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Britain

This case study will highlight the disparity of inequality amongst the incomes of

the Britons and also highlights other differences amongst these individuals that

create a disparity.

Within the United Kingdom, Gordon brown describes the analysis of An Anatomy

of Economic Inequality in the UK, as sobering, according to the Guardian

newspaper. He says also, the report illustrates starkly that despite a levelling of

inequality in the last decade we still have much further to go.

In the report, the focus is on the degree to which the country has become more

unequal through the past forty (40) years. Measures used to analyse inequality

indicate that by the 2007-2008 period, England had witnessed the highest unequal

level of income since the Second World War.

Findings:

The wealth of a household of those within the top 10% of the general population

reaches 853,000 and more. This figure is almost one hundred (100) times than the

income of the poorest 10%, 8,800 (It needs to be noted that this figure does

include possessions).

The division in wealth is more pronounced when highest paid workers are added tothis equation. The result is that persons in the top 1% each possess a household

wealth of 2.6million or more.

The report concludes that the government has failed to bridge the gap between the

rich and the poor that occurred during the 1980s.

To quote: Over the most recent decade, earnings inequality has narrowed a little

and income inequality has stabilised on some measures but the large inequality

growth of the 1980s has not been reversed.

Harriet Harman, the then Minister for Women and Equality in 2010 says that

social mobility is vital for the economy and that the government should take action

to ensure everyone has a fair chance to progress further upward in terms of income.

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According to the report, inequality in earnings and salaries is high within England

as when compared to other developed countries.

Also another factor; being born into poverty or into an underprivileged social class.

This impacts upon the ability of a child to be ready for the start of pre-school at the

age of three or the inability to advance up the school system to a higher class

standard or form.

The inconsistency of wealth distribution in favour of the more wealthy is

connected to the capability to purchase homes within a good school district or the

ability to afford private schooling as well as differences in life expectancy.

The total wealth of households amassed over a lifetime was analysed with results

showing that the top 10% gained a wealth of 2.2 million (including pension andbelongings) near or at their retirement whereas the bottom 10% accrued less than

8,000 over their lifetime.

However, Harman recognized that there is to be a new legal duty being placed on

the public in order to concentrate on the socio-economic disparity that is included

in the equality bill.

In addition to this, the Save the Children Organisation noted in their research that

13% of the children living in the UK were living in severe poverty and that sincethe 2008 recession attempts to reduce this percentage had been halted.

The report also revealed that divides between social groups are not as major as the

inequality between persons from the same social class. The growth of inequality is

due to gaps within the groups rather than between them as noted over the last 4

decades.

Findings also revealed that:

Those from the minority ethnic groups eg. Pakistani and black Caribbeanare more likely to achieve higher education than white British pupils, upon

their completion of GCSE exams. They also attain their results at the age of

sixteen which is well below the average whereas the British have passes

around or below the national average.

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Almost a half of Pakistani and Bangladeshi residents live in poverty as theyhave an income 13-21% less than that of a white Christian man with similar

education, job and age.

A womans average hourly salary is 21% less than a mans although theyhave had better educational results than boys at educational institutes and is

more likely to get good degrees.

Finally, the report also points out that location is important as the averagehourly pay in the most deprived district is 40% lower than that of the least

deprived areas.