10 Chairs of Inequality
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Transcript 10 Chairs of Inequality
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?