Reconfiguring Social Inequalities: Comparative Perspectives from the Global North and South

This session invites contributions that advance the comparative analysis of social inequalities across the Global North and South, engaging with core debates in social stratification and life-course dynamics. Building on the longstanding tradition of RC28, the session aims to foster dialogue on how inequalities are structured, reproduced and transformed in diverse socio-economic and institutional contexts. We particularly welcome papers that adopt cross-national, longitudinal and/or multidimensional approaches to inequality, integrating axes such as class, gender, migration status, race/ethnicity and territory. Contributions may address key domains including education, labour markets, income distribution, care work, and social policies, as well as their intersections over the life course. Special attention will be given to research that bridges macro-structural explanations with meso-level institutional arrangements and micro-level biographical trajectories. The session seeks to contribute to ongoing efforts to de-centre Eurocentric perspectives by incorporating empirical and theoretical insights from Latin America, Asia and other regions of the Global South. Comparative research is understood here not only as a methodological strategy but also as an epistemological tool to denaturalise inequality regimes, identify mechanisms of stratification, and explore alternative policy frameworks. By bringing together established scholars and early-career researchers, the session aims to promote innovative and rigorous scholarship while strengthening transnational academic networks.