> “Relative deprivation” is having less access to material goods and services than others in one’s social milieu.
I cannot buy a yacht, while some rich guys can. Therefore I'm relatively deprived, according to that definition. That's not a problem.
Re:Is Inequality Inevitable?
by username90 on Thursday November 07, 2019 @06:11AM
(#21472182)
The problem comes when "I cannot buy a home, since all homes are prized for people richer than me", or "I cannot see a doctor, since all doctors are prized for people richer than me".
“Absolute deprivation” is having less access to material goods and services than some fixed standard.
“Relative deprivation” is having less access to material goods and services than others in one’s social milieu.
Relative deprivation is an inherent aspect of inequality; the two are inseparable.
> Is inequality the "cause" of relative deprivation?
No, it's not the cause in the same way that being a triangle isn't a cause of three-sidedness; it's more closely linked than causation.
> I believe there are more important causes, like corruption, for example.
Corruption can be a cause of (or mechanism of perpetuating) inequality, and thereby contribute to relative deprivation, but it's not a cause of relative deprivation independent of inequality.