Some Ways of Examining Dimensional Distributions

Abstract

The problem of measuring the inequality of distributions of variables along vanous dimensions of social stratification has usually been discussed in social science literature in relation to income distribution. Doubts are expressed in this paper about the fruitfulness of approaches that search for perfect numerical measures of inequality or mathematical formulas. The combined use of two graphical methods - simple frequency diagrams and the Lorenz curve - is proposed as an alternative, and the connection between them elucidated. An attempt is made to illustrate by visual methods the main types of distributions 'in the social consciousness' After a brief summary of some of the most important principles for selecting between still used numencal measures of inequality, the applicability of the primanly proposed visual ways of representation is demonstrated by a practical example dealing with income size distributions of households in the United States, Sweden and Hungary in 1977.

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