E-Books →The Psychology Of Economic Inequality

This open access book interrogates psychology's contributions to our understanding of economic inequality. In the UK, the US and in many other countries, a high level of economic inequality is now one of the major problems facing society, but it seems the political will to restore greater equality is slight. The purpose of this proposed book is, therefore, to develop a psychological understanding of how economic inequality is tolerated and justified. Do we, as citizens, understand how unequal our society has become? Are our beliefs in merit, desert, and individual autonomy standing in the way of dealing with the problem of high inequality? Is a conspiracy of the rich and powerful to blame, or have we simply accepted a distorted form of economic theory? Finally, what - if anything - can be done?