Context

• The top 1% of earners in India have gotten a much larger share of the national income over the past few decades.
• This trend has accelerated since the early 2000s.
• The top 1% now controls 40.1% of the wealth in India.
• The report says that this is due to factors like weak public institutions and a tax code that favours the wealthy.
• The authors recommend a wealth tax on the richest Indians to fund public services.

Sociological analysis :

1. Karl Marx saw wealth inequality as a fundamental feature of capitalism. He believed that the wealthy class (bourgeoisie) exploits the working class (proletariat) by paying them less than the value of their labor. This creates a system of inequality that is both economic and social.
2. Max Weber focused on the concept of social class. He argued that social class is not just about income, but also about social status and power. Wealth inequality, according to Weber, can lead to the concentration of power in the hands of a few, which can have negative consequences for society.
3. Emile Durkheim was concerned with the social cohesion of society. He believed that excessive inequality could lead to social unrest and anomie, a state of normlessness and social breakdown.
4. Pierre Bourdieu introduced the concept of cultural capital, which refers to the knowledge, skills, and social connections that people inherit from their families. Bourdieu argued that cultural capital can be just as important as economic capital in determining a person's social class and life chances.
5. Thomas Piketty is a contemporary sociologist who has written extensively about wealth inequality. He argues that wealth tends to concentrate over time, unless there are policies in place to redistribute it. Piketty's work has helped to reignite the debate about wealth inequality in recent years.
6. Radhakamal Mukerjee: A founder of Indian sociology, Mukerjeefocused on social stratification and social change. He argued that caste, class, and inequality are interconnected and that social mobility is limited in India.
7. M. N. Srinivas: Srinivas studied social stratification and caste in India. He developed the concept of "dominant caste" to explain how certain castes were able to accumulate wealth and power.
8. A. R. Desai : A Marxist sociologist, Desai focused on the relationship between class, power, and the state. He argued that wealth inequality is a result of the exploitation of the working class by the capitalist class.
9. Andre Beteille: Beteille has studied caste, agrarian relations, and social change in India. He has argued that caste continues to be a significant source of inequality in India, but that it is also being challenged by new social forces.

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