Inequality. The Issue of Our Time

In this episode:

We introduce a virtual symposium of academics, students and practitioners who believe inequality is the issue of our time. We draw expert opinions of those from King’s College London, the London School of Economics and the University of Sydney. Inequality is a compelling problem that shows us the urgent need to find a solution through these dialogues. This episode looks at the importance of contextualizing inequality. And we do this through discussion of Thomas Picketty’s book “Capital in the 21st Century,” and Mike Savage’s cutting-edge book, “The Return of Inequality.” Inequality takes many forms. We combine understandings of the weight of history with the economic frames of income and wealth inequality and do this to recognize the conditions that create and reproduce inequality between groups in society.

About this series:
This three-part series of dialogues is led by Dr. Johnna Montgomerie, Professor of International Political Economy, at Kings College London. In this virtual symposium, we’ve called on experts from the politics of inequality working group at King's College, London, and sought out our colleagues at other universities to share their ideas, research, and proposals to help explain what it means to call inequality issue of our time. We wanted to examine who was unequal, what causes inequality and why it's an urgent area of study.

Key Contributors:

We’re an interdisciplinary team across King’s College London (@KCL), University of Sydney (@Sydney_Uni), London School of Economics (@LSEInequalities) and Progressive Economics Forum (@PEF_online).

Kings College London:

• Prof. Johnna Montgomerie, Professor of International Political Economy at Kings College London. Follow @j_montgomerie. Johnna's book: Should we Abolish Household Debt?
• Dr. Steven Klein - Lecturer in Political Theory at Kings College London. Follow: @stevenmklein
• Dr. Lee Savage - Senior Lecturer in European Politics at King’s College London. Follow: @TheLMSavage
• Dr. James Wood, University of Cambridge and Fellow of Trinity Hall. Follow: @thinkwoodis

Progressive Economy Forum:

• Prof. Sue Konzelmann Professor of Economics at Birbeck University.
• Dr. James Meadway - Director, Progressive Economy Forum. Follow: @meadwaj
• Prof. Martin O'Neil - Professor in Political Philosophy, University of York. Follow @martin_oneill @UoYPhilosophy
• Prof. Jan Toporowski - Professor of Economics and Finance. Follow @SOASEconomics
• PEF’s book: The Return of the State: Restructuring Britain for the Common Good

London School of Economics:

• Professor. Mike Savage, Martin White Professor of Sociology at LSE. Mike's book: The Return of Inequality
• Dr. Luna Glucksberg, Research Fellow at the International Inequalities Institute, LSE. Follow @luna_inequality
• Dr. Joseph SpoonerAssociate Professor at Law, LSE. Follow @jtspooner

University of Sydney:

• Prof. Lisa Adkins, Professor of Sociology at the University of Sydney. Follow: @AdkinsProf
• Prof. Martijn Konings - Professor of Political Economy and Social Theory at the University of Sydney.
• Their book: The Asset Economy

Key Texts:

• Capital in the Twenty-First Century – Thomas Picketty 2013
• Capital and Ideology – Thomas Picketty 2019
• The Asset Economy - Lisa Adkins, ...

The term inequality refers to a lack of equality between different groups within society, and asks whether it is just? For many, inequality is one of the greatest challenges facing humanity in the 21st century because it erodes prosperity and destabilizes society. Many of us can recognize inequities whether about race, gender, climate, or the historical geographies of inequality caused by colonialism. Inequality is another word for the serious social challenges facing society that are woven into the very fabric of daily life and are deeply unjust.

In this virtual symposium, we’ve called on experts from the politics of inequality working group at King's College, London, and sought out our colleagues at other universities to share their ideas, research, and proposals to help explain what it means to call inequality issue of our time. We wanted to examine who was unequal, what causes inequality and why it's an urgent area of study.

In this episode:

This dialogue transitions from establishing shared understandings of inequality to evaluating the ascent of finance in contemporary life. Specifically, the role that assets and debts play in shaping the contours of who is at risk of experiencing inequality. We ask what is new about contemporary inequality and what has changed in the configuration of the economy itself to worsen inequality. To answer these questions the discussion shifts from the domestic national economies to global finance and interrogates the ways in which global financial markets connect to everyday life. We talk to the authors of the book “The Asset Economy,” and learn income levels are just one among many significant factors, like family wealth or inherited wealth, plus age, race, gender, and where you live. These are the key elements that configure intergroup inequality.

About the series:

This three-part series of dialogues is led by Dr. Johnna Montgomerie, Professor of International Political Economy, at Kings College London. In this virtual symposium, we’ve called on experts from the politics of inequality working group at King's College, London, and sought out our colleagues at other universities to share their ideas, research, and proposals to help explain what it means to call inequality issue of our time. We wanted to examine who was unequal, what causes inequality and why it's an urgent area of study.

Key Contributors

We’re an interdisciplinary team across King’s College London (@KCL), University of Sydney (@Sydney_Uni), London School of Economics (@LSEInequalities) and Progressive Economics Forum (@PEF_online).

Kings College London:

• Prof. Johnna Montgomerie, Professor of International Political Economy at Kings College London. Follow @j_montgomerie. Johnna's book: Should we Abolish Household Debt?
• Dr. Steven Klein - Lecturer in Political Theory at Kings College London. Follow: @stevenmklein
• Dr. Lee Savage - Senior Lecturer in European Politics at King’s College London. Follow: @TheLMSavage
• Dr. James Wood, University of Cambridge and Fellow of Trinity Hall. Follow: @thinkwoodis

Progressive Economy Forum:

• Prof. Sue Konzelmann Professor of Economics at Birbeck University.
• Dr. James Meadway - Director, Progressive Economy Forum. Follow: @meadwaj
• Prof. Martin O'Neil - Professor in Political Philosophy, University of York. Follow @martin_oneill @UoYPhilosophy
• Prof. Jan Toporowski - Professor of Economics and Finance. Follow @SOASEconomics
• PEF’s book: The Return of the State: Restructuring Britain for the Common Good

London School of Economics:

• Professor. Mike Savage, Martin White Professor of Sociology at LSE. Mike's book: The Return of Inequality
• Dr. Luna Glucksberg, Research Fellow at the International Inequalities Institute, LSE. Follow @luna_inequality
• Dr. Joseph SpoonerAssociate Professor at Law, LSE. Follow @jtspooner

University of Sydney:

• Prof. Lisa Adkins, Professor of Sociology at the University of Sydney. Follow: @AdkinsProf
• Prof. Martijn Konings - Professor of Political Economy and Social Theory at the University of Sydney.
• Their book: The Asset Economy

Key Texts:

• Capital in the Twenty-First Century – Thomas Picketty 2013
• Capital and Ideology – Thomas Picketty 2019
• ...

In this episode we learn inequality is not just a personal experience of extreme poverty or exorbitant wealth, there are wider effects of inequality on political stability and social cohesion. What starts in the economy as income and wealth inequality radiate through society and politics in ways that generate polarization. We examine more closely the balance between the state, the market and society and ask what effect inequality has on social democracy? What effect can social democracy have on addressing inequality? This final episode explores how public policy can be used to improve inequality.

About the series:

In this three-part series of dialogues led by Dr. Johnna Montgomerie, Professor of International Political Economy, at Kings College London. In this virtual symposium, we’ve called on experts from the politics of inequality working group at King's College, London, and sought out our colleagues at other universities to share their ideas, research, and proposals to help explain what it means to call inequality issue of our time. We wanted to examine who was unequal, what causes inequality and why it's an urgent area of study.

Key Contributors

We’re an interdisciplinary team across King’s College London (@KCL), University of Sydney (@Sydney_Uni), London School of Economics (@LSEInequalities) and Progressive Economics Forum (@PEF_online).

Kings College London:

• Prof. Johnna Montgomerie, Professor of International Political Economy at Kings College London. Follow @j_montgomerie. Johnna's book: Should we Abolish Household Debt?
• Dr. Steven Klein - Lecturer in Political Theory at Kings College London. Follow: @stevenmklein
• Dr. Lee Savage - Senior Lecturer in European Politics at King’s College London. Follow: @TheLMSavage
• Dr. James Wood, University of Cambridge and Fellow of Trinity Hall. Follow: @thinkwoodis

Progressive Economy Forum:

• Prof. Sue Konzelmann Professor of Economics at Birbeck University.
• Dr. James Meadway - Director, Progressive Economy Forum. Follow: @meadwaj
• Prof. Martin O'Neil - Professor in Political Philosophy, University of York. Follow @martin_oneill @UoYPhilosophy
• Prof. Jan Toporowski - Professor of Economics and Finance. Follow @SOASEconomics
• PEF’s book: The Return of the State: Restructuring Britain for the Common Good

London School of Economics:

• Professor. Mike Savage, Martin White Professor of Sociology at LSE. Mike's book: The Return of Inequality
• Dr. Luna Glucksberg, Research Fellow at the International Inequalities Institute, LSE. Follow @luna_inequality
• Dr. Joseph SpoonerAssociate Professor at Law, LSE. Follow @jtspooner

University of Sydney:

• Prof. Lisa Adkins, Professor of Sociology at the University of Sydney. Follow: @AdkinsProf
• Prof. Martijn Konings - Professor of Political Economy and Social Theory at the University of Sydney.
• Their book: The Asset Economy

Key Texts:

• Capital in the Twenty-First Century – Thomas Picketty 2013
• Capital and Ideology – Thomas Picketty 2019
• The Asset Economy - Lisa Adkins, Melinda Cooper, Martijn Konings
• The Return of Inequality Social Change and the Weight of the Past - Mike Savage
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