Multidimensional Inequality In World Society: Comparative Perspectives from the Global South and North

Social inequalities, the unequal access to highly valued social goods, are increasingly conceptualized, measured, and analyzed within a multidimensional framework. In addition to the traditional core dimensions of social inequality and stratification, in particular income, education and occupational position, sociological research increasingly includes other aspects of inequality, like wealth, consumption patterns, housing, living conditions and quality of life, health, objective and subjective dimensions of well-being, gender, race and ethnicity or is focusing on specific social groups and their locations in the inequality system, like elites, immigrants, unemployed, poor people, children and youth, or people with a handicap. Another important topic concerns the social perception, evaluation and legitimacy of inequalities. While there is a vast literature on individual and specific aspects of inequalities, comprehensive and integrative approaches, and comparative perspectives in particular, are still rare. This session invites empirical analyses on multidimensional inequality, i.e. on the dynamics of and relationships between the various dimensions of social inequality, both in countries of the Global South and North. Contributions using cross-national perspectives, comparative, and longitudinal analyses are particularly welcome. Issues that may be addressed include (but are not limited to):

• relationships between different dimensions of social inequality
• historical evolution of (multidimensional) inequality, including changes and structural transformations of inequality patterns
• institutionalization of (multidimensional) inequality patterns
• (multidimensional) inequality at different levels of world society (i.e. global, regional, local)
• drivers and mechanisms of (multidimensional) inequality
• counterbalancing (multidimensional) inequality, e.g. impact of social und public policy on inequality (and redistribution)