SOC102H1 Chapter Notes - Chapter 9: American Exceptionalism, Fatalism, Raymond Breton
Document Summary
For at least two centuries, people have been searching for a perfect world. Perfect world a utopia where everyone would live in peace and prosperity. What goals can we realistically hope to achieve: we need to consider what is fair and just, we need to keep searching for equality because failing to do so is unfair and harmful to human life. There is a link between social inequality and increased risks of illness and mortality, crime and punishment, war and destruction. If you ask people what they care about, they say the same things: health. No one wants illness, death, crime, imprisonment, or war. We see more of these unwanted outcomes wherever inequality is most extreme. Why does inequality persist: many people have been led to believe that inequality is natural and inevitable. However, this belief is untenable because different societies have different levels of inequality.
