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Social Polarization and Ghettoization: Economic and Policy-Driven Causes

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Reduced Inequalities

Part of the book series: Encyclopedia of the UN Sustainable Development Goals ((ENUNSDG))

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Synonyms

Cohesion, unity; Economic, monetary; Polarization, separation; Segregation, separation; Urban, industrialized

Definitions

In its simplest form, social polarization is the widening gap or separation of a social group into two sectors. In social polarization, these two groups will be at opposing ends of a spectrum with regard to social and economic circumstances and opportunities (Rogers et al. 2013; Chakravarty 2015). Ghettoization is the physical manifestation of that inequality, resulting in segregated living within a site of fewer resources and opportunities.

Introduction

Social polarization is the separation of different groups which is the product of inequality and marginalization. Social polarization is not a contemporary issue (Powell and Lever 2017); indeed Plato discussed social divisions in the fourth century BC (Plato, Republic IV, 422b 2020), and Booth and Engel considered social polarization as related to economic wealth in London and other developing...

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Correspondence to Clare Keys .

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Keys, C. (2021). Social Polarization and Ghettoization: Economic and Policy-Driven Causes. In: Leal Filho, W., Azul, A.M., Brandli, L., Lange Salvia, A., Özuyar, P.G., Wall, T. (eds) Reduced Inequalities. Encyclopedia of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-71060-0_88-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-71060-0_88-1

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