Sociology

The overall level of inequality in industrial societies is considerably less than that in agrarian societies of the past, or nonindustrial societies in the world today. On what evidence is this conclusion based? What are some of the most important reasons for this decline in inequality

ANSWER

Decrease in Equalities in Industrial Societies

In the era of civilization, agrarian communities and hunter-gatherers lived off and interacted less with other societies; however, when explorers began traversing the world, trading activities erupted together with customs and new ideas. In the nineteenth century, the industrial revolution introduced unprecedented wealth in North America and Western Europe (Peters, 2020). As a result of the revolution and introduction of mechanical inventions, people started working in companies, not only by men but children and women as well. By the end of the nineteenth and early twentieth century, industrial technology increased to greater levels, enhancing the living conditions of many people within Europe and the United States. Non-industrialized societies recorded an increase in inequalities due to the gap between those who embraced technology and those who did not; therefore, non-industrialized countries fell further behind. As outlined by the conflict theory opinion, the industrializing countries took advantage of the available resources of traditional countries.

The decline in inequality has been motivated by the rise in technology and other technological aspects. The growth of industries, motivated by increased technology, saw women, men and children employed in industries. Women also took part in managing the company’s operations which provided equality within the management sphere. When there is an extreme drop in poverty, inequality levels are likely to reduce as people can afford the basic commodities essential for human survival (Fehl & Freistein, 2020). To decrease poverty, the United Nations incorporated the millennium project that demanded the industrialized countries set aside a given portion of their gross national income to propel development in other nations. These are among the many reasons that have motivated the decrease in inequalities in industrial societies and countries such as Europe and the United States.

References

Fehl, C., & Freistein, K. (2020). Organizing Global Stratification: How International Organisations (Re) Produce Inequalities in International Society. Global Society, 34(3), 285-303.

Peters, D. (2020). Justifying inequality as equality: Germany and the reform of voting weights in the Council of the European Union. Global Society, 34(3), 370-387.