The Psychological Impact Of Inequality

Inequality is a very present phenomenon in today’s reality. Some have more and others less, which applies to money as well as opportunities. And, obviously, this affects our lifestyles as well as the quality of life we ​​lead. But the effects of inequality do not stop there, there are also psychological effects.

The current context, characterized by difficulties and economic instability, tends to widen the differences between social classes. Thus, we have three well-defined classes: the rich who own almost everything, a middle class with little capital, if we compare it with the rich, and the poor who have nothing. As a whole, the economy and the social class to which they belong will produce the psychological effects that we report below.

Everyday inequalities

The social class to which we belong influences how we perceive reality, how we feel and how we behave. Lower-class people will perceive that the events that happen around them depend on external forces that are beyond their control. These people tend to be more empathetic and compassionate, altruistic behaviors or, in other words, to perform more positive actions towards other people without gaining anything in return. All this compared to the upper class.

On the other hand there is the economy, the money. The difference between the amount of money that the richest and the poorest have will determine the economic inequality of a society. In this way, if in one society the rich have twenty times more money than the poor and in another they have a thousand times more, the first society will have less economic inequality than the second. Likewise, people from more unequal societies tend to be more distrustful, compete more for economic resources and are in favor of economic inequalities.

Social class inequality

We all grow up a certain social class and, most of us, we will always live in a social class very similar to the one we grew up with. Therefore, we develop a way of thinking, feeling and acting very similar to those around us. Which, in turn, determines how we relate to other people.

People of lower social class tend to live in environments where there is a lot of uncertainty, where their vulnerability is high and the threats are frequent and important. This leads them to perceive that their actions and the opportunities they have do not depend on them, but on external elements that they cannot control. Collectively, they are more context sensitive.

Upper class people have more economic resources and their social hierarchy is higher. They live in societies with high security, more freedom of choice, and characterized by stability. As a result, these people learn to perceive that they have the ability to influence context and, unlike lower-class people, they become more sensitive to other people’s opinions. Although it is the lower class who develop the greatest empathy, they are more precise at identifying the emotions felt by the people with whom they interact (cognitive empathy).

Gini coefficient: inequality index

Economic inequality

It is understood that economic inequality is a consequence of the way in which resources are distributed in a society . The distribution can be more equal or less, more unequal. As can be seen at a glance, unequal societies present more problems for those who have the least. Some of these problems are health, obesity, unwanted pregnancy, drug abuse and, in addition, they present more crimes. However, there are also other types of problems, psychological ones.

People who live in more unequal societies tend to be more distrustful. Therefore, they are also more unpleasant with others and participate less in social activities. There is less interaction between people, especially when they live in different neighborhoods. On the other hand, in highly unequal societies there is more competitiveness. This leads to more feelings of anxiety when being belittled, especially in those who have a very low status. Although people also tend to value themselves more positively to avoid it.

In short, less unequal societies are presented as better contexts in which to live. The benefits, both material and psychological, are much greater in this type of society. Furthermore, in these societies the social classes are more similar. And, as if that were not enough, the greater the inequality of a country, the more likely it is that its inhabitants prefer a more unequal society or worry less about that inequality.