IndexIntroductionTypes and causes of social inequalityTheoretical perspectives: functionalism and conflict theoryThe contrast between conflict theory and functionalismConclusionReferencesIntroductionMost societies are founded on the idea of ​​fairness and equality , but in every society and culture, there is at least one inequality. Social inequality is the existence of inequalities of opportunity for different social positions and statuses within a society. There are five types of social inequality: wealth inequality, inequality of treatment and responsibility, political inequality, life inequality, and belonging inequality. Examples of social inequality include the wage gap, gender inequality, racial inequality, and social class. Social inequality exists due to culture, beliefs and the government in power or social stereotypes. Some countries in the world, such as Saudi Arabia, have been very controversial regarding gender inequality. Women are told that they can do whatever they want as long as it does not affect their domestic duties. The Western world believes that women in Middle Eastern countries are oppressed, but these women believe that they are not, as supported by functionalism and conflict theory (Fatany, 2004). Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Types and causes of social inequality Stratification is closely linked to social inequality. This concept refers to the relationship between certain variables such as wealth and social status. Society is in a hierarchical system. Stratification examines the systematic pattern of inequality between generations that has been embedded in societies (Habibis). Marx is commonly criticized for placing emphasis only on economic factors since these are what determine social class, but the actual theory of stratification amounts to reductionism. Non-Marxists would believe that inequalities of honor or power are considered the fundamental sources of class formation, with economic sources coming second (Grusky). Dahrendorf (1968) argued that “the difference in authority in associations is the ultimate cause of the formation of conflict groups”. In Ireland, those in power decide on the minimum wage, on who deserves a home and an education. They are the ones who have caused most of the conflicts in the housing crisis. Social mobility, also closely related, is the ability to change up or down in the hierarchical stratification system. If there is a change in position in a profession but not in a social class, it is called horizontal mobility (Collins Dictionary). While if there is a change in social class we talk about vertical mobility. A person can start as a retail trader and become a wealthy entrepreneur and move up the class, while a person who goes bankrupt would move down the class system. There are several reasons why there are different social inequalities in the world and why they persist. . The first is ideology, or the cultural belief on which countries base their actions, which serves to legitimize key interests and justifies stratification. The second is habitualization, the idea that the behaviors, norms and values ​​that an individual learns are taken from his social situation and ingrained in it due to prolonged exposure to that social situation that will pass through generations (Penguin Dictionary ). Third, it is about subjugating socially excluded people who lack power and resources to challenge the orderexisting society. People who have no social status have no power to change the system. However, a movement like Black Lives Matter or the MeToo movement, with many people working together, can make a difference. Finally, coercive power and violence keep people in their place in the hierarchical system because they can scare people into questioning the system. People in power can use their authority against people and keep them in power. Poverty can be a major cause of inequality. Looking at the explanation of the reason for poverty, there can be two reasons. Blame the poor or blame society. The main reason for unemployment is lack of work. The poor may be the problem because there are many opportunities out there, they just need to be found. The reason they are unemployed is because they lack motivation, skills or education. The other way to look at it is to blame society. Society does not offer enough opportunities, such as a good education and jobs that pay enough to live and escape poverty (Williams, 2014). People who have been living in poverty for a long time are more likely to fall into the poverty trap. This means that inequality will progress in the next generation. Theoretical Perspectives: Functionalism and Conflict Theory Living in an unequal society can cause stress and anxiety within a society. This stress and anxiety can lead to damage to your health. People within societies where they feel they are not cared for can lose their trust. When their confidence fades, they may not progress in society as they should have. Also, when people feel like they haven't been treated fairly and start to hate the competition or people in power. People in poverty feel they have to work too hard just to survive and while there are those who were born into wealth and would have it easier in their eyes. There can be conflict between people who are unequal to each other, as in class systems, between the sexes, or between people who live unequally with each other. This leads to the question of theoretical frameworks: functionalism and conflict theory. Is this unfair treatment functional or is it just constant unfair treatment that leads to conflict among a population? Functionalism is a theoretical framework that views society as a complex system that works together to promote balance and stability in society. This theory is based on the work of Herbert Spencer, Emile Durkheim, Talcott Parsons and Robert Merton. This theory believes that every aspect of society, such as social norms, roles and even inequality, has its function. Functionalist theory would see social inequality as inevitable and functional for society. People in poverty can inspire people to not want to be in that situation, the education system can inspire people to want to push themselves, do well and go to high paying jobs. While no one wants to be poor with a low-paid job, they play a central role in society and are much needed. For example, "dirty" jobs such as cleaners or garbage collectors, no one wants to do, especially for a low salary and in terrible conditions, but someone has to do them. Since these jobs are not that important to society, that's why there is no such high income as that of a lawyer. This theory highlights that inequality is both inevitable and functional as there will always be people in low-paid jobs that need to be done and there will always be jobs with status and good benefits that people aspire to obtain. There is a clear difference between employees, managers and owners which leads to different classessocial. The owner of a factory would earn much more than the employee working in the factory (Raffo et al). The owner would fall into the upper class, the manager would fall into the middle class or working class depending on the salary, and the employee would fall into the working class. Social class works in a cyclical way, if a person born into a middle class family will most likely not get the best education and will not get a well paying job. A person born into a wealthy family would progress towards third level education giving him better opportunities. People living as working class people work eight hours a day, five to seven days a week for the minimum wage and could earn 22,000 euros a year. A lawyer working the same number of hours would earn more than half as much at around €55,000 a year as a novice lawyer. There are many inequalities here. First being social status, a lawyer would have a higher status than someone working for minimum wage. People who earn 55,000 euros a year belong to a higher social class than those who earn 22,000 euros a year. There are many unknown factors as to why one person ended up earning more than the other. Factors like education, race, gender, whether they have a disability. While inequality may be functional, you also need to know that it may not be inevitable if everyone had a fair starting point of opportunity. The contrast between conflict theory and functionalismConflict theory is the opposite of functionalist theory. Conflict theory is based on the work of Karl Marx who believed that society is an arena of inequality that generates social conflict and social change. Life is a competition and focuses on the distribution of resources, power and inequality. Functionalism focuses on the stability of society due to inequality while conflict theory examines inequalities in society and how these lead to change. According to Marx's theory, there are two main types of people: the capitalists, who control capital and the means of production, and the proletariat who are beneath the capitalists and provide the labor. Marx's theory believes that there is a constant struggle between the two classes. It is now known (Dahrendorf, 1958) that the attempt to reduce social conflicts to a common principle is sterile. This leads either to an empty generalization, as every society experiences social conflict, or to empirically unjustifiable oversimplifications, as the history of all societies has thus far been a history of class struggles. Feminism is a term used that advocates for women's rights on the basis of equal rights for both sexes. Here are three main types of feminism: socialist, cultural and radical feminism. Social feminism is a theory that analyzed the connection between the oppression of women in society and any other oppression in society such as racism. Cultural feminism looks at the perspective that men and women have different approaches to the world and there should be more emphasis on how women approach the world. Cultural feminism argues that women's worldview is superior to that of men. This perspective aims to unite every type of woman. Finally, radical feminism is a philosophy that emphasizes the patriarchal roots of inequality between men and women. This philosophy believes that patriarchy divides social rights, privileges and power and as a result of this oppresses women. Feminism dates back to the 19th century and promoted equal bargaining, marriage, parenthood, and property rights for women. Here 2012.