Abstract
Inequality is ubiquitous in time and space. It is often measured simply as differences in incomes between various groups, but the phenomenon is more complex than so. Inequality is a many-faceted phenomenon that manifests itself in a number of ways. It shows up in a variety of contexts, for example gender, age, origin, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, class, religion and place. The present book is mainly about how the economy is shaped in such a way as to generate differences in economic and social welfare between individuals, regions and nations. However, we feel that the attention cannot be limited simply to economics. Thus, our chapters cover a broad spectrum. The book begins with a section that highlights some of the 'traditional' features of inequality: class and gender. The second section deals with the manifestation of inequality in terms of incomes and wealth differences. Thereafter, we turn to the causes of inequality. The third section explores the effects of discrimination and plunder (by those in power). The final section serves to drive home the point that geographic and institutional factors have an important place as well when it comes to shedding light on what equality is, how it manifests itself, and which its consequences are.
