Those who claim to be poor need to get moving- all these jobs being created by hard-working entrepreneurs, starting businesses.... people in this country have developed a "help me!" type mentality- HELP YOURSELF.
I know that probably didn't help you kid, but that's jut my humble opinion.

Big topic, good luck

No easy answer to this one overall but to answer your initial question; yes I do think social inequality matters.

We have made great moves forward from the dark ages obviously and I would say that we have less class gap than previous years but class still makes a difference and I think it always will seeing as you will always seek to place one person higher than another one, equality is an unrealistic dream that we can aspire to (rightly so) but never truly achieve (at least not in many lifetimes),

Most of the effects I have thought of you have already mentioned such as ill education leading to poor job chances etc, I don't have a problem with social responsibility for the wealthy, they have a right to enjoy their (usually) well earned wealth but equally they have a moral responsibility to help others less fortunate to some degree (how you define wealthy is another thing altogether of course, also how you define help is another, for instance paying benefits is not helping to my mind). Everyone in a stable society though usually has a chance to make something of themselves so I dont agree that just because someone comes from a poor background that they are destined to work in a factory or be on benefits; there are plenty of rags to riches stories, or just people who have made their way to a better quality of life.

I think that social inequality helps or hinders by contacts or lack thereof, so someone high on the social scale usually moves in circles unavailable to someone lower on the social ladder, those contacts equal better/more chances of making something of yourself.

You will have to excuse my simplistic viewpoint, I never made it past O levels

Class is in the minds of the classless and is certainly not a right of the wealthy

Originally Posted by Streetwalker

Class is in the minds of the classless and is certainly not a right of the wealthy

I'm just a little confused by this Streets, are saying that class does not exist, and is an invention of those who would be lower in the class system to create divisions in society?

I think that class is something which is artificial, whereas the concept of born into poverty or riches is more easily defined.

I am only 2 generations removed from West Texas peanut farmers and a maternal grandfather that quit school at 15 to pick cotton to support his family. He died a millionaire. My paternal grandfather didn't want to grow peanuts, so he put himself through college. He then saw to it that my father went to college, and so forth. Eventually, someone in the family is going to have to refuse to accept what they were born into and break out, instead of waiting for society or the government to hand them something.

Originally Posted by DC

I'm just a little confused by this Streets, are saying that class does not exist, and is an invention of those who would be lower in the class system to create divisions in society?

Yes and no, class does not exist but is an invention of those who (harry enfield) " Am significantly superior to you's"
There are of course the lazy good for nothing socialist types who think that anyone who earns a few quid are upper class,but thats another story

If were looking for the reasons the poor in society are poor or are we laying blame on the middle classes the inequality within society.To

Quote/DC

Off the top of my head I can think of access to franchise, and how the poor are represented politically (or not as the case may be); the cycle of poverty, low income leads to poor education chances, poor education leads to low income jobs; and, for a change, how the burden of responsibility to support society seems to be unfairly delegated to the wealthy.

How about low income jobs creating poor education,as why do we need educated people if we have no jobs for them as i see it the education system is governed by the jobs available far into the future and our education system is adjusted accordingly,what I'm saying is like any country it provides the education needed for the future, If that means children that can't read, write or do maths,then so be it,So this Government has chosen to provide our future generation with a second rate education and we still fund it by continuing to pay Taxes more fool us.then the electorate are forced to go on the dole because of the lack of work available to them by filling those very job that would be available to them by implementing an immigration policy to fill those jobs that at the time could be made available to 2 million unemployed.There by forcing the young disenfranchised youth of the day into social poverty then the government implementing Job training scams for uneducated youth's for none existent jobs,or by making them believe that thay are able to do a job after only a couple of month that takes at least 3 years minimum,So it's back to the dole for them for awhile till the next training scam, that as your forced to go on these courses with the threat of losing you benefit, For some its a case of getting the education that thay should have been given while a school, for others I't to late either drugs or drink that by this time disables them and then leads them to a lifetime of unemployment.

Quote DC,

how the burden of responsibility to support society seems to be unfairly delegated to the wealthy.

Well has it not been the wealthy that as provided the jobs in the past why don't you believe thay should,as there as much responsible for the country's future as any one else, although the government has done very little to help employers what with the lack of suitable workforce and the steady leaching of businesses abroad expect more poor to be Imployed by the State, as the blaim should be layed firmly at their door,then again we as a people should take the blame also for we continue to pay taxes for a service that is clearly not fit for purpose. and it can only get worse much worse IMO,

Inequality is the greatest thing we could possibly have within a country. Now before you bite my head off, hear me out.

As a social darwinist I am a strong advocate of inequality within the system. Discrimination and inequality are the only causes of societal evolution in the right direction.

There is an incredible stagnation of talent/art/intellectualism when everyone is equal and what is more, in an unfair system, all of the brilliant people stand out on their own two feet to make better lives for themselves.

People refuse to accept the truth that only some of us are destined to be winners in life.

That is why elitism is justified. They know better than everyone else because they are better than the crowd.

Originally Posted by Syph

Inequality is the greatest thing we could possibly have within a country. Now before you bite my head off, hear me out.

As a social darwinist I am a strong advocate of inequality within the system. Discrimination and inequality are the only causes of societal evolution in the right direction.

There is an incredible stagnation of talent/art/intellectualism when everyone is equal and what is more, in an unfair system, all of the brilliant people stand out on their own two feet to make better lives for themselves.

People refuse to accept the truth that only some of us are destined to be winners in life.

That is why elitism is justified. They know better than everyone else because they are better than the crowd.

I'm in the unfortunate position of having a radically left lecturer, and the fact that the question 'does inequality matter?' is very vague. Matter how and to who?