This book is concerned with the question of inequality - which points to a major structural problem in intra-national and inter-national respect. It covers the tension between the rich and poor in less developed countries as well as within richer countries in the process of globalisation. The main topics are the scope of disparities between the rich and poor, people's perception of wealth and poverty, and the concomitants of inequality which shape this relationship and influence its socio-economic consequences. In the tradition of social reporting, the book brings together authors from 15 countries, documenting a broad range of the international inequality debate. The results are related to the trends of socio-economic development, to statistical problems of measuring inequality, and to socio-political problems of integrating society in the facing the challenge of dividing forces. The book is of interest for everybody who wants to understand the tensions of modern world.

Inhalt

1. Rich and Poor as Dividing and Integrating Forces of Society: Introduction; W. Glatzer. Disparities between Rich and Poor. 2. 'Poverties' and Wealth: Competing Definitions and Alternative Approaches to Measurement; R.J. Estes. 3. Inequalities between Income and Wealth: The Case of Germany in 1998; R. Hauser, I. Becker. 4. Assessing Trends in Poverty in Australia; S. Horn, P. Whiteford. 5. Divergence and Convergence of International Development: A Socio-economic Approach; K. Mazumdar. 6. Determinants of Internet Use in Switzerland: Structural Disparities and New Technologies; V.G. Täube, D. Joye. Subjective Perceptions of Poverty and Wealth. 7. Income and Satisfaction in Germany and Russia: A Comparison between Poor and Rich People; P. Schyns. 8. Closing the Gap between Rich and Poor in South Africa: Trends in Objective and Subjective Indicators of Quality of Life in the October Household Survey; R. Devey, V. Møller. 9. Subjective Poverty and Affluence in the Philippines; M. Mangahas. 10. Subjective Well-being from Rich and Poor; R.A. Cummins. 11. The Income-Happiness Relationship; R.A. Easterlin. Concomitant Circumstances of Socio-economic Inequality. 12. Intercontinental Disparities and Migration; M. Moulai-Hadj. 13. Global Response to Poverty Alleviation: Challenges for Development NGOs in South Asia; F. Hossain. 14. Economic Growth and Social Polarisation under Globalism: Some Evidence from Sri Lanka; S.T. Hettige. 15. Welfare Burden and the Disapproval of Redistribution: Two Sides of the Same Coin? S. Mau. 16. WelfareProduction, Poverty and Wealth: A Comparitive and Longitudinal Perspective; J. Vogel. Contributors.