Inequality in Irish Society

new insight data on inequality comes from

data, longitudinal studies, growing evidence that has avoidable impacts for society

Baker et al 2009 highlights 4 contexts

Economic, cultural, political, and affective

economic context

Aspect of policy focused on production, distribution and use income, wealth and resources.( Resources, income and wealth)

cultural context

The values, attitudes, beliefs, orientations, and underlying assumptions prevalent among people in a society (Respect and recognition)

political context

making and enforcing collectively binding decisions (representational and power)

affective context

providing and sustaining-or frustrating-love and care (Relational- inequalities of love, care and solidarity)

source of economic inequalities

principle source of social class-related inequalities

source of cultural inequalities

the non-recognition, mis-recognition, and denigration of certain groups

source of political inequalities

unequal power relations

source of affective inequalities

inequality in the doing of love and care work

Baker et al. (2005) inequality in working and learning

unequal burdens of working and learning, unequal amounts of satisfaction, inequalities of opportunity

social group inequalities

deepens inequality, some groups privileged or disadvantaged

Relative Inequality

income, resources, respect, participation, representation, inclusion, care, love, and appreciation relative to others

Employment Equality Acts 1998-2015

Equal Status Acts 2000-2015

outlaws discrimination in employment, vocational training, advertising, collective agreements (ie. wages), and provision of goods and services

9 Grounds of Discrimination

1. gender, 2. civil status, 3. family status, 4. sexual orientation, 5. religion, 6. age, 7. disability, 8. race, 9. member of the Traveller community

equality of condition

'people should be as equal as possible in relation to the central conditions of their lives'

'people should be equally enabled/empowered'

equality of opportunity

'inequalities in people's condition should be fair'

'no one should live in poverty'

'everyone should have an equal opportunity to succeed.'

challenges of addressing inequality

1. some benefit from inequalities 2. inequalities are always growing 3. limited real attention 4. limited interest

Marmot 2004

study of UK civil servants, Mortality and morbidity is higher for those in lower grades of society

World Health Organization (WHO)

a global institution dedicated to the improvement of human health by monitoring and assessing health trends and providing medical advice to countries

Wilkinson and Pickett 2018

inequality negatively impacts on well-being and mental health

Oxfam 2019

annual report on international wealth divides, world's 26 richest people hold the same wealth as the poorest half of the global population

Panama Papers

exposed tax evasion mechanisms of rich and powerful

two ways to asses income

individual level- tax and social security records

household level- surveys

tax and social security records available for ireland

Revenue commissioners (earnings), department of social protection (social security), Central Statistics Office (CSO)

Surveys for Ireland and most of EU

household and budget surveys, Survey on Income and Living Conditions (SILC)

Problems for Surveys

reliability of data, representatives of the data, response rates, gaps in the income data, internal distribution

Direct Income

starting point of income distribution, all earning types

Gross Income

the total amount of income from wages before any payroll deductions, direct income plus welfare payments

Disposable Income

income (after taxes) that is available to you for saving or spending, gross income minus income taxes

Equivalence scale

attribute household income to individual household members

3 ways of looking at income distribution

1. looking at the entire distribution 2. Decile distribution 3. Gini Coefficient

Decile Distribution

compare shares of bottom 20% to that of the top 20%

Gini Coefficient

A measure of income inequality within a population, ranging from zero for complete equality, to one if one person has all the income.

low pay

earnings less than 2/3rds of the median hourly income

poverty

key interface between social science research and public policy

research history

Smith- late 1700s

Academic research-Booth, Rowntree, Townsend and Orshansky, World Bank

absolute poverty

being without the essentials in life, state of deprivation (Booth and Rowntree), measured using income proxy

US poverty line

is established by determining the cost of minimally nutritious diet and multiplied by 3 and it is updated annually. (Absolute income poverty)

Relative Poverty

the lack of resources of some people in relation to those who have more (Townsend), measured using income proxy

EU Poverty Line

60% of the median equivalized disposable income, calculated using the disposable income, below this line 'at risk of poverty'

Hidden poverty

poverty measures based on household income data, assumption that resources are equally shared within households

Invisible Poverty

since poverty measures are based on households, what about those without homes, homeless, some travelers, asylum seekers, prison.

deprivation

measures those who have to go without necessary items because they cannot afford it

deciding who is deprived

1. list determined by 'experts' using data on normal living standards of the population

2. list is shortened to a set of items the majority of the population considers 'basic needs'

3. list determined by asking people of all income what is considered a basic but acceptable living standard

Consistent poverty

the overlap of low income and deprivation, the population who are both below the poverty line and going without 2 or more items

Household Finance and Consumption Survey

measures NET wealth by counting all assets minus all debt

Housing

Most household wealth in Ireland is held in this area

Wealth among age groups

strong life cycle pattern, older have the most amount of NET Wealth, youngest have the least amount of NET Wealth

Work status groups

Highest NET Wealth - Self-employed

Lowest NET Wealth - Unemployed

Household Types

Single Parent has the lowest overall NET wealth

Debt and Savings

concentrated towards those with low or negative NET wealth

skewed

Inter-generational Wealth

passing of wealth from generation to generation through inheritances

Picketty on Wealth

wealth creates wealth, the wealthy invest and gain returns are greater than others, Ireland most wealthy in housing

Distributive Justice View (outcomes)

social good allowing access, who is educated, what level of education is key, equality of access, participation and outcomes

Procedural Justice View (process)

manner in which education is delivered, respect & recognition of culture languages and minorities, gender differences in subject provision, impact where these are lacing = inequality created

Kathleen Lynch

why education matters, list of reasons

Education in Ireland

Distributive Justice View, inter-generational effects, Early school leavers (Social Justice Ireland), Not Employed Educated or Trained (NEET's)

education inequalities

highly resource dependent, persistent and growing,

sex

biological condition

gender

the socially constructed roles and characteristics by which a culture defines male and female

Gender Paradox

women are better educated, healthier, and live longer, yet they are paid less and relative to men they are disadvantaged

childcare costs

hard to return back to work because the price of childcare is so high, favorable tax system

health inequity

a difference or disparity in health outcomes that is systematic, avoidable, and unjust

Private vs Public health care

Ireland's two-tier system that prioritizes those who have private health insurance over those with public health insurance

Universal Health Insurance

single tier healthcare system, covers basket of standard care, supplementary insurance for items not included, state (Tax) pays for long-term care, health and well-being

proportionate universalism

To reduce the steepness of the social gradient in health, actions must be universal, but with a scale and intensity that is proportionate to the level of disadvantage.

Attitudes

judgement, normative view on specific matter, this is an evaluation and not fact

Public Attitudes

shapes behavior in society

Measurement of Attitudes

"asking questions" = interviews & social surveys

"hanging out" = observation, reactions, representation, and social networks

Universal Basic Income

UBI- everyone receives monthly income to cover essential living costs, people keep the money earned from work for other sources, scheme paid for by taxes

Understanding Attitudes

Values, Social context, and perceptions

living wage

a wage that is high enough to maintain a normal standard of living

The living wage in Ireland

living cost of a single full-time working adult (39 hours/week) = 11.90