Overview
The world has staggering levels of inequality. Most people worry about this. Some, however, accept or even approve of those inequalities. Why? The Social Acceptance of Inequality offers the first comprehensive analysis of the logics people use in support of economic inequalities. Turning to case studies from across the globe, it examines four primary logics. Market/economic logics see people accept and even approve of economic inequalities because of the positive material outcomes for societies with which they are purportedly associated. Moral logics see people thinking of inequalities as fair according to 'higher' or ethical principles, such as meritocracy. When relying on cultural/institutional logics, people view economic inequalities as consistent with established or emerging outlooks, policies, or organizational arrangements. Using group/ethnic logics, people justify inequalities on the basis of hierarchical distinctions between 'superior' and 'inferior' collectivities. These logics do not exist in isolation: they often interact with each other, and inevitably function in particular political, economic, and cultural contexts. With contributors from across the world and the social sciences, evidence comes from North and South America, Europe, and Asia. Attention goes not only to those in positions of privilege but also those in vulnerable positions who, despite their conditions, look favorably upon inequalities. With original analyses employing a wealth of methodological approaches, the book offers a compelling investigation of the logics of acceptance, their variations and intersections, and how we may move toward a less unequal world. Chapter 2 of this work is available under the terms of a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International open access licence. This part of the work is free to read on the Oxford Academic platform and offered as a free PDF download from OUP and selected open access locations
Full Product Details
Author: Francesco Duina (Charles A. Dana Professor of Sociology, Charles A. Dana Professor of Sociology, Bates College) ,
Luca Storti (Associate Professor in Economic Sociology, Associate Professor in Economic Sociology, University of Torino, Italy)
Publisher: Oxford University Press Inc
Imprint: Oxford University Press Inc
Dimensions:
Width: 16.30cm
, Height: 2.60cm
, Length: 23.90cm
Weight: 0.699kg
ISBN: 9780197814499
ISBN 10: 0197814492
Pages: 400
Publication Date: 08 October 2025
Audience:
College/higher education
,
Tertiary & Higher Education
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: To order
Stock availability from the supplier is unknown. We will order it for you and ship this item to you once it is received by us.
Reviews
Why do people accept increasing economic inequality? With this path-breaking collection of investigations spanning the globe, Duina and Storti offer new answers to this urgent question. Their analysis of rationalizations for inequality makes a strong platform for future scholarship, and a valuable perspective for all concerned with promoting equal opportunity. * Lynette Spillman, Professor of Sociology, University of Notre Dame * One of the most important yet understudied questions of our time is why people accept inequality. The outstanding collection of essays in The Social Acceptance of Inequality gives us answers that are empirically grounded, theoretically rich, and often surprising. As the contributors explain, whether people think that inequality is beneficial, fair, appropriate or a matter of ethnic superiority, these beliefs help justify and reproduce inequality around the world. * John L. Campbell, Class of 1925 Professor of Sociology, Dartmouth College *
Author Information
Francesco Duina is Charles A. Dana Professor of Sociology at Bates College (USA), where he is also Social Sciences Division Chair (2022-2026). Luca Storti is Associate Professor of Economic Sociology at the University of Turin (Italy). Luca is also Research Fellow at the Ralph Bunche Institute at CUNY, The Graduate Center (USA).
