Social equality


Social equality is a state of affairs in which all individuals within society have equal rights, liberties, and status; possibly including civil rights, freedom of expression, autonomy, and equal access to certain public goods and social services.
Social equality requires the absence of legally enforced social class or caste boundaries, along with an absence of discrimination motivated by an inalienable part of an individual's identity. Advocates of social equality believe in equality before the law for all individuals regardless of many aspects. These aspects include but are not limited to, sex, gender, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, origin, caste or class, income or property, language, religion, convictions, opinions, health, disability, trade union membership, political views, parental status, mores, family or marital status, and any other grounds.
These are some different types of social equality:
  • Formal equality: equal opportunity for individuals based on merit.
  • Substantive equality: equality of outcomes for groups, also called social equity.

    Definition

Social equality is variously defined and measured by different schools of thought. These include equality of power, rights, goods, opportunities, capabilities, or some combination of these things. It may also be defined in comparison to distributive equality, power structures between individuals, or justice and political egalitarianism. Societies that promote social equality generally do not make distinctions of rank or social class, and interpersonal relationships under a system of social equality are generally based on the idea of mutual respect and equal value rather than hierarchy or honour. Many different ideologies draw from ideas of social equality, including communism, anarchism, multiculturalism, republicanism, democracy, socialism, and social democracy. The advocacy of social equality is egalitarianism. Social equality is distinct from alleviating suffering of the unfortunate in society. It is an expression of the ideal that any two individuals in society should be treated with equal respect and have an equal right to participate in society without regard for social status or hierarchy.
Social equality often pertains to how individuals relate to one another within a society, though it can also be considered in interactions between societies. Social hierarchies may form between states or their citizens when power disparities exist between them, particularly in the context of globalization. These disparities are often distinct in type as well as scope, as citizens in different states do not share a common community or social environment. As advances are made in social equality, both internationally and within a society, the scope of social equality expands as new forms of social inequality become apparent and new solutions become possible.

Historical examples

Illustrating the combat fought in favor of this application on many fronts are the following episodes:
  • The Abolitionist Movement : Campaigns in Britain, the U.S., and elsewhere fought to end slavery, emphasizing the equal dignity of all humans.
  • The Declaration of Independence : Written by Thomas Jefferson; included his famous phrase “all men are created equal,” which became a foundational principle for later equality movements, even though its application was limited at the time.
  • The French Revolution : A period of political and societal change in France in view of the abolition of privileges.
  • Women's Suffrage Movements : From the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848 to suffrage victories in Britain and beyond, these movements secured women's right to vote and expanded civic equality.
  • The Meiji Reforms in Japan : Abolished feudal hierarchies and introduced legal equality among citizens, modernizing Japanese society.
  • Trade Union and Charitable Movements in France : Included labor rights campaigns and charitable initiatives such as those led by Abbé Pierre and the International Movement ATD Fourth World.
  • The United Nations : Through its specialized institutions, sought to promote more stable and concrete dialogue and cooperation between its members.
  • The Indian Independence Movement : Gandhi used nonviolent resistance to challenge colonial rule and promote equality.
  • The Bandung Conference : Alongside other anti-colonialist movements, reclaimed a better sharing of the world than that realized between great powers at the Yalta Conference.
  • The Civil Rights Movement : With leaders like Martin Luther King Jr., fought for racial equality and dismantling segregation laws.
  • The Anti-Apartheid Movement in South Africa : Led by Nelson Mandela and others, this movement dismantled racial segregation and established equal citizenship.
  • Disability Rights Movement : Advocated for equal access, legal protections, and inclusion, culminating in legislation like the Americans with Disabilities Act.
  • Microcredit Initiatives : Efforts such as those of Muhammad Yunus promoted equal opportunities by providing financial access to disadvantaged communities.
  • LGBTQ+ Rights Movements''' : Fought for equality in marriage, employment, and social recognition for the LGBTQ+ community.

    Philosophical history

Early conceptions of social equality appear in Ancient Greek philosophy. The Stoic philosophers believed that human reason is universal. Plato considered the natures of equality when building society in the Republic, including both a monastic equality and equality in depravity. Aristotle also developed a conception of equality, particularly regarding citizenship, though he rejected the concept of total social equality in favour of social hierarchy. Social equality developed as a practicable element of society in Europe during the Reformation in which traditional religious hierarchies were challenged. The development of post-Reformation political philosophy provided a secular foundation for social equality and political science created empirical systems to analyze social equality in practice.
Social equality was further redefined through the secular and rational philosophies that emerged during The Enlightenment in the 17th and 18th century. Philosophers such as Locke and Rousseau argued that legitimate political authority must rest on the equal rights of citizens, while Montesquieu and Voltaire emphasized equality in governance and freedom of thought. Kant's moral philosophy reinforced the universal dignity of individuals, and Wollstonecraft extended these principles to women, challenging gender hierarchies. These Enlightenment ideas provided the intellectual foundation for modern democratic societies and the expansion of human rights.
The contemporary notion of social equality was developed in the 20th century by political philosophers such as John Rawls, Ronald Dworkin, and Amartya Sen. Rawls defined equality through primary goods like liberty, opportunity, respect, and wealth. Dworkin incorporated a concept of responsibility into Rawls' approach, saying that individuals are personally responsible for voluntary decisions but not natural talents or pre-dispositions. Sen rejected Rawls' measurement of resources in favour of the capability to function. Robert Nozick is known for rejecting Rawls' conception of social equality, arguing that the individual who produced a resource is entitled to it, even if this produces unequal results.

Types

Social equality is a major element of equality for any group in society. Gender equality includes social equality between men, women, and intersex people, whether transgender or cisgender. Historically, women are harmed significantly more by a lack of gender equality, resulting in a higher risk of poverty along with violence, where women across all different countries face abuse or sexual assault. According to the World Health Organization, about every one in every three women face hardships with this. Racial equality and ethnic equality include social equality between people of different races and ethnic origins. Social equality can also be applied to belief and ideology, including equal social status for people of all political or religious beliefs.
The rights of people with disabilities pertain to social equality. Both physical and mental disabilities can prevent individuals from participating in society at an equal level, due to environmental factors as well as stigmas associated with disability. Social equality includes both the treatment of people with disabilities and the accommodation of those to facilitate equal participation in society. Laws are put in place to protect the rights of disabled people such as ADA, which prohibits discrimination in government services, employment, and any public accommodations.
Political and economic equality are commonly overlooked. The ability to participate in the political process is a right that any citizen holds. Movements such as the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and the publications of the 14th and 19th amendment expanded legal protections to insure political equality for all people. While these legal milestones strengthened political rights, true economic equality remains far more complicated. Economic systems often produce unequal access to resources, education, and opportunity, creating gaps that legislation alone cannot fully close. Because of this, the promise of equal participation can feel incomplete when economic barriers still limit many people's ability to thrive or to engage in civic life.

Means

and industrialization are correlated with increased social equality, along with the idea of an evenly distribution of resources within societies. The industrialization process in which a developing country becomes a developed country corresponds to a significant increase in social equality, and further economic development and growth in developed countries corresponds with further increases in social equality. Education and social equality are also correlated, and increased access to education promotes social equality among individuals.
Other factors have also been correlated with increases in social equality. Access to healthcare and social protection systems is associated with reduced disparities in health and living standards. Democratic participation and civil rights protections are correlated with greater equality in political representation and legal status. Welfare policies and redistributive taxation have been linked to moderation of economic inequality. Together, these correlations suggest that economic development, education, healthcare, and democratic institutions are interconnected with the advancement of social equality