Patterns of Wealth Concentration

Bibliographic Data

ID2499348
AuthorsC Smith (0000-0003-2677-9991, Oregon State University, corresponding author)
Year1991
Volume50
Issue1
Pages50-60
Publication date1991-03-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueHuman Organization (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0018-7259 • E-ISSN: 1938-3517
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.17730/humo.50.1.hr74782032271767
OpenAlexW2011501124
LanguageEN
Citations received6
References cited11

Community wealth created from improvements in production techniques and by economic development takes two forms. One is absolute changes in quantity. The other is relative changes in the pattern of distribution. Because units of wealth are unstandardized, communities are difficult to compare based on absolute wealth differences. Four patterns of wealth distribution-hyper and normal equality, status and hyper inequality-reflect relative differences in the way wealth is distributed. No communities have perfect or hyper equality. The pattern for egalitarian, tribal communities is for wealth to be more normally distributed. Hierarchical communities have status inequality. The pattern for communities in societies with considerable dependence on external markets is for wealth to be very concentrated in the hands of a few people—hyper inequality

Absolute (philosophy) · Demographic economics · Distribution (mathematics) · Distribution of wealth · Economic geography · Economics · Inequality · Microeconomics · National wealth · Production (economics) · Wealth distribution · Fiscal Policies and Political Economy · Global Financial Crisis and Policies · Mathematics · Monetary Policy and Economic Impact

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