GEND 356: Tilly's "Why Inequality is Bad for the Economy"

"In unequal societies, highly educated, computer-using elites are surrounded by majorities with little education and no computer access, dragging down their productivity. This decreases young people's incentive to get more education and business' incentive to invest in computers, since the payoff will be smaller" (3).
I would argue that in unequal societies where the rich "block spending on education," the masses cannot afford higher education because of a decline in financial aid (or a raise in tuition or both) (4).  For instance, I cannot afford to go to grad school because costs are so high (and college already gave me enough debt as it is).  I imagine this also works with high school grads deciding that it is too expensive to go to college.  So the ripple effect of this is explained in this quote.
"slower growth in the US South for much of the country's history was linked to the Southern system of white supremacy" (4)
I thought this observation was interesting.  Growth in any setting (local or global) is stunted due to racial inequalities (not racial diversity).  This leads me to assume that this lack of equality causing slower growth also stretches to gender diversity.  I think it would have been interesting to see Tilly take it in that direction as well.
"The bigger the disparity between the rich and the rest, the more the rich have to lose, and the less likely that the equal share they'll get of boosted growth will make up for their loss.  Once the gap goes beyond a certain point, the wealthy have a strong incentive to restrict democracy, and to block spending on education which might lead the poor to challenge economic injustice--making reform that much harder" (4).
This is the kind of thing that enrages me.  The powerful are so unwilling to loosen their grip that they block spending on education.  While at the same time we see complaints about the US not keeping up with other countries in math or science or whatnot.  But there is not a push to make education more accessible?  So the media is hard at work with promoting this idea of individualism that says that we are stagnant because we are not working hard enough, and we can't afford higher education so we take on more jobs, we work harder at our minimum wage jobs because we have learned that individualism means hard work = better results when that is really just a lie.  So companies get an increase in worker productivity.  Win win for them.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANDREA!Sorry, I didn’t want to wait to show it to you next week (besides, it’s your Birthday today) :D  I had a hard time deciding what to turn into a patch from my class doodles, but this one fit the fabric I had on hand.I can put an iron-on patch on the back if you wanted. Or you can sew/glue (fabric glue) it on to whatever yourself.  Or just keep it around.  It’s way cooler than the picture.<3 I HOPE YOU’RE HAVING A FANTASTIC EVENING AND I HOPE YOU’LL LIKE THIS WHEN ITS IN YOUR HANDS.

-CK

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