10 Chairs of Inequality

Introduction Countries are stratified based on race, class, gender, nationality, & language. Not only is inequality between nations becoming more pronounced, so too is inequality within nations increasing. The U.S. is no exception. While billionaires double their wealth every 3-5 years, we have by far the highest poverty rate in the industrialized world. No industrialized country has a more skewed distribution of wealth. The processes that get labeled as “globalization” affect North Americans as well as those in the “Third World.”

10 Chairs Assume there are 10 chairs ◦ Each chair represents 10% of the wealth in the U.S. & each occupant represents 10% of the population; thus when a chair is occupied by 1 student, the wealth is evenly distributed. ◦ Your wealth is what you own: your stereo, part of the house/car that is paid off, savings, etc.

Question 1 1. Estimate how much wealth each family would have if the wealth were equally distributed? Answer - $250,000. ◦ In reality the poorest 20% of the population is in debt & the next 30% averages only $5000 in wealth (primarily in home equity).

Question 2 2. Back to our chairs, what percentage of the total wealth do you think the richest 10% of people control? Answer – 71% of the wealth (or 7 chairs) ◦ So one person pushes 7 people off the chairs onto the floor ◦ In fact, one “arm” of the occupant is the wealthiest 1% of families & it controls from 22% to 38% of the wealth.

Question 3 3. What is life like for the displaced people who had to move out of the chairs?  What do those in power tell us to justify the dramatic inequality? Consider: ◦ Wouldn’t there be more for the rest of us if 1 of our people on the floor didn’t take welfare? ◦ Why didn’t our “9 students” who were displaced re-organize to force a redistribution of the wealth?

Question 4 4. Describe the 1% (the arm) of the “super rich.” Who are they? How do they get money? Consider: ◦ Athletes & entertainers whose salaries are hyped in the medial & newly rich entrepreneurs like Donald Trump & Bill gates. Do they deserve their money?

Concluding Questions 5. Why is wealth so unequally distributed? 6. Where does wealth come from? 7. Why does our system concentrate wealth in the hands of so few? 8. What can ordinary people do to effect change?