Psychology of Inequality

This paper reviews researches on the psycho-social aspects of inequality under four specific areas: physical setting; religion race and caste; disability; sex. The review follows a proposed model which considers social inequality as a function of social structuring. Through a process of differentiation, stratification and hierarchisation, inequality emerges. It then influences individuals, groups, organizations and community. As a result this affects their basic psychological processes and quality of living which determine ultimately their quality of life. The physical setting effecting inequality has been subdivided into a number of micro settings, and the scope of researches in this micro settings has been indicated. Another important dimension concerns stereotypes, prejudices, religion and caste, scheduled castes and scheduled tribes. The area of inequality in relation to sex includes women and marital status, women and work, sex and teaching roles, students and sex differences, sex differences and personality variables and the study of women in India. Almost all the studies reviewed are micro studies and lack an attempt to arrive at a consensus. Differences have been shown statistically but the attempts to go beyond it and to propound meaningful constructs are not visible. A good picture of the psychology of inequality is difficult to obtain from intramural studies with students as subjects. There is complete absence of activistic action research in this area. The researches reviewed did not indicate any intimate, committed association of Indian Psychologists with the contemporary social realities of inequality.