Modern Approaches to the Research of Inequality as a Social and Pedagogical Problem

Abstract

The article examines inequality as a problem relevant to the subject area of social pedagogy, the deeper conceptualization of which would contribute to enriching its thesaurus. Using the historical-comparative method and the method of qualitative analysis of the publications devoted to social inequality, the author highlights the main approaches for its research. Based on the analysis undertaken, it is noted that social inequality is important to consider as a complex phenomenon determined by the various factors that are perceived as key causes of status differences between individuals. Its reproduction is determined by the peculiarities of the functioning of social institutions and the distribution of resources within the existing stratification model of society, the influence of which is dynamic and depends on specific historical conditions. Following the conceptual-theoretical and methodological framework proposed by Göran Therborn, an attempt is made to examine social inequality from the standpoint of social constructivism. Such an approach could become a productive tool for assisting professionals in the field of social pedagogy.