Global Inequality and Development - Essay Example

Different schools of thought emerged since time immemorial to explain the various perspectives and viewpoints that help us in the in-depth analysis of the occurrence of such diversities. The works of various prominent scholars continue to influence the various stand points that individuals might take to help in understanding disturbing issues why other nations are much more developed than others, many of the nations particularly developing nations continue to lag behind in terms of development and are faced with abject poverty that limits their capacity to achieve full development (Giddens, 1978, 65, 119).

These perceptions also try to explain the relationship that exists between underdeveloped nations and these nations that have taken an enormous leap in terms of social, political and economic advancements and the instruments that they employ to maintain this status quo and inhibit other nations from achieving this aspired level of social, political and economic stability. . Various theoretical perceptions emerged to help explain the nagging question of poverty and its relationship to development.

However, these theories tended to different issues and were nearly the same in the theoretical traditions that strengthened this association. The most common classical theories include theories put forward by Karl Marx, Marx Weber and David Durheim. Even if they have similar family tree, these theories clashed for dominance. Every scholar preferred his theory as the best for social theory analysis. Marx Weber advanced his conjecture of weberianism, which led to the arrangement of the society into social stratifications.

He studied this division using three dimensions namely economic class, social status and political power. The economic class was associated with the goods and services and amount of income that an individual owned, the social status was associated with the amount of respect that an individual enjoyed while the political power represented the amount of influence that an individual exercised. The dimensions of social stratification were interrelated with political power being the determinant of the economic class and social status that an individual enjoyed.

His theory recognized the legal order and emphasized it never guaranteed the three dimensions of stratification but only acted as a means to realize massive powers necessary to ensure economic and social success (Giddens, 1978, 119). The economy was viewed as a peaceful means of exercising power of control to ease the acquisition of goods and services. This would later lead to the rise of state monopolies that were precursors of capitalism. This atmosphere created room for unfair competition between holders and non holders of power in the scramble to