Aspekte sozialer Ungleichheit in Deutschland

Abstract

Social inequality is one of the fundamental themes of sociology and has received increasing attention in recent years, not only in economics but also in the public debate. Alongside the attempt to locate this topic in the context of the current social science research, this paper seeks to introduce broader normative dimensions of social inequality and discuss questions regarding its legitimacy. In Germany, the principle of needs-based justice enjoys high legitimacy, but in many respects, its objectives conflict with those of the principle of meritocratic justice. Based on the examples of education and income, the paper shows that upward mobility has stagnated in Germany in recent years, confirming suspicions that talent reserves are not being developed. The paper ends with a discussion of potential unintended consequences of the growing tendency towards a polarization of social inequality.