SOCI 152 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Alimony, Distributive Justice
Document Summary
Little change in relative poverty in usa (1975-1995) Inequality- the degree of dispersion in the distribution. Limit the highest incomes and/or raise the lowest. Poverty- incomes at the bottom of the distribution. Raise lowest incomes and/or lift all incomes. Relative poverty- some % of median income. U. s. economy post 1970s: upper incomes rise the most- increase inequality (more. Raise lowest incomes and/or push median income down skewed) A society could have both high inequality yet low poverty (if wealthy) A society could be egalitarian yet high poverty (kosovo/bosnia) Rawl"s theory of justice principle of distributive justice based on original position and veil of ignorance to intelligence, personality, parents, gender, race, etc. Maximin : whatever distribution maximizes the income of the poorest (while maintaining liberties) is to be preferred. Most favor raising average incomes with adequate incomes of the poor. Gini arranges cumulative (adding incomes) incomes from lowest to highest and compares to perfect equality.
