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Do We Need Economic Inequality?

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( 52 ratings, 7 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
In Do We Need Economic Inequality?, Danny Dorling questions the widely held belief that economic inequality is an unavoidable or necessary aspect of society. Through a critical examination of historical trends and modern assumptions, he argues that economic inequality may simply be a temporary phase connected to our transition from rural to urban living. Dorling explores how factors like stabilising population, evolving gender roles, and increased education access make a more equal society not only desirable but achievable, challenging dystopian visions of entrenched elite dominance.
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

Essential reading for students, educators, and anyone interested in economic, social, and political issues of inequality and societal futures.

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Although economic inequality provokes widespread disquiet, its supposed necessity is rarely questioned. At best, a basic level of inequality is seen as a necessary evil. At worst, it is seen as insufficient to encourage aspiration, hard work and investment, a refrain sometimes used to advocate ever greater inequality.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Although economic inequality provokes widespread disquiet, its supposed necessity is rarely questioned. At best, a basic level of inequality is seen as a necessary evil. At worst, it is seen as insufficient to encourage aspiration, hard work and investment – a refrain sometimes used to advocate ever greater inequality.

In this original new book, Danny Dorling critically analyses historical trends and contemporary assumptions in order to question the idea that inequality is an inevitability. What if, he asks, widespread economic inequality is actually just a passing phase, a feature of the capitalist transition from a settled rural way of life to our next highly urban steady-state? Is it really likely that we face a Blade Runner-style dystopian future divided between a tiny elite and an impoverished mass?

Dorling shows how, amongst much else, a stabilising population, changing gender relations and rising access to education make a more egalitarian alternative to this nightmare vision not only preferable, but realistic. This bold contribution to one of the most significant debates of our time will be essential reading for anyone interested in our economic, social and political destiny.

Series: The Future of Capitalism

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  • Do We Need Economic Inequality?
    Although economic inequality provokes widespread disquiet, its supposed necessity is rarely questioned. At best, a basic level of inequality is seen as a necessary evil. At worst, it is seen as insufficient to encourage aspiration, hard work and investment – a refrain sometimes used to advocate ever greater inequality. In this original new book, Danny Dorling critically analyses historical trends...
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  • Do We Need Economic Inequality?
    Although economic inequality provokes widespread disquiet, its supposed necessity is rarely questioned. At best, a basic level of inequality is seen as a necessary evil. At worst, it is seen as insufficient to encourage aspiration, hard work and investment – a refrain sometimes used to advocate ever greater inequality. In this original new book, Danny Dorling critically analyses historical trends...
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  • Why Can't You Afford a Home?
    Throughout the Western world, a whole generation is being priced out of the housing market. For millions of people, particularly millennials, the basic goal of acquiring decent, affordable accommodation is a distant dream. Leading economist Josh Ryan-Collins argues that to understand this crisis, we must examine a crucial paradox at the heart of modern capitalism. The interaction of private home...
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Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

"Provocative as always, Danny Dorling challenges us with encyclopaedic knowledge, damning statistics and original insights. Thoughtfully, he helps us to envision a better society and to believe that we might achieve it." — Kate Pickett, University of York

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781509516551

Publisher: John Wiley and Sons Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 13 October 2017

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Polity Press

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 8.0mm

Width: 122.0mm

Height: 185.0mm

Weight: 204g

Pages: 140

About the Author

Danny Dorling is the Halford Mackinder Professor of Geography at the University of Oxford. His website can be found at www.dannydorling.org.

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