10 Chairs of Inequality
Introduction

Countries are stratified based on race, class,
gender, nationality, & language. Not only is
inequality between nations becoming more
pronounced, so too is inequality within nations
increasing. The U.S. is no exception. While
billionaires double their wealth every 3-5 years,
we have by far the highest poverty rate in the
industrialized world. No industrialized country
has a more skewed distribution of wealth. The
processes that get labeled as “globalization” affect
North Americans as well as those in the “Third
World.”
10 Chairs

Assume there are 10 chairs
◦ Each chair represents 10% of the wealth in
the U.S. & each occupant represents 10% of
the population; thus when a chair is occupied
by 1 student, the wealth is evenly distributed.
◦ Your wealth is what you own: your stereo,
part of the house/car that is paid off, savings,
etc.
Question 1
1. Estimate how much wealth each family
would have if the wealth were equally
distributed?
 Answer - $250,000.

◦ In reality the poorest 20% of the population is
in debt & the next 30% averages only $5000
in wealth (primarily in home equity).
Question 2
2. Back to our chairs, what percentage of
the total wealth do you think the richest
10% of people control?
 Answer – 71% of the wealth (or 7 chairs)

◦ So one person pushes 7 people off the chairs
onto the floor
◦ In fact, one “arm” of the occupant is the
wealthiest 1% of families & it controls from
22% to 38% of the wealth.
Question 3

3. What is life like for the displaced people
who had to move out of the chairs?
 What do those in power tell us to justify the
dramatic inequality?

Consider:
◦ Wouldn’t there be more for the rest of us if 1
of our people on the floor didn’t take welfare?
◦ Why didn’t our “9 students” who were
displaced re-organize to force a redistribution
of the wealth?
Question 4
4. Describe the 1% (the arm) of the
“super rich.” Who are they? How do they
get money?
 Consider:

◦ Athletes & entertainers whose salaries are
hyped in the medial & newly rich
entrepreneurs like Donald Trump & Bill gates.
Do they deserve their money?
Concluding Questions
5. Why is wealth so unequally distributed?
 6. Where does wealth come from?
 7. Why does our system concentrate
wealth in the hands of so few?
 8. What can ordinary people do to effect
change?
