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  • Experts

Inequality

We have a range of interviews covering various aspects of human inequality—sexual, racial and social. A number of our interviews related specifically to the United States. Michele Lamont, professor of sociology at Harvard University discusses the sociology of inequality. And Kenneth W. Mack, professor of law at Harvard discusses egalitarianism in the United States and the practice of exclusion at the heart of US politics.  Anthropologist Ruth Gomberg-Munoz considers the US’s undocumented workers and the mutual dependence between slums and ‘urban glamour zones’. British lawyer, Shami Chakrabarti, addresses human rights and looks at the relationship between Harry Potter and the War on Terror.

On a more international level, we have Amnesty International’s Steve Crawshaw looking at the history of human rights issues from the Belgian Congo to Iran. Nicola Jones considers gender equality in the developing world and Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland, climate justice. Architect and writer, John Calame, talks about the origins and consequences of partitioned cities such as Jerusalem, Belfast, Mostar and Nicosia.

Elsewhere Zainab Salbi, the founder and CEO of Women for Women International talks about the need to champion women’s rights in the 21st century, Kurt Barling, broadcaster and professor of journalism explains why the concept of ‘race’ is misleading and inaccurate and the writer on child development, Sue Palmer, looks at toxic masculinity.

Books recommendations on globalisation and inequality can be found here.

    Michèle Lamont on The Sociology of Inequality

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    Michèle Lamont on The Sociology of Inequality - Durable Inequality by Charles Tilly

    1

    Durable Inequality
    by Charles Tilly

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    Michèle Lamont on The Sociology of Inequality - Engines of Anxiety by Michael Sauder & Wendy Espeland

    2

    Engines of Anxiety
    by Michael Sauder & Wendy Espeland

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    Michèle Lamont on The Sociology of Inequality - Paying for the Party by Elizabeth Armstrong & Laura Hamilton

    3

    Paying for the Party
    by Elizabeth Armstrong & Laura Hamilton

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    Michèle Lamont on The Sociology of Inequality - Creating a Class by Mitchell Stevens

    4

    Creating a Class
    by Mitchell Stevens

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    Michèle Lamont on The Sociology of Inequality - Pedigree: How Elite Students Get Elite Jobs by Lauren A. Rivera

    5

    Pedigree: How Elite Students Get Elite Jobs
    by Lauren A. Rivera

Michèle Lamont on The Sociology of Inequality

“If we come to understand the human value and dignity of people from different backgrounds, we can do a bit to deflect inequality in our everyday interactions,” says Harvard Professor and winner of the 2017 Erasmus Prize Michèle Lamont. Here, she recommends five books that illuminate the sociology of inequality.

    The best books on Racism, recommended by Kurt Barling

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    The best books on Racism - The Open Society and its Enemies by Karl Popper

    1

    The Open Society and its Enemies
    by Karl Popper

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    The best books on Racism - Black Skin, White Masks by Frantz Fanon

    2

    Black Skin, White Masks
    by Frantz Fanon

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    The best books on Racism - The Language of Genes by Steve Jones

    3

    The Language of Genes
    by Steve Jones

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    The best books on Racism - The Ordeal of Integration by Orlando Patterson

    4

    The Ordeal of Integration
    by Orlando Patterson

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    The best books on Racism - The Ethics of Identity by Kwame Anthony Appiah

    5

    The Ethics of Identity
    by Kwame Anthony Appiah

The best books on Racism, recommended by Kurt Barling

The concept of ‘race’ is misleading and inaccurate, argues Kurt Barling, Professor of Journalism at the University of Middlesex and author of The R Word: Racism and Modern Society. He recommends the best books to think about racism.

    The best books on Race and the Law, recommended by Kenneth W. Mack

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    The best books on Race and the Law - Civic Ideals: Conflicting Visions of Citizenship in U.S. History by Rogers M. Smith

    1

    Civic Ideals: Conflicting Visions of Citizenship in U.S. History
    by Rogers M. Smith

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    The best books on Race and the Law - At America's Gates: Chinese Immigration during the Exclusion Era, 1882-1943 by Erika Lee

    2

    At America's Gates: Chinese Immigration during the Exclusion Era, 1882-1943
    by Erika Lee

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    The best books on Race and the Law - Impossible Subjects: Illegal Aliens and the Making of Modern America by Mae M. Ngai

    3

    Impossible Subjects: Illegal Aliens and the Making of Modern America
    by Mae M. Ngai

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    The best books on Race and the Law - Lift Every Voice: The NAACP and the Making of the Civil Rights Movement by Patricia Sullivan

    4

    Lift Every Voice: The NAACP and the Making of the Civil Rights Movement
    by Patricia Sullivan

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    The best books on Race and the Law - The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander

    5

    The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness
    by Michelle Alexander

The best books on Race and the Law, recommended by Kenneth W. Mack

Kenneth W. Mack, the  Lawrence D. Biele Professor of Law at Harvard University, discusses the warring ideals of egalitarianism and exclusion at the heart of US politics and law, from the founding of the nation up to the present day.

    The best books on America’s Undocumented Workers, recommended by Ruth Gomberg-Muñoz

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    The best books on America’s Undocumented Workers - The Mobility of Labor and Capital by Saskia Sassen

    1

    The Mobility of Labor and Capital
    by Saskia Sassen

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    The best books on America’s Undocumented Workers - For We Are Sold, I and My People by María Patricia Fernández-Kelly

    2

    For We Are Sold, I and My People
    by María Patricia Fernández-Kelly

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    The best books on America’s Undocumented Workers - Coyotes by Ted Conover

    3

    Coyotes
    by Ted Conover

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    The best books on America’s Undocumented Workers - Shadowed Lives by Leo R Chavez

    4

    Shadowed Lives
    by Leo R Chavez

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    The best books on America’s Undocumented Workers - Janitors, Street Vendors, and Activists by Christian Zlolniski

    5

    Janitors, Street Vendors, and Activists
    by Christian Zlolniski

The best books on America’s Undocumented Workers, recommended by Ruth Gomberg-Muñoz

The anthropologist tells us about books that give voice to low-wage migrant labourers and explains the mutual dependence of slums and “urban glamour zones”

    The best books on Human Rights, recommended by Steve Crawshaw

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    The best books on Human Rights - Shah of Shahs by Ryszard Kapuściński

    1

    Shah of Shahs
    by Ryszard Kapuściński

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    The best books on Human Rights - The Power of the Powerless by Vaclav Havel

    2

    The Power of the Powerless
    by Vaclav Havel

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    The best books on Human Rights - A Problem from Hell by Samantha Power

    3

    A Problem from Hell
    by Samantha Power

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    The best books on Human Rights - King Leopold's Ghost by Adam Hochschild

    4

    King Leopold's Ghost
    by Adam Hochschild

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    The best books on Human Rights - Freedom from Fear by Aung San Suu Kyi

    5

    Freedom from Fear
    by Aung San Suu Kyi

The best books on Human Rights, recommended by Steve Crawshaw

Amnesty International’s director of international advocacy chooses books that illuminate historical and contemporary human rights issues, from the Belgian Congo to Iran

    The best books on Women’s Empowerment, recommended by Zainab Salbi

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    The best books on Women’s Empowerment - A Thousand Sisters by Lisa J Shannon

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    A Thousand Sisters
    by Lisa J Shannon

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    The best books on Women’s Empowerment - Half the Sky by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn

    2

    Half the Sky
    by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn

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    The best books on Women’s Empowerment - The Essential Rumi by Jelaluddin Rumi

    3

    The Essential Rumi
    by Jelaluddin Rumi

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    The best books on Women’s Empowerment - Paradise Beneath her Feet by Isobel Coleman

    4

    Paradise Beneath her Feet
    by Isobel Coleman

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    The best books on Women’s Empowerment - Identity and Violence by Amartya Sen

    5

    Identity and Violence
    by Amartya Sen

The best books on Women’s Empowerment, recommended by Zainab Salbi

Founder and CEO of Women for Women International Zainab Salbi says we need to make the 21st century the time for women’s rights, and describes how reading Rumi’s poems helps her to find inner peace

    The best books on Economic Inequality Between Nations and Peoples, recommended by Branko Milanovic

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    The best books on Economic Inequality Between Nations and Peoples - Victoires et Déboires (Successes and Failures). Histoire économique du monde du XVIe siècle à nos jours by Paul Bairoch

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    Victoires et Déboires (Successes and Failures). Histoire économique du monde du XVIe siècle à nos jours
    by Paul Bairoch

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    The best books on Economic Inequality Between Nations and Peoples - Contours of the World Economy, 1-2030AD by Angus Maddison

    2

    Contours of the World Economy, 1-2030AD
    by Angus Maddison

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    The best books on Economic Inequality Between Nations and Peoples - The End of the Past by Aldo Schiavone

    3

    The End of the Past
    by Aldo Schiavone

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    The best books on Economic Inequality Between Nations and Peoples - Imperialism by J A Hobson

    4

    Imperialism
    by J A Hobson

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    The best books on Economic Inequality Between Nations and Peoples - The Law of Peoples by John Rawls

    5

    The Law of Peoples
    by John Rawls

The best books on Economic Inequality Between Nations and Peoples, recommended by Branko Milanovic

World Bank economist and author of The Haves and the Have-Nots: A Short and Idiosyncratic History of Global Inequality discusses global economic inequality and says internal issues of inequality breed aggressive foreign policy

    The best books on Human Rights, recommended by Shami Chakrabarti

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    The best books on Human Rights - To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

    1

    To Kill a Mockingbird
    by Harper Lee

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    The best books on Human Rights - Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix by J.K. Rowling

    2

    Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix
    by J.K. Rowling

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    The best books on Human Rights - The Rule of Law by Tom Bingham

    3

    The Rule of Law
    by Tom Bingham

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    The best books on Human Rights - Churchill’s Legacy by Peter Oborne and Jesse Norman

    4

    Churchill’s Legacy
    by Peter Oborne and Jesse Norman

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    The best books on Human Rights - The Ghost by Robert Harris

    5

    The Ghost
    by Robert Harris

The best books on Human Rights, recommended by Shami Chakrabarti

Director of Liberty Shami Chakrabarti says Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is a thinly veiled metaphor for the War on Terror

    The best books on Climate Justice, recommended by Mary Robinson

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    The best books on Climate Justice - Our Common Future by World Commission on Environment and Development

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    Our Common Future
    by World Commission on Environment and Development

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    The best books on Climate Justice - High Tide by Mark Lynas

    2

    High Tide
    by Mark Lynas

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    The best books on Climate Justice - The Ethics of Climate Change by James Garvey

    3

    The Ethics of Climate Change
    by James Garvey

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    The best books on Climate Justice - Human Rights and Climate Change by edited by Stephen Humphreys

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    Human Rights and Climate Change
    by edited by Stephen Humphreys

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    The best books on Climate Justice - Storms of my Grandchildren by James Hanson

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    Storms of my Grandchildren
    by James Hanson

The best books on Climate Justice, recommended by Mary Robinson

The former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and President of Ireland picks the best books to read on climate justice.

    The best books on Gender Equality, recommended by Nicola Jones

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    The best books on Gender Equality - Engendering Democracy in Brazil by Sonia E Alvarez

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    Engendering Democracy in Brazil
    by Sonia E Alvarez

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    The best books on Gender Equality - International Handbook of Gender and Poverty by Sylvia Chant

    2

    International Handbook of Gender and Poverty
    by Sylvia Chant

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    The best books on Gender Equality - The Invisible Heart by Nancy Folbre

    3

    The Invisible Heart
    by Nancy Folbre

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    The best books on Gender Equality - Women and Confucian Cultures by Dorothy Ko, JaHyun Kim Haboush, Joan R Piggott

    4

    Women and Confucian Cultures
    by Dorothy Ko, JaHyun Kim Haboush, Joan R Piggott

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    The best books on Gender Equality - Gender Equity in Health by Gita Sen and Piroska Östlin

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    Gender Equity in Health
    by Gita Sen and Piroska Östlin

The best books on Gender Equality, recommended by Nicola Jones

The ODI research fellow discusses gender equality in the developing world and says that the authority to insist on safe sex and access to medical care is vital to establishing the most basic forms of gender equality

    The best books on Boys and Toxic Masculinity, recommended by Sue Palmer

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    The best books on Boys and Toxic Masculinity - Raising Boys by Steve Biddulph

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    Raising Boys
    by Steve Biddulph

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    The best books on Boys and Toxic Masculinity - The Essential Difference by Simon Baron-Cohen

    2

    The Essential Difference
    by Simon Baron-Cohen

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    The best books on Boys and Toxic Masculinity - The Nurture Assumption by Judith Rich Harris

    3

    The Nurture Assumption
    by Judith Rich Harris

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    The best books on Boys and Toxic Masculinity - A Mind So Rare by Merlin Donald

    4

    A Mind So Rare
    by Merlin Donald

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    The best books on Boys and Toxic Masculinity - Creating Ever-cool by Gene Del Vecchio

    5

    Creating Ever-cool
    by Gene Del Vecchio

The best books on Boys and Toxic Masculinity, recommended by Sue Palmer

The child development expert Sue Palmer explains why modern life is making boys more sad, isolated and materialistic.

    The best books on Divided Cities, recommended by Jon Calame

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    The best books on Divided Cities - Imagined Communities by Benedict Anderson

    1

    Imagined Communities
    by Benedict Anderson

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    The best books on Divided Cities - Survival in Beirut by Lina Mikdadi Tabbara

    2

    Survival in Beirut
    by Lina Mikdadi Tabbara

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    The best books on Divided Cities - Northern Ireland's Troubles by Marie-Therese Fay, Mike Morrissey, Marie Smyth

    3

    Northern Ireland's Troubles
    by Marie-Therese Fay, Mike Morrissey, Marie Smyth

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    The best books on Divided Cities - City of Stone by M Benvenisti

    4

    City of Stone
    by M Benvenisti

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    The best books on Divided Cities - Cyprus 1957-1963: From Colonial Conflict to Constitutional Crisis by Diana Weston Markides

    5

    Cyprus 1957-1963: From Colonial Conflict to Constitutional Crisis
    by Diana Weston Markides

The best books on Divided Cities, recommended by Jon Calame

The architectural teacher and writer explores the origins and consequences of urban partition along ethnic lines and selects five books that focus on divided cities such as Jerusalem, Belfast and Beirut

About

We ask experts to recommend the five best books in their subject and explain their selection in an interview.

This site has an archive of more than one thousand interviews, or five thousand book recommendations. We publish at least two new interviews per week.

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