Income Inequality as an Object of Economic Research in the Context of Analyzing the Standard of Living and Public Welfare

About the author:

Kristina O. Butaeva, Junior Research Fellow, Center for the Study of Diversity and Social Interactions, New Economic School; Postgraduate Student, Lomonosov Moscow State University; kbutaeva@nes.ru

Abstract:

In recent years, the problem of income inequality has increasingly come to the fore not only on the scientific, but also on the socio-political agenda. Nevertheless, in modern economic research we often find inaccurate and contradictory approaches to income inequality analysis. In author’s opinion, it can take place due to the insufficient level of development of common tools, approaches and models for this phenomenon analysis. The main purpose of this article is to suggest a comprehensive theoretical approach to defining income inequality as an object of economic research. The paper outlines the place and role of income inequality in the system of economic categories, identifies the main options for including income inequality in a broader context of economic analysis, and examines the main trends of modern Russian and foreign studies on the topic. The main result of the article is the developed integrated approach to the systematization of basic concepts, terms, definitions of income inequality ant other related categories, the definition of the place and role of income inequality in the system of economic categories.

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