Abstract
This paper first explores three lessons about income inequality that have emerged in cross-disciplinary study. Second, it relates those lessons to ethical practices in social work and social services, and other ethics of social justice. Third, it briefly examines sample innovations in social services that hold promise for addressing the three lessons of the income inequality described. Finally, the paper offers reflections on a potential path forward in a quest to mitigate the harm of persistent income inequality and create more equitable systems for those experiencing it.
Highlights
This paper first explores three lessons about income inequality that have emerged in cross-disciplinary study
An examination of literature across these disciplines raised a set of lessons relevant to the practice of social services and advocacy as they relate to addressing income inequality—pursuits common to social workers and human service managers
The findings show that mechanisms that used to help resolve income inequality no longer do so effectively, or are existentially threatened
Summary
This paper is the product of seminar-based interdisciplinary study on income inequality. The three lessons include that (a) lower-income voices are suppressed in the political process; (b) the economic mobility “ladder” is missing some rungs; and (c) fiscal and educational policies and practices that used to help address or mitigate income inequality are losing their potency. These three lessons paint a picture of the potential for an enduring income inequality that social service providers and others with a strong social justice ethic must address, using new methods and approaches
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