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Perceptions of Global Inequality in World Society

Since the invention of development in Truman’s speech in 1949, the discourse about development has been remarkably diversified. Initial paradigms, models, and concepts, concentrated on how to achieve economic growth and how poor countries can catch up to the modern (Western) world, have been superposed concepts of global inequality since the 1990s. Compared to development, global inequality cannot be limited to states or interstate relations, but concentrates on individuals in world society; refers to structural characteristics of world society where people have different social status affecting their capabilities; and cannot be limited to economic criteria, but has to take into account various aspects, such as property and voting rights, freedom of speech and assembly, access to health care and education, as well as other social commodities. Taking this shift as a starting point, this essay raises the question how global inequality and further changes within its meaning can be examined. This essay concentrates on international organizations (IOs) in order to study global inequality, and applies a system-theoretical approach to analyze various functions of IOs. IOs can serve as arenas in which concepts of global inequality emerge, and as entrepreneurs who actively shape and distribute the concept.