The Sociology of income inequality

Abstract

For long, researchers in the field of Sociology have largely avoided studies on income inequality. This aversion to the subject has often been justified by the pursuit of more enduring or structural characteristics. Instead of delving into this topic, scholarly attention has been devoted to Class Analysis or the study of occupational structure. In this article, I argue that income and its distribution should be considered as a privileged object of study. I posit that the fluidity and volatility of income are also structural features with differential incidence across social groups. I begin the text with a reflection on the significance of income within the broader scope of social inequalities. Subsequently, I scrutinize the agenda of Class Analysis and its limitations in explaining income inequality. I then discuss the reasons for the systematic absence of sociologists in the study of this subject and present bibliometric evidence that interest in the topic does not appear to be particularly advancing in recent times. I conclude with reflections and justifications for investment in this research agenda.

Keywords:
income; inequality; prerogatives; Class Analysis; Sociology