Structures, inqualities and networks

Abstract

Abstract Sociologists define occupational and educational differences as a main source of inequalities. Based on this view, labour-market, distribution of income and wealth or institutions mediating their effects would be the main forces rendering the society. Rooted in this idea, sociological analysis tends to understood social structure as a grouping of individuals where groups are mostly defined by the individual’s occupational characteristics. Although the explanatory power of these models is weakening this view keeps its strong position in research on social structure and social integration. Naturally it would be misleading to say that occupational approach is the only one to explore the social structure. But occupational and other approaches are common to neglect the role of institutions, groups and organizations in defining the social structure. We aim to review the weaknesses of recently favoured approaches and to offer an integrated one. First, this approach, instead of focusing on identifying groups found in a society, emphasize mechanisms rendering them. Second, we search for these mechanisms mainly on two levels: individual and organisational networks and the interplay between them. Third we suggest, that one of the most important mechanisms – not rejecting the role of the market - of social integration is redistribution. We distinguish among three forms of redistribution: welfare redistribution which aims to decrease inequalities through the school system or the social services. Project-based redistribution, which became a general mechanism in financing the public sector and development. Recombinant redistribution and aims the (re)distribution of capital and property by purely political means. The last type is in our special interest, since it is strong in the post-soviet region and especially in systems what Csillag and Szelényi call as neo-prebendal political systems. Redistribution, however in principle is working on the organizational level, in practice is a kind of social resource which allocation is tied to social networks. Thus, redistribution and social networks in a society must be highly interdependent. After discussing theoretical considerations of connections among redistribution and social networks, we show the main mechanisms, through which this interdependency can be examined empirically. Keywords: redistribution, social networks, social integration