Social inequality in the Zigmunt Bauman’s sociologicaltheory

The article is devoted to the concept of social inequality of the British sociologist Zygmunt Bauman (1925–2017). The transformation of the views of the sociologist into the problem of social inequality is traced. The article also analyzes the influence of Z. Bauman’s work on modern sociological theory, and identifies a range of basic topics and questions. Based on the biographical and methodological criteria in the work of Z. Bauman, several periods are singled out.
The Warsaw period (Poland) is characterized by the influence of Marxism and consideration of social inequality through a class approach. Publications published in Polish did not arouse the interest of the sociological community, but served as a starting point in the work of Z. Bauman. In the Leeds period (Great Britain), the British sociologist significantly reconsiders the methodological foundations of his theory. The key concepts of the second period are «“fluid” modernity», “access”, “consumption”. The notions of “class” and “labour” are replaced by “new poor” existing in unstable communities and forced to construct their own identity through consumption. The important component of this transformation is the process of individualization. Access to displacement, production of culture, information, lack of property as an aggravating factor is distinguished by modern elites.
Later, the author actively uses the concept of “postmodern”, and also refers to such categories as “narrative”, “reflexivity” and “identity”. From the objective characteristics of social position, the author turns to an analysis of the perception of the situation in social relations by the subjects of social relations. To describe this subjective assessment Z. Bauman introduces the concepts of “told lives” and “lived stories”. Social inequality is maintained, constructed and reproduced through a set of attitudes prevalent in modern societies. The information revolution does not improve the situation of the poor, but leads to further deterioration of the situation, deepening inequality and exclusion. Nevertheless, “fatality on freedom” allows, according to Z. Bauman, to argue that social inequality is not the only possible fate of mankind.

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