Abstract
This chapter discusses recent developments in theory and research on housing
and inequality. Housing-related inequalities have become a topic of public,
political, and policy urgency. Its scientific discussion, however, remained isolated
in internal debate among housing scholars that over time became somewhat
disconnected from (comparative) social stratification research and from broader
discussions of financialization of the economy, politics, and capitalist development. This, however, has changed drastically over the last decade. Reviewing literature from sociology, political science, and political economy, the authors start by arguing that revitalized interest in housing inequality in these latter fields has mostly paid attention to tenure inequalities, the politics of housing, and how housing relates to broader wealth inequalities. The chapter then locates these emerging topics within more long-standing developments in the comparative political economy of housing, representative for the field of housing studies. In tune with a sociological approach – understanding stratification (the creation of inequality) as a multidimensional process based on class (socioeconomic inequality), status, and power – housing is discussed not only in terms of resource inequality, tenure structure, and diverse housing outcomes, but also in terms of the drivers of inequalities in housing: evolving (tenure) relationships and social status differences. The conclusion points out several aspects that call for increased attention by housing inequality scholars.
and inequality. Housing-related inequalities have become a topic of public,
political, and policy urgency. Its scientific discussion, however, remained isolated
in internal debate among housing scholars that over time became somewhat
disconnected from (comparative) social stratification research and from broader
discussions of financialization of the economy, politics, and capitalist development. This, however, has changed drastically over the last decade. Reviewing literature from sociology, political science, and political economy, the authors start by arguing that revitalized interest in housing inequality in these latter fields has mostly paid attention to tenure inequalities, the politics of housing, and how housing relates to broader wealth inequalities. The chapter then locates these emerging topics within more long-standing developments in the comparative political economy of housing, representative for the field of housing studies. In tune with a sociological approach – understanding stratification (the creation of inequality) as a multidimensional process based on class (socioeconomic inequality), status, and power – housing is discussed not only in terms of resource inequality, tenure structure, and diverse housing outcomes, but also in terms of the drivers of inequalities in housing: evolving (tenure) relationships and social status differences. The conclusion points out several aspects that call for increased attention by housing inequality scholars.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Handbook of Labor, Human Resources and Population Economics |
| Editors | K.F. Zimmermann |
| Publisher | Springer Nature Switzerland AG |
| Number of pages | 29 |
| ISBN (Print) | 978-3-319-57365-6 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2023 |
Keywords
- Housing
- Inequality
- Homeownership
- Class