Equality From Theory to Action

by Baker, John; Lynch, Kathleen; Cantillon, Sara; Walsh, Judy

• ISBN13: 9780230227163
• ISBN10: 0230227163
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2009-08-15
• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan

Summary

How can egalitarian ideals be put into action? This ground-breaking book sets out a new interdisciplinary model for equality studies. Integrating normative questions about the ideal of equality with empirical issues about the nature of inequality, it applies a new framework to a wide range of contemporary inequalities. Proposing far-reaching changes in the economy, politics, law, education and research practices, it sets out innovative political strategies for achieving those aims. It is an invaluable resource for both academics and activists.

Author Biography

JOHN BAKER is a Senior Lecturer in Equality Studies at University College Dublin, Ireland and is one of the founding members of the Equality Studies Centre. He is the author of Arguing for Equality (1987). His main areas of research are theoretical issues of equality and democracy.

KATHLEEN LYNCH is Professor of Equality Studies and was one of the founding members of the Equality Studies Centre. She is the author of The Hidden Curriculum (1989) and Equality in Education (1999) and co-author of Schools and Society in Ireland (1993), Equality and Power in Schools: Redistribution, Recognition and Representation (2002) and Inside Classrooms: The Teaching and Learning of Mathematics in Social Context (2002). Her main areas of research are equality in education, emancipatory research, the role of the university in social change and theoretical issues in equality studies.

SARA CANTILLON is a senior lecturer in Equality Studies at University College Dublin, Ireland and a full-time member of the Equality Studies Centre. She is the co-editor of Rich and Poor: Perspectives on Tackling Inequality in Ireland (2001). Her main areas of research are gender and poverty, intra-household resource allocation and the economics of inequality.

JUDY WALSH is a lecturer in Equality Studies at University College Dublin, Ireland and a full-time member of the Equality Studies Centre. She is the co-author of a number of NGO reports in the field of equality and human rights. Her main areas of research are human rights and gender, poverty and law. The authors have also been active in a wide range of equality-related organizations and campaigns.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. viii
Preface to the Second Edition	p. 1
The New Equality Agenda	p. 1
New Challenges to an Unequal World	p. 3
An unequal world	p. 3
Responses to inequality	p. 10
Equality Studies as a response to inequality	p. 14
Guide to the rest of this book	p. 18
Dimensions of Equality: A Framework for Theory and Action	p. 21
The idea of equality	p. 21
Basic equality	p. 23
Liberal egalitarianism	p. 24
Equality of condition	p. 33
Applying the framework to social groups	p. 42
The Centrality of Equality: Equality and Other Values	p. 47
Aspects of equality	p. 47
Freedom and equality	p. 50
Equality, solidarity and community	p. 52
Equality and the environment	p. 53
Genuine conflicts between equality and other values	p. 55
Contexts of Egalitarian Change: Social Systems and Social Groups	p. 57
Social systems within which inequality is generated	p. 58
Interactions between the key systems	p. 62
Locating the generative causes of inequality across social groups	p. 65
Implications for policy and politics	p. 70
Putting Equality into Practice	p. 73
Towards Economic Equality	p. 75
Economic inequality: a glance	p. 76
Economic perspectives on equality	p. 78
Economic inequality and economic growth: theory and evidence	p. 82
The equality-efficiency trade-off: theory and evidence	p. 84
Routes to greater economic equality	p. 87
The Challenge of Participatory Democracy	p. 96
Basic principles	p. 96
Participatory democracy	p. 98
Obstacles to participatory democracy	p. 101
Overcoming the intrinsic obstacles	p. 102
Overcoming the transitional obstacles	p. 113
Equality, the Legal System and Employment Law	p. 118
How the legal system reinforces inequality	p. 118
Making the system more egalitarian	p. 123
Workplace anti-discrimination laws	p. 125
Towards equality of condition in employment	p. 132
Equality and Education	p. 140
Why equality in education matters	p. 141
Four major equality problems in education	p. 143
Equality of resources and economically generated inequalities in education: the primacy of social class	p. 144
Equality of respect and recognition in education: recognizing diversity	p. 154
Equality of power: democratizing education	p. 161
Equality of love, care and solidarity: the emotional dimensions of education	p. 164
Emancipatory Research as a Tool of Change	p. 169
Positivist methodologies and equality	p. 170
The conditions in which research is produced	p. 175
Emancipatory methodology	p. 178
Emancipatory research in practice: research coalitions and learning partnerships	p. 183
Strategies for Change	p. 189
Class, Gender and the Equality Movement	p. 191
Two models of social change	p. 191
How the equality movement stands today	p. 194
The achievements and challenges of the equality movement	p. 199
Class politics and egalitarian change	p. 201
The gender order and the politics of change	p. 207
Ideology and Resistance	p. 212
The role of ideology	p. 212
Egalitarianism as a mobilizing ideology	p. 218
Love, care and solidarity as political themes	p. 220
Caring work and the women's movement	p. 224
Strategic Issues for the Equality Movement	p. 229
Coordinating action	p. 229
The role of political parties	p. 232
Radicals and moderates	p. 238
Ends and means	p. 243
Notes	p. 247
Bibliography	p. 267
Index	p. 307
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