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Global Map 8–1 Income Disparity in Global Perspective Societies

throughout the world differ in the rigidity and extent of social stratification as well as in overall standard of living. This map highlights income inequality. Generally speaking, countries that have centralized, socialist economies (including the People’s Republic of China and Cuba) display the least income inequality, although their standard of living is relatively low. Postindustrial societies with predominantly capitalist economies, including the United States and most of Western Europe, have higher overall living standards accompanied by severe income disparity. The less economically-developed countries of Latin America and Africa (including Mexico, Brazil, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo), as well as the Russian Federation and much of the Arab world, exhibit the most pronounced inequality of income. Why do socialist economies display the least income inequality?
Sources: Peters Atlas of the World (1990); updates by the author from United Nations Development Programme (1999).

f08_01n.dcr National Map 8–1 Per Capita Income across the United States, 2000

This map shows the median per-person income (that is, how much money, on average, a person has to spend) for the more than 3,000 counties that make up the United States for the year 2000. The fifty richest counties, shown in dark green, are not spread randomly across the country. Nor are the poorest U.S. counties, which are shown in dark red. Looking at the map, what patterns do you see in the distribution of wealth and poverty across the United States? Do these patterns support our assertion linking affluence to urban living and poverty to rural places?

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"Fear of Falling" across the United States

This map shows, by county, how likely people are to agree with the statement "More and more, I find I have to lower my expectations about my standard of living." What characterizes regions (including Appalachia in Kentucky and West Virginia) where pessimism is high? But pessimism is pronounced not only in poor rural areas. In rich cities, including New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles, people are afraid of losing their jobs.

ch8b.dcr Child Poverty across the United States

This map shows that the problem of child poverty is greatest across the southern and southwestern United States. Why do you think that is the case?

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Brief Median Household Income across the United States

This map shows the median household income for all 3,014 counties in the United States, as recorded by the 1990 census. Surprisingly, just 15 percent of all counties can boast a median household income greater than the median for the entire country. What do these counties (shown in dark green) have in common? Low-income counties (shown in red) with high rates of poverty also are not randomly spread throughout the nation. What do low-income counties have in common? Do the patterns found here square with our assertion linking affluence to urban areas and poverty to rural settings?