1. Income Inequality
“The Great Divide”
By Devan Landry

2. Definition
Income inequality refers to the extent to which income is
distributed in an uneven manner among a population. In the
United States, income inequality, or the gap between the
rich and everyone else, has been growing markedly, by every
major statistical measure, for some 30 years.

3. Remember this?

4. Occupy Wall Street: Why Did They Do
That Again?
Back Story
 Occupy Wall street was a
movement that started in 2011
at Zuccotti Park in New York.
Protestors occupied places in
the financial district of New
York, as a form of peaceful
protesting. Although it did not
last long it did spark the phrase
“We are the 99%”. Meaning
that the 99% were regular
working citizens, while the
other 1% were the very rich
Why?
 They wanted to expose
social and economic
inequality
 They wanted to expose
how much control the
financial districts around
the globe really have
 They wanted to find a
solution to inequality
through trying to unite
the 99%

5. What I learned Through Research
Sparked by Occupy Wall Street
 It raises the question why are the rich getting richer and
the poor poorer?
 The United States is not the only place affected by
income inequality, but it is a global issue
 The gap between the rich and the poor is only getting
bigger
 Income inequality is sparking a number of social issues
 There are solutions to this problem

6. Why Are The Rich Getting Richer?
 20% of America’s wealthiest control more than half of the
nations income, same can be said for Thailand
 In America the wealthy avoid paying more than the 15%
tax bracket because they do not get taxed on capital gain
 The wealthy get a better education than the poor, thus
gaining a better knowledge of politics, thus giving them
more control over political issues (such as taxes) ** Capital gain: A
profit from the
sale of property
or of an
investment

7. And The Poor Poorer?
 Many people with no money use credit and end up having
a lot of debt, and debt is hard to get out of
 People who are born in poverty are more likely to stay in
poverty because of things like lack of education and lack
of opportunities
 The distribution of wealth is very uneven so money stays
where it comes from and the poor rarely see it

8. Distribution of Wealth
 Notice how the richest
gets 82.7% of the world’s
GDP, and all other
categories get 20%
 This is the reason why the
middle class is
disappearing
 This is the reason why
there is such a huge gap
between the richest and
the rest of the world

9. Income Inequality Around The Globe
 Bankok, Thailand
 Has a slum only miles away from one of the richest
shopping districts
 One of the best examples of how big the gap is getting
between the rich and the poor
 People are living in extreme poverty, while right next door
there are people buying Maseratis and diamond rings

10. Income Inequality Around The Globe
Continued…
 Income inequality is not a problem that only third world
countries face, developed countries like Canada and the
United states are also affected
 Bridgeport, Connecticut has a gap similar to the one in
Thailand
 Gaps like this are happening at a rapid pace all across the
United States
 Please watch the following video for more details:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLHzEoIrLkk

11. Why Is This A Problem?
Problems of Well being
o Extreme Poverty
o Lack of access to
proper healthcare
o Bullying
o Emotional and
psychological
issues

12. Why Is This A Problem Continued…
Problems of Inequality &
Power
o Gives all the control to
one group of people
o The people that have
the ability to fix the
problem do not want to
(rich want to stay rich)
o Makes people unequal
because of how much
money that have

13. Solutions
 The governments needs to
start taxing capital gains
 The governments needs to
make a special tax
bracket for the wealthy,
so that they cannot avoid
paying more than the 15%
tax bracket
 There needs to be a more
even distribution of
wealth
 The governments need to
find a way to ensure that
money is going back into
the community in forms of
things like skills
workshops, creating new
jobs, and better health
care/education

15. Sociological Theory
 Conflict Theory : Understands material inequalities to be
a driving for behind many social problems
 Understands differentials in power, well-being, and access
to resources
 Income Inequality causes all of these issues and conflict
theory can help us understand why these social problems
are happening and how we can try and eliminate them

16. Sources
 CBC News.(2014, March 21). Why the rich get richer and the poor poorer.
Retrieved from http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/why-the-rich-get-richer-and-
the-poor-get-poorer-1.2580263
 The Great Divide: Global income inequality and its cost. (2014). Retrieved
from http://www.global-income-inequality-great-divide-globalpost
 Occupy Wall Street. (2014, November 23). Retrieved from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occupy_Wall_Street
 Mooney, L., Knox, D., Holmes, M., & Schacht, C. (2013). Thinking About Social
Problems. InUnderstanding social problems (Special Edition ed., pp. 09-11).
Toronto, Ontario: Nelson Education.
 Wade,R.(2001,December). Fiance and Development. Retrieved from
http://www.inf.org/external/pubs/ft/fandd/2001/12/wade.htm