:Inequalities in the World System
Political Science, Philosophy, Law
International Symposium in São Paulo (Brazil),September 3-6, 2009
:Organizers
(Klaus-Gerd GIESEN, Université d’Auvergne (Clermont-Ferrand, France
(Marcos NOBRE, Université de Campinas/CEBRAP (Campinas/São Paulo, Brazil
Are global inequalities shrinking or increasing on the global scale? Obviously, the answer depends on the criteria applied to measure it, as well as the types of inequality to focus on. If one refers to the economic distribution of wealth among states, the emerging economies, notably the BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, China), experience a spectacular surge (but not necessarily less unequal on the domestic level), while sub-Sahara Africa deeper dives into poverty. However, when appraised from the angle of social-class divide, which possibly can be conceptualized as being transnational, inequality emerges as a factor that keeps polarizing the world society. As far as the military dimension is concerned, the asymmetry of wars and conflicts stemms directly from the United States’ overwhelming responsibility for 45% of the world’s military expenditures. Access to the resources “law” and “norms” also varies by type of actor: Some states, multinational enterprises, and non-governmental organizations enjoy considerable financial capacities and competences, enabling them to exert domination on competitors. Even environmental concerns come to affect populations differently as desertification in Africa, the threat of submergence of South Pacific island-states, and the deforestation of the Amazons have suggested, to mention only a few examples.
