Faces of Inequality: Gender, Class, and Patterns of Inequalities in Different Types of Welfare States

TLDR

Class inequality is measured by disposable household income. The study combines gender and class to analyze patterns of inequality across welfare states and develops a new typology of welfare states based on institutional structures relevant to gender and class inequality. The authors analyze gendered agency inequality in democratic politics, tertiary education, and labor force participation across 18 OECD countries and construct a new welfare‑state typology based on institutional structures affecting gender and class inequality. Combining gender and class reveals new insights into the driving forces behind inequalities and the role of welfare states.

Abstract

This paper combines gender and class in an analysis of patterns of inequalities in different types of welfare states. The development of gendered agency inequality with respect to democratic politics, tertiary education, and labor force participation is analyzed in 18 OECD countries. Class inequality is described in terms of disposable household income. The paper develops a new typology of welfare states based on institutional structures of relevance for gender inequality as well as class inequality. The combination of gender and class throws new light on the driving forces behind inequalities and on the role of welfare states in this context.