The discussion of knowledge as a crucial source of inequality is organized as follows. First, the author presents the general theoretical context within which the discussion of social inequality will be placed, namely the development of a theory of modern society as knowledge-based. Secondly, he addresses some of the characteristics of contemporary social inquiry to inequality. He indicates that most of the theories and research into the structure of inequality are linked to the theory of modern society as an industrial society. Thirdly the author seeks to show why knowledge, as a capacity for action, may be able to replace what have been for centuries, and continue to be for many observers in theory and for many others in practice, the invidious foundations of inequality of industrial society. Using aggregate economic data, he points out that transformations in the material welfare of large numbers of individuals and households contribute to an uncoupling from the once rather tight linkage or dependence of individuals and households on the labor market. The material changes made room for new forms of social inequality; specifically, structures of inequality linked to knowledge. Finally, the last section describes some of the ways in which knowledge has been employed to generate, reproduce and sustain inequalities.
Social inequality; Knowledge; Industrial society; Material welfare; The labor market