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The Killing Fields of Inequality
Inequality is not just about the size of our wallets. It is a socio-cultural order which, for most of us, reduces our capabilities to function as human beings, our health, our dignity, our sense of self, as well as our resources to act and participate in the world. This book shows that inequality is literally a killing field, with millions of people dying premature deaths because of it. These lethal effects of inequality operate not only in the poor world, but also, and increasingly, in rich countries, as Therborn demonstrates with data ranging from the US, the UK, Finland and elsewhere. Even when they survive inequality, millions of human lives are stunted by the humiliations and degradations of inequality linked to gender, race and ethnicity, and class.
But this book is about experiences of equalization too, highlighting moments and processes of equalization in different parts of the world - from India and other parts of Asia, from the Americas, as well as from Europe. South Africa illustrates the toughest challenges. The killing fields of inequality can be this book shows how.
Clear, succinct, wide-ranging in scope and empirical in its approach, this timely book by one of the world’s leading social scientists will appeal to a wide readership.
But this book is about experiences of equalization too, highlighting moments and processes of equalization in different parts of the world - from India and other parts of Asia, from the Americas, as well as from Europe. South Africa illustrates the toughest challenges. The killing fields of inequality can be this book shows how.
Clear, succinct, wide-ranging in scope and empirical in its approach, this timely book by one of the world’s leading social scientists will appeal to a wide readership.
180 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2013
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487 people want to read
About the author
Göran Therborn
51 books47 followersGöran Therborn is a professor of sociology at Cambridge University and is amongst the most highly cited contemporary Marxian-influenced sociologists. He has published widely in journals such as the New Left Review, and is notable for his writing on topics that fall within the general political and sociological framework of post-Marxism. Topics on which he has written extensively include the intersection between the class structure of society and the function of the state apparatus, the formation of ideology within subjects, and the future of the Marxist tradition.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
April 25, 2014
Goran Therborn's study of inequality as both concept and reality is, in a nutshell, an unpleasant and truthful work. His observations are taken from global research and founded in stark empiricism: one is reminded of Howard Zinn's "Poverty In America".
What I appreciated about this study was Therborn's willingness to entertain the idea of inequality over and apart from the material circumstances that so often accompany it, and more as a basic and inevitable facet of capitalist society.
"The limitations of lay knowledge are further compounded by constraints of choice. For many, the choice is not between a good healthy job and a bad risky job, but between a barely paying job and no job at all. And unemployment is even worse for your health. Furthermore, some of the means to cope in the sort short-run with a miserable life have dire longer-term consequences for the human organism: sweets, fats, nicotine, alcohol in doses for momentary oblivion, narcotic drugs. For many poor single mothers, it has been found, a cigarette is the one little luxury they allow themselves. This, of course, is in grand keeping with the general plan of cruel euthanasia that speeds up with economic uncertainty and instability." Therborn lists three types of inequality:
There are at least three quite different kinds of inequality, and they are all destructive of human lives and of human societies.
"The first is inequality of health and death, what might be called vital inequality. Here, hard evidence is accumulating that health and longevity are distributed with a clearly discernible social regularity. Children in poor countries and poor classes die more often before the age of 1, and between the age of 1 and 5, than children in rich countries and rich classes. Low-status people in Britain die more often before retirement age than high-status people. Vital inequality, which can be measured relatively easily through life-expectancy and survival rates, destroys millions of human lives in the world every year.
The second is existential inequality, which hits the individual as a person. This kind of inequality restricts the freedom of action of certain categories of persons, for instance that of women and other marginalised groups in public spaces and spheres. This form of inequality means denial of (equal) recognition and respect, and is a potent generator of humiliations - for women in patriarchal societies, for indigenous groups in the Americas, for poor immigrants, for those of low caste, and for black people or stigmatised ethnic groups. It is important to note here that existential inequality does not only take the form of blatant discrimination; it also operates effectively through more subtle status hierarchies.
The third is material or resource inequality, which means that human actors have very different resources to draw upon. There are in turn two aspects here. The first is access to education, to career-tracks, to social contacts, to what is called "social capital" (in conventional discussions, this is often referred to as "inequality of opportunity"). The second is inequality of rewards (often referred to as "inequality of outcome". The latter is the most frequently used measure of inequality - the distribution of income, and sometimes also of wealth."
He does an excellent job of illustrating a way towards a more fair and egalitarian society, as many writers of conscience have done before him. I wonder if this is possible without some underlying spirituality motivating that society, though. At any rate, my opinions aside, this is a must read.
What I appreciated about this study was Therborn's willingness to entertain the idea of inequality over and apart from the material circumstances that so often accompany it, and more as a basic and inevitable facet of capitalist society.
"The limitations of lay knowledge are further compounded by constraints of choice. For many, the choice is not between a good healthy job and a bad risky job, but between a barely paying job and no job at all. And unemployment is even worse for your health. Furthermore, some of the means to cope in the sort short-run with a miserable life have dire longer-term consequences for the human organism: sweets, fats, nicotine, alcohol in doses for momentary oblivion, narcotic drugs. For many poor single mothers, it has been found, a cigarette is the one little luxury they allow themselves. This, of course, is in grand keeping with the general plan of cruel euthanasia that speeds up with economic uncertainty and instability." Therborn lists three types of inequality:
There are at least three quite different kinds of inequality, and they are all destructive of human lives and of human societies.
"The first is inequality of health and death, what might be called vital inequality. Here, hard evidence is accumulating that health and longevity are distributed with a clearly discernible social regularity. Children in poor countries and poor classes die more often before the age of 1, and between the age of 1 and 5, than children in rich countries and rich classes. Low-status people in Britain die more often before retirement age than high-status people. Vital inequality, which can be measured relatively easily through life-expectancy and survival rates, destroys millions of human lives in the world every year.
The second is existential inequality, which hits the individual as a person. This kind of inequality restricts the freedom of action of certain categories of persons, for instance that of women and other marginalised groups in public spaces and spheres. This form of inequality means denial of (equal) recognition and respect, and is a potent generator of humiliations - for women in patriarchal societies, for indigenous groups in the Americas, for poor immigrants, for those of low caste, and for black people or stigmatised ethnic groups. It is important to note here that existential inequality does not only take the form of blatant discrimination; it also operates effectively through more subtle status hierarchies.
The third is material or resource inequality, which means that human actors have very different resources to draw upon. There are in turn two aspects here. The first is access to education, to career-tracks, to social contacts, to what is called "social capital" (in conventional discussions, this is often referred to as "inequality of opportunity"). The second is inequality of rewards (often referred to as "inequality of outcome". The latter is the most frequently used measure of inequality - the distribution of income, and sometimes also of wealth."
He does an excellent job of illustrating a way towards a more fair and egalitarian society, as many writers of conscience have done before him. I wonder if this is possible without some underlying spirituality motivating that society, though. At any rate, my opinions aside, this is a must read.
September 10, 2020
Göran Therborn avlossar ett helt batteri av klarsyntheter om olika aspekter på ojämlikhet. Vissa iakttagelser irriterar jag mig på, och språket känns omodernt ibland, men som helhet är det här riktigt bra facklitteratur. Känns som den mest definitiva analysen av ojämlikhet på olika nivåer som jag har läst. Ville nästan ge den en femma.
March 6, 2014
While the content here is interesting, I didn't find the writing engaging at all. Therborn obviously knows his topic and his detailed knowledge provides a wealth of information. That being said, those details come mostly in the form of facts and statistics. There isn't a lot of discussion or personal observation. The language and format is more suited to a college classroom, where facts need to be memorized and theories extrapolated during discussions. I almost felt as if I should be taking notes for a future quiz.
I read a lot of nonfiction, and my library includes a wide range of sociology. But the writing here is too dry to hold reader appeal.
I read a lot of nonfiction, and my library includes a wide range of sociology. But the writing here is too dry to hold reader appeal.
April 5, 2017
The book is a comprehensive survey of inequality (categorized in three types: vital, existential and econimic, emphasizing the first). It also discusses mechanisms and sociological processes behind inequality.
Although the content is very important for everyone to know, a couple of tables would have been enough: the reader easily gets lost in the written numbers, percentages and deciles. 3/5 because of the very dry and complicated way of writing.
So, the book is a good choice for someone who's already familiar with the subject, but definitely not a place to start.
Although the content is very important for everyone to know, a couple of tables would have been enough: the reader easily gets lost in the written numbers, percentages and deciles. 3/5 because of the very dry and complicated way of writing.
So, the book is a good choice for someone who's already familiar with the subject, but definitely not a place to start.
December 29, 2023
Luin kurssia varten.
Erittäin hyviä näkökulmia eriarvoisuuteen liittyen. Pidin myös siitä, kuinka selvästi kirjailija osoitti pointtinsa ja kuinka asiat tulivat esille hyvässä järjestyksessä.
Erittäin hyviä näkökulmia eriarvoisuuteen liittyen. Pidin myös siitä, kuinka selvästi kirjailija osoitti pointtinsa ja kuinka asiat tulivat esille hyvässä järjestyksessä.
October 7, 2020
I will give it 5 stars because I like the topic. Basically, Goran Therborn argues that inequality kills and gives "superb" statistics that proves his point: for example there is a neighbourhood in Glasgow, Carlton, which has a life expectancy significantly lower than in other neighbourhood of Glasgow. Also, we find that the difference between the life expectancy of Sierra Leone and that of Japan is a full 49 years! That is something to make you think how unequal is this world. Moreover, the authord classifies inequality in three types, which makes it easier to follow in this world. Highly recommended book!
January 6, 2025
lukupiiri, kurssi YKT.102 Näkökulmia yhteiskuntaan
eriarvoisuuden muotoja, ominaisuuksia ja ajallista ilmentymistä + eriarvoisuuden aiheuttama inhimillinen kärsimys
Therbornin painopiste eriarvoisuuden suhteessa terveyteen ja kuolleisuuteen -> tuodaan esille laajasti globaalilla sekä historiallisella otteella! eliniän ja terveyden eroja käsitellään erityisesti luokan ja yhteiskunnallisen aseman osalta samalla näyttäen, kuinka luokka on käsitteenä yhteiskunnallisessa keskustelussa edelleen oleellinen
eriarvoisuuden kietoutuminen myös koulutukseen ja työhön oli kiinnostavaa
eriarvoisuuden muotoja, ominaisuuksia ja ajallista ilmentymistä + eriarvoisuuden aiheuttama inhimillinen kärsimys
Therbornin painopiste eriarvoisuuden suhteessa terveyteen ja kuolleisuuteen -> tuodaan esille laajasti globaalilla sekä historiallisella otteella! eliniän ja terveyden eroja käsitellään erityisesti luokan ja yhteiskunnallisen aseman osalta samalla näyttäen, kuinka luokka on käsitteenä yhteiskunnallisessa keskustelussa edelleen oleellinen
eriarvoisuuden kietoutuminen myös koulutukseen ja työhön oli kiinnostavaa
May 13, 2021
Lectura muy ligera.
Considero algunos datos un poco irrelevantes o muy redundantes.
Aún así considero muy interesante la siguiente reflexión que se repite a lo largo del libro: "La desigualdad es una violación de la dignidad humana, una negación de la posibilidad de desarrollo de las capacidades humanas".
Considero algunos datos un poco irrelevantes o muy redundantes.
Aún así considero muy interesante la siguiente reflexión que se repite a lo largo del libro: "La desigualdad es una violación de la dignidad humana, una negación de la posibilidad de desarrollo de las capacidades humanas".
August 24, 2024
Una buena introducción al tema de la desigualdad desde un acercamiento social y económico. Tiene información que puede ser muy básica para alguien que ya conoce, y hay datos que en estos últimos 10 años se han vuelto menos acertados.
July 1, 2018
State of the art marxism applied to understand modern phenomenon such as inequalities.
February 1, 2020
Umha mui boa introduçom à realidade multidimensional da desigualdade, mas o seu caráter introdutório lastra um pouco o livro
September 29, 2021
Luin kurssikirjana. Pidin tästä, ja koska kirja on sekä verrattain helppolukuinen että lyhyt, sitä sietäisi luettavan paljon laajemminkin.
June 19, 2023
tråkig läsning men ett antal bra poänger
October 25, 2023
iha sillee decent, en ehkä nappais jos haluut ymmärtää näist jutuista oikeesti in depth mut kyl täl on paikkansa omassa kategoriassaan
October 11, 2025
despite the super intense name (in spanish, it's The Death Camps of Inequality), the book is extremely nuanced. starting with the philosophical dimensions of inequality, therborn works hard on puting it in context not just as an economic phenomenon, where the book is weakest mostly due to the lack of a decade of research, but also as a social one - how society and politics are warped by the unequal outcomes between races, genders, sexualities, and nationalities
March 14, 2014
Göran Therborn's treatise on inequality is rich with information on inequality in both wealthy and developing nations. With statistical data based on Gini coefficients and Kuznets curves, he demonstrates what is going on and how it affects peoples' lives. If one is a sociologist, this is fabulous.
If one is a layman, not so much. The dizzying number of mathematical calculations make this book pretty dry.
However, Therborn also does something that I haven't seen in any other works on inequality: he considers that there is more to it than just economics. Therborn delves into vital inequality, which has to do with health and lifespan, via several examples. One of the most notable is the Whitehall study, which showed that the lower down one worked in a hierarchical system, the lower one's lifespan was likely to be due to added stressors caused by the inability to control one's work. He also looks at existential inequality, which has to do with being able to have equal access to the full range of human experiences. Anti-GLBT sentiment and misogyny are examined pretty thoroughly here.
To me, that's what saves the book from being a complete slog for the non-sociologist. If you're particularly interested in the subject of inequality, pick this up. If you are just dipping your toe into the waters of studying the matter, this is probably not the place to start.
If one is a layman, not so much. The dizzying number of mathematical calculations make this book pretty dry.
However, Therborn also does something that I haven't seen in any other works on inequality: he considers that there is more to it than just economics. Therborn delves into vital inequality, which has to do with health and lifespan, via several examples. One of the most notable is the Whitehall study, which showed that the lower down one worked in a hierarchical system, the lower one's lifespan was likely to be due to added stressors caused by the inability to control one's work. He also looks at existential inequality, which has to do with being able to have equal access to the full range of human experiences. Anti-GLBT sentiment and misogyny are examined pretty thoroughly here.
To me, that's what saves the book from being a complete slog for the non-sociologist. If you're particularly interested in the subject of inequality, pick this up. If you are just dipping your toe into the waters of studying the matter, this is probably not the place to start.
December 15, 2016
Kiinnostava teos eriarvoisuuden syistä ja ennen kaikkea vaaroista. Erittäin ajankohtainen kirja siis! Teksti on sujuvaa, persoonallista ja ymmärrettävää, mutta samalla akateemisesti punnittua ja pätevää. Suomennos on erinomainen (vaikka itse olisin käyttänyt yhdenvertaisuutta tasa-arvon sijaan, koska olen tottunut siihen, että suomen kielessä ja lainsäädännössä tasa-arvo viittaa vahvasti nimenomaan sukupuolten tasa-arvoon, eikä tässä ollut siitä kysymys).
Hieman häiritsi sotaisa kieli, henkilökohtaisesti edistäisin yhdenvertaisuutta mieluummin rauhanomaisin keinoin. Toisaalta oli innostavaa ja voimauttavaakin lukea, että tärkeintä eriarvoisuuden torjunnassa ja tasa-arvon edistämisessä ovat ihmiset, jotka jaksavat taistella silloinkin kun se on raskasta.
Monesta kirjasta siteerataan alkua, mutta tästä sietää siteerata loppua. "Taistelu on alkamassa. Kukaan ei tiedä miten siinä käy. Kumman puolella itse aiot olla?"
Hieman häiritsi sotaisa kieli, henkilökohtaisesti edistäisin yhdenvertaisuutta mieluummin rauhanomaisin keinoin. Toisaalta oli innostavaa ja voimauttavaakin lukea, että tärkeintä eriarvoisuuden torjunnassa ja tasa-arvon edistämisessä ovat ihmiset, jotka jaksavat taistella silloinkin kun se on raskasta.
Monesta kirjasta siteerataan alkua, mutta tästä sietää siteerata loppua. "Taistelu on alkamassa. Kukaan ei tiedä miten siinä käy. Kumman puolella itse aiot olla?"
November 17, 2015
Absolutely rife with data and statistics, but it's a pretty impenetrable argument about why inequality is bad on just about every front you can think of. Obviously I had some issues with his post-Marxist stances at points, but still good data.
to-keep-reference
October 18, 2016Citado en Viviendo en el Final de los Tiempos Pág.487
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews