Kommentar |
Prof. Dr. Ettore Recchi (Sciences Po, Paris).
The unexpected success of Thomas Piketty’s book on Capital in the 21st Century has triggered an international debate on inequality and its rise in the contemporary world. What is the position of Europe in the global picture of inequality? Starting from classical theorizations and concepts, this course adopts a multi-dimensional, comparative approach to the issue. Lectures draw on empirical works and outline country differences in occupational structures, educational attainments, cultural practices, social participation and political influence as ‘capitals’ that form the social bases of inequalities. The course will also discuss the institutional mechanisms by which inequalities are created, reproduced, and buffered. Particular attention is paid to stratification outcomes along gender, cohort and ethnicity lines. In the light of the process of European integration, but also of differentiation stemming from the Euro crisis, the issue of the transformation of inequalities in Europe shall be ultimately addressed. |