National patterns of income and wealth inequality

Journal article | Zeitschriftenartikel

The aim of this article is to show that wealth must be treated as a distinct dimension of social stratification alongside income. In a first step, we explain why social stratification researchers have largely overlooked wealth in the past and present a detailed definition of wealth by differentiating it from income. In the empirical part of the article, we analyze the distribution of wealth across 18 countries, and we describe and compare national patterns of wealth inequality to those of income inequality making use of different data sources. Our results show – first – that there is strong variation in the distribution of wealth between these 18 countries, and – second – that levels of wealth inequality significantly differ from levels of income inequality in about half of the countries analyzed. Surprisingly high levels of wealth inequality we find in Sweden and Denmark, two countries widely considered being highly egalitarian societies. Conversely, the Southern European countries – where income inequality is relatively high – exhibit comparatively low levels of wealth inequality.

Angaben zum Objekt

• Sprache: Englisch
• Umfang: Seite(n): 463-488
• Anmerkungen: Status: Postprint; begutachtet (peer reviewed)

Verweise und Beziehungen

• Erschienen in: International Journal of Comparative Sociology, 55(6)

Klassifikation und Themen

• Thema: Soziologie, Anthropologie ; Allgemeine Soziologie, Makrosoziologie, spezielle Theorien und Schulen, Entwicklung und Geschichte der Soziologie ; Einkommen ; soziale Schichtung ; soziale Ungleichheit ; Reichtum ; Vermögen ; internationaler Vergleich ; Einkommensverteilung ; Wohlbefinden ; Einkommensunterschied ; Israel ; Europa ; Vermögensverteilung ; Definition

Beteiligte, Orts- und Zeitangaben

• Ereignis: Geistige Schöpfung
• (wer): Skopek, Nora ; Buchholz, Sandra ; Blossfeld, Hans-Peter
• Ereignis: Veröffentlichung
• (wo): Vereinigtes Königreich
• (wann): 2014

Weitere Informationen

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0020715214565674
• URN: urn:nbn:de:0168-ssoar-61876-2
• Rechteinformation: GESIS - Leibniz-Institut für Sozialwissenschaften. Bibliothek Köln
• Letzte Aktualisierung: 21.06.2024, 16:27 MESZ