the connection - enhanced by urban-rural divide Eg Internet access is severely controlled in China

Question 33

Where is access to services concentrated?

Answer 33

In core regions ie cities, wealth and investment is high so there is access to good services
In peripheral regions access is poor

Question 34

What is access to services influenced by?

Answer 34

Number of services
How easiy it is to access the service eg quantity and quality of transport
Social and economic factors eg age