Social Inequality - Australia Today
By Benny Son, Brady Pardue, Caroline Coussirat
What is the origin of your locale's inequality?
- Australians had the idea of a "fair go" to give everyone, not just the privileged, an opportunity.
- Neoliberal policy models of a minimalist state displaced the social goals set by the Australian people.
- The focus shifted to individualized competitive opportunities and shifted from social change to economic growth.
- More controls and cuts were imposed, inequality increased.
How does that inequality take shape today?
- There are many ways inequality is shaping Australia today. Such as, income and wealth, hospitals, and even schools.
- The social class you have determines what kind of education you have.
- Upper class (10% of population)
- Middle class (60%)
- Lower class (30%)
Government's role
- Not enough money.
- more money went to families, elderly people and security.
- Goal changed to benefit the government and well off more than the needy people.
Political Response
- Punish those who did not fit the new, leaner, economic model.
- No valuing of alternative social contributions such as parenting, Indigenous traditional roles, volunteers who care for others.
- Turned back and punished boat arrivals who seek asylum.
Role of Culture
- They believe that everyone is equal and deserve equal rights and opportunities.
- Gini coefficient measures the inequality among values of frequency distribution.
- Example) A person's income. If the Gini coefficient is zero, that means everyone is receiving the same amount of income. If it was 100%, that would mean one family is receiving all the money and no one else gets any.