Research Comparative analysis of social inequalities

The comparative analysis of social inequality is a key research focus of the Max Weber Institute. The comparative analysis of social inequality is a key research focus of the Max Weber Institute. The central question is how social inequalities emerge, are reproduced and change under different historical, political and cultural conditions. 

The research combines economic, social and cultural perspectives and analyses their interconnections in national and transnational contexts. The focus is on key mechanisms of inequality production, such as wealth concentration, class structures, unequal access to housing, gender inequalities, and the situation of non-religious and ethnic minorities. These perspectives are expanded through research on economic inequalities in international and historical comparison, as well as on cultural inequalities, as evidenced by the experiences and interconnections of Muslims and Jews in Europe and the United States. At the same time, the focus is on global interconnections of social inequality (‘entangled inequalities’) as well as issues of socio-ecological transformation and political mobilisation – particularly in Latin America.