Nature Of Inequality Research Articles

Confronting scientific racism in psychology: Lessons from evolutionary biology and genetics.

Although the American Psychological Association has taken a strong antiracism stance, scientific racism continues to be published in psychology journals and scholarly books. Recent articles claim that the folk categories of race are genetically meaningful divisions and that evolved genetic differences among races and nations are important for explaining immutable differences in cognitive ability, educational attainment, crime, sexual behavior, and wealth; all claims that are opposed by a strong scientific consensus to the contrary. These claims remain a serious source of harm through the naturalization of inequality and through support for the work of racial extremists. Contemporary "racial hereditarian research" claims to rest on modern genetics and evolutionary biology and to draw on their methods, such as genome-wide association studies. These new arguments fail to meet the evidentiary and ethical standards of these disciplines for the study of human variation. If psychology adopted standards from genetics and evolutionary biology, the current racial hereditarian work would be ineligible for publication. Actions that the American Psychological Association can take to deal with scientific racism are described. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Axioms and Intuitions about Societal Inequality

We show that Corrado Gini’s “concentration ratio” is an informative measure of experienced inequality that (as he pointed out) varies from one (his “maximum concentration”) to zero (“minimum concentration”), a feature that does not hold (except in infinite populations) for the measure advocated in the contribution to this symposium by our colleague, Debraj Ray. Through a social network representation of inequality and a series of examples, we clarify the differing intuitions about the nature of inequality that alternative measures of inequality capture.

Naturalization of inequality in Brazil

The article establishes a dialogue between Carl Schmitt, Walter Benjamin and Giorgio Agamben’s theories, transposing them to the Brazilian social reality. The naturalization of inequality is a cruel mark of our society, and the philosophy of law contributes to a juridical approach that takes into account the social disparities. First, the state of exception will be analyzed in the light of Benjamin and Agamben’s works. Later, with Schmitt, the issue of exception will be analyzed together with the political decision, demonstrating the intrinsic connection between law and politics and the reflection of this in the worsening of social inequalities. It will be established the difference between the Schmitt’s concept of "Enemy" and the Agamben’s concept of homo sacer in the establishment of the state of exception and how the concept of "enemy" was distorted with the construction of Enemy Criminal Law’s Theory.

Right Mindfulness in Teacher Education: Integrating Buddhist Teachings with Secular Mindfulness to Promote Racial Equity

Despite decades of reform efforts, disparities in schooling persist based on race, threatening the economic and social wellbeing of the United States. Why are there still significant opportunity gaps despite decades of reform efforts to curb inequities? For one, these efforts often overlook the internal habits of mind, or inner nature of inequity, and the ways in which educators may perpetuate racism through unexamined racial biases. Secular mindfulness and its Buddhist origins could help address these harmful habits of mind and transform systems by providing tools for educators to examine their internalized beliefs around race. Realizing the potential of these practices to combat racial inequities in the classroom requires building a stronger bridge between Eastern Buddhism and the individual psychological emphasis of Westernized mindfulness. This critical theoretical paper will examine opportunities for mindfulness interventions in the United States educational context to address inequities through a deeper integration with Eastern contemplative traditions. Implications for researchers and practitioners will be presented to explore how mindfulness practices in the West might be expanded and utilized in service of racial justice.

Exploring the Effect of Challenges Experienced By Teachers and Learners on Mathematics Performance

High school learners Mathematics performance have a direct relationship to a nation's scientific and technological improvement and learners' competence in Mathematics and the Sciences is important for their social and economic standing (Othman, et al., 2012, Reddy, et al., 2015). The 2015 TIMMS report states that the slow level of change in the contextual conditions contributes to the levels of poverty and nature of inequality in the country and this rate of change is insufficient to meet the educational expectations and needs of the country (Reddy, et al., 2016). In the 2019 TIMMS report, Reddy, et al. conclude that the rate of improvement in Mathematics has declined (Reddy, et al., 2020). Upon analysing the Grade 12 National Senior Certificate Results for the period 2016 to 2019, the researchers found that the performances of learners in Mathematics has adversely affected the overall pass rate of Grade 12 learners, within each high school, in the Phambela Circuit. In addition, parents expressed concern that the poor Mathematics pass rate deny their children the opportunity to enrol for Mathematics and Science related courses at institutions of higher learning. Keywords: Blended Learning, Scaffolding, Conceptual Development

Exploring Possible Strategies in Improving Teacher and Learner Mathematics Performance

The performance of high school students in Mathematics has a direct link to a country's scientific and technological advancement. The students' ability in Mathematics and Sciences is critical to their social and economic well-being (Othman, Yusof, & Mahmood, 2012 & Reddy, et al., 2015). According to the 2015 TIMMS report, the slow rate of change in the context conditions contributes to the country's levels of poverty and nature of inequality, and this rate of change is insufficient to meet the country's educational expectations and needs (Reddy, et al., 2016). Reddy, et al. conclude in the 2019 TIMMS report that the rate of improvement in Mathematics has slowed (Reddy, et al., 2020). The analysis of the Grade 12 National Senior Certificate Results from 2016 to 2019 of the high schools in the Phambela Circuit, revealed that learners' performances in Mathematics have had a negative impact on the overall pass rate of Grade 12 learners, within each high school, in the Phambela Circuit. Furthermore, parents expressed concern that the low Mathematics pass rate will prevent their children from enrolling in Mathematics and Science-related courses at institutions of higher learning. It is in this context, the researchers set out to investigate the status of teaching and learning of Mathematics in the Phambela Circuit and explore possible strategies that would assist to improve its teaching and learning. Keywords: Conceptual Development, Mathematical Proficiency

400 million voting records show profound racial and geographic disparities in voter turnout in the United States.

One of the core tenets of a well-functioning representative democracy is that the people who vote to elect government officials are representative of the public. Here we reinforce the idea that reality is far from this lofty ideal. We document the extent and nature of inequities in voter participation in the United States with a level of granularity and precision that previous research has not afforded. To do so, we use a unique nationwide dataset of approximately 400 million validated voting records across multiple election cycles. With this novel dataset, we document large and persistent gaps in voter turnout by race, age, and political affiliation. Minority citizens, young people, and those who support the Democratic Party are much less likely to vote than whites, older citizens, and Republican Party supporters. Minorities, youth, and democrats are also much more likely to live in local communities where fewer individuals vote—areas that we term turnout deserts. Turnout deserts are especially pernicious given that they are self-reinforcing—bolstered by the social dynamics that fundamentally shape citizens’ voting patterns. Our results show just how glaring inequities in political participation are in the US. These patterns threaten the very fabric of our democracy and fundamentally shift the balance of political power in the halls of government towards the interests of whites, older citizens, and republicans. They illustrate that participation in the United States is strikingly unequal—far from the ideals that this country has long aspired to.

Paired Dialog on Equity —Six Goals for an Introductory Astronomy Course

This paper introduces a process of reading, reflection, and discussion used by two white faculty teaching at predominately white institutions to address challenges to equity in their introductory astronomy courses. The conversations focused on the context of large introductory courses, where individual instructors may lack resources and agency to make large-scale structural changes. Six goals to improve the classroom experience for all students are identified. The paper explores the nature of inequities that students face and, through a process of backwards design, identifies actions that begin to address such issues. The ideas discussed are rooted in ongoing conversations around injustice, antiracism, equity and inclusion and this paper describes a process by which individual instructors can make progress in their own classrooms. We write this paper with the hope that it could serve as a model, and that other faculty of introductory courses might consider embracing similar goals as we strive to make our disciplines more welcoming and inclusive.

Some Rational Approximations and Bounds for Bateman’s G-Function

Symmetrical patterns exist in the nature of inequalities, which play a basic role in theoretical and applied mathematics. In several studies, inequalities present accurate approximations of functions based on their symmetry properties. In this paper, we present the following rational approximations for Bateman’s G-function G(w)=1w+2w2+∑j=1n4αjw2−2j−1+O1w2n+2, where α1=14, and αj=(1−22j+2)B2j+2j+1+∑ν=1j−1(1−22j−2ν+2)B2j−2ν+2ανj−ν+1,j>1. As a consequence, we introduced some new bounds of G(w) and a completely monotonic function involving it.

A decade of conditional cash transfer programs for reproductive health in India: How did equality fare?

BackgroundSince 2005, India has implemented conditional cash transfer [CCT] programs to promote the uptake of institutional delivery services [ID]. The study aims to assess changes in wealth-based inequality in the use of ID and other maternal health care services during the first decade of Janani Suraksha Yojana and related CCT programs.MethodsData from two Demographic and Health Surveys were used to calculate changes in service inequality from 2005 to 2015–16 in the use of three or more antenatal care [ANC] visits, ID, and postnatal care [PNC]. The changes were assessed at the national level, within high and low performing states [HPS and LPS, respectively] and within urban and rural areas of each state category. Erreygers Index [EI] and Wagstaff Index [WI], superior to concentration index, were used to gain different insights into the nature of inequality. EI is an objective measure of inequality irrespective of prevalence while WI is a combined measure of inequality and the average distribution of an indicator that puts more weight on the poor.ResultsThe results suggest that wealth-based inequalities decreased significantly at the national level. For ID, both indices showed a decline in both HPS and LPS though the change in WI in HPS was insignificant. For ANC, there was a significant decrease in inequality using both indices in HPS but not in LPS. For PNC, there was a significant decrease in inequality using both indices in HPS, and when using WI in LPS, but not when using EI in LPS.ConclusionOverall, the first decade of India’s CCT programs saw an impressive reduction in EI for ID but less so for WI suggesting that the benefit of CCTs did not go disproportionately to the poor, which suggests that there is a need to reduce or eliminate the evident leakages. The improvement in uptake and inequality in ANC and PNC was not at par with ID, stressing the need to place greater focus on the continuum of care. The urban rural difference in HPS versus LPS in the changes in inequality reveals that infrastructure is important for CCTs to be more effective.

Параметрическая регуляризация линейно-квадратичной задачи на множестве кусочно-линейных управлений

A linear-quadratic problem with arbitrary matrices in the functional and multidimensional control with convex constraint is considered. Acceptable controls are piecewise linear vector functions within an uneven grid of possible corner points. The reduction of the optimal control problem into a finite-dimensional format is carried out using vector formalization of the linear spline construction and block matrices together with the corresponding operations. The possibility of influencing the functional in the original problem is provided by using parameters with quadratic forms. The choice of these parameters is focused on the regularization of the functional in the sense of providing it with the properties of convexity or concavity at the level of a finite-dimensional model. The conditions for the choice of parameters are in the nature of inequalities with respect to the extreme eigenvalues of the block matrices forming the objective function. The corresponding convex or concave optimization problems can be solved in a finite number of iterations.

Rethinking Religion and What Really Matters

COVID-19 has thrown new light on the nature of inequality as a global problem. This has implications for reassessing what really matters in people’s lives, related to what theologians have sometimes called matters of “ultimate concern.” What do such reassessments mean for rethinking the role and function of religion, with a view towards what religion can contribute to the formation of feasible alternatives? The article concludes by spelling out some vital lessons for practical theology and related fields.

Physiological stress responses to inequality across income groups in a virtual society

AbstractA growing body of research suggests that inequality can be stressful for all within a society. We consider this assertion by exploring whether there is evidence of physiological stress responses to different income and inequality conditions in a hypothetical society. The combined effect of inequality for different income groups on cardiovascular reactivity was assessed while participants engaged in purchasing decisions. The study included 102 participants, 84 of which had full data for analyses (42 male, 41 female, 1 unspecified). The average age was 23 years. A 3 × 2 design manipulated both inequality (stable, increasing, and decreasing) and income (high and low). Cardiovascular reactivity was operationalized as change in heart rate (HR) and blood pressure (BP; diastolic and systolic) responses at the end of the purchasing task compared with baseline. Although there was no direct association between income, inequality, and BP, results indicated that low‐income participants had the higher HR reactivity to stable inequality compared with increasing inequality. These findings indicate that inequality has the hallmarks of a stressor; this is contingent on the type of inequality. This suggests that inequality itself may be detrimental to future health via the stress pathway. These findings highlight that the nature of inequality, increasing, decreasing, or stable is relevant to its impact and that these impacts of inequality may extend to the biological.

The Implications of the Triumph of Neoclassical Economics over Marxist Economics in China

This paper explores the implications of one of the great intellectual revolutions of the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, the replacement of Marxist economics by neoclassical economics in China. The analysis summarizes what is distinctive about Marxist and neoclassical ways of thinking. The paper then demonstrates how these differences led to different framings and different conclusions about a number of key topics related to the development of capitalism in China. Among the topics explored are the merits of state-owned enterprises, the nature of inequality in China, and the relationship between capitalism and the environment. The paper concludes with a discussion of the different policy agendas that emerge from the different framings offered by neoclassical and Marxist economics. JEL Classification: B41, B51, P2, O53

Decomposing socio-economic inequality in vaccination coverage among Pakistani children: A population-based cross-sectional study.

There is scarce knowledge about factors contributing to underlying inequalities in vaccination coverage among Pakistani children. Therefore, the main objective of this study is to measure and decompose socioeconomic inequalities in childhood vaccination coverage. Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey, version 2017-18, data were used for analysis. Bivariate association was checked through Chi-square test and concentration curve (CC) and concentration index (CI) were used to assess the existence and nature of inequality. Finally, decomposition analysis was performed to measure the contribution of different factors to the observed inequality. Our findings suggested that vaccination coverage is more concentrated among children of educated mothers (CI=0.296) and decomposition results suggest that a substantial proportion of the inequality is explained by maternal education, wealth status, paternal education and improved sanitation (34%, 19%, 14% and 21% respectively). Also, differences are observed between regions regarding vaccination coverage. There is need of female-targeted interventions to increase maternal role in the society through better education and decision-making autonomy. Also, the policies to improve the household's wealth status should be considered.

AnneCase and AngusDeaton, Deaths of Despair and the Future of Capitalism, Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2020. 312 p. $27.95

AnneCase and AngusDeaton, Deaths of Despair and the Future of Capitalism, Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2020. 312 p. $27.95

Discursos sobre varones y mujeres en la formación técnica: entre la reproducción y la transformación. Un estudio situado en dos provincias argentinas

La formación técnica en Argentina ha sido un ámbito históricamente masculinizado. Ante el incremento de la matrícula femenina y la visibilización y demandas sociales respecto de las desigualdades de género, nos preguntamos, de qué manera las instituciones de ETP favorecen el reconocimiento y la participación con miras a la justicia social. Este trabajo analiza discursos sobre las desigualdades entre varones y mujeres (en interseccionalidad con otras) que circulan en 12 instituciones de educación técnico profesional en dos provincias argentinas (Neuquén y Mendoza), y sobre los dispositivos de acompañamiento a la escolaridad y articulación con el trabajo que allí se construyen. Desplegamos un diseño de investigación comparativo basado en la triangulación de fuentes secundarias y el uso de técnicas cualitativas y cuantitativas para la producción de datos primarios. Como estrategia de análisis optamos por el Análisis Crítico del Discurso. Encontramos tres tipos de discursos que organizan los modos de mirar, entender y actuar en relación a ser varón o mujer que se articulan con otras dimensiones con un sentido de justicia social particular. Definimos a estos discursos como: Naturalización de jerarquías; Visibilización de jerarquías; Visibilización de jerarquías y acciones para la transformación. Si bien estos discursos conviven en todas las instituciones, identificamos predominancia de algunos en cada una de ellas, así como en los territorios en que se asientan. Finalmente presentamos un caso de una institución en el que analizamos el entramado discursivo.

Health Inequality as a Large-Scale Outcome of Complex Social Systems: Lessons for Action on the Sustainable Development Goals.

Action on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) needs to become real and impactful, taking a “whole systems” perspective on levers for systems change. This article reviews what we have learned over the past century about the large-scale outcome of health inequality, and what we know about the behaviour of complex social systems. This combined knowledge provides lessons on the nature of inequality and what effective action on our big goals, like the SDGs, might look like. It argues that economic theories and positivist social theories which have dominated the last 150 years have largely excluded the nature of human connections to each other, and the environment. This exclusion of intimacy has legitimatised arguments that only value-free economic processes matter for macro human systems, and only abstract measurement constitutes valuable social science. Theories of complex systems provide an alternative perspective. One where health inequality is viewed as emergent, and causes are systemic and compounding. Action therefore needs to be intensely local, with power relationships key to transformation. This requires conscious and difficult intervention on the intolerable accumulation of resources; improved reciprocity between social groups; and reversal of system flows, which at present ebb away from the local and those already disadvantaged.

The Development of Student's Understanding of Self, Inequality, and Service during a Critical International Service Learning Program in the Dominican Republic

Since January 2018, my colleague and I have co-led a two-week, three-credit critical international service learning course to Santiago de Los Caballeros, Dominican Republic. Our course is designed to question and complicate students’ relationship to service through the use of intergroup dialogue pedagogy and theory. Intergroup dialogue (IGD) encourages students to understand one another across their social identities (e.g., race, gender, sexuality, ability, nationality, ability, etc.) by engaging in conversations around social issues and power that allow us to unpack our relationship to systems of oppression and inequality (Zúñiga 2003). My proposed research is focused on the 2020 iteration of this program and will look more closely at the impact on student learning to see how, if it all, students' ideas around identity, the nature of inequality, and the purpose of service shift throughout their experience abroad. Through analysis of student reflection journals and multiple interviews with participants, I hope to gain insight into this question. This research will add to the growing field of critical studies of international service learning by assessing whether or not our program and its pedagogy is able to undo oppressive ideologies and/or strengthen existing ideologies built on collective solidarity that our students carry regarding identity, inequality and service.

Earnings of foreign-born doctoral engineers in the United States: intersectionality of citizenship status and gender

Foreign-born scientists and engineers in the United States make significant contributions to their fields. While some studies of their career outcomes investigate the internal differences among immigrant scientists and engineers, there is little scholarly attention to how immigration status and gender work together in shaping their career outcomes. This study employs the intersectionality framework and uses National Science Foundation’s Survey of Doctorate Recipients 2008, 2010, 2013, 2015, and 2017 to examine how citizenship status and the intersection of citizenship status and gender affect earnings among engineers with doctoral degrees. Findings show that naturalized U.S. citizens do not earn less than comparable native-born citizens, but permanent residents and temporary residents do. In terms of intersectional effects, U.S.-born women experience an earnings disadvantage due to their gender, naturalized U.S. citizen women and permanent resident women face earnings disadvantages because of both citizenship status and gender, and temporary resident women earn less because of their citizenship status. The preceding findings persisted in the period of study with one exception. These findings reveal the internal variations among foreign-born engineers, intersectional effects of citizenship status and gender, and the complexity and persistence of these effects, suggesting the intersectional and enduring nature of inequality.