Equity versus Equality.
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”[1]. This is an extract from the American declaration of independence which is a clear expression of the human desire for freedom and happiness. The American society is always perceived by the rest of the world as the epitome of freedom, but the big question that begs for answers is to whether there is equality in the way every person is treated. The truth is that the measure of equality in society is a very subjective matter and depends on so many human filters that there can never be any consensus, the statement, “some are more equal than others”, holds true in every society. Inequality is more prevalent than equality in our society and it’s a fact that we have to live with despite of the truth that God created all men equal and endowed all of them equal rights.
Equity rather than equality seems like what society should pursue to attain fairness, justice, impartiality and even handedness because equality will always be elusive and an illusion. In our modern society, there are many tensions that are informed by economic systems and ideologies that perpetuate inequality. Karl Marx in advocating for communism as opposed to capitalism saw capitalism as creating inequality and advocated for a structured approach[2] to reduce this inequality. Marx saw society being split by structured inequalities promoted by the productive industrial forces and the restless search for profits, related to the capitalist model. He observed that while capitalism unleashes human creative powers and fosters material growth for some in society, it condemns the bulk of society, to a degraded, wretched life[3]. In his view, capitalism brutalizes society through its ongoing revolution of economic life, producing the most tragic social contradictions, polarizing the rich and the poor. Marx therefore sought a structured shaping of a more stable, ordered, free and equal world[4]. It is common knowledge that communism has also failed in attaining equality and the major communist powers have failed and are now resorting to capitalism.
As I seek to do my dissertation on the need to avail biblical based financial literacy to the church and the local communities, it is the inequality that access or the lack thereof to financial literacy brings in society that I seek to address. Political and economic systems and ideologies cannot fully address these inequalities and have indeed created big problems not only of inequalities but also inequity. It is the knowledge of who God is, what money is and how to relate right with God as pertains to money that liberates man, from the greatest form of inequality and inequity. Inequality in our modern society has been seen mostly in the form of monetary abundance or lack thereof and in most cases, the lack of money is one of the main causes of inequity in our society. The poor in our society tend to suffer the biggest forms of injustices, unfairness and oppression, meted on them by the rich. Social justice must therefore become an important part of the great commission of the church to free mankind from all manner of social injustices that we are witnessing today, principally caused by the inequalities that existing systems of modern society has created. As I pursue my doctorate program and the topic of my dissertation, I am pursuing what I belief will be a very important tool of empowering the church to bring social justice to a world in chaos. By equipping these vulnerable members of our society with financial knowledge, we will be empowering them and giving them back their dignity in society. I belief the local church is the answer and the hope of the world. The church holds a very important place in society and we should leverage that position to bring change in society that will promote equity.
I will quote Martin Luther King Jnr., in his comment about the church and its role in society,
“The contemporary church is so often a weak, ineffectual voice with an uncertain sound. It is so often the arch supporter of the status quo. Far from being disturbed by the presence of the church, the power structure of the average community is consoled by the church’s often vocal sanction of things as they are”[5]
As the church, we have to be disturbed by the inequalities that exist and respond in the way that befits who are as the light of the world and the salt of the earth, to bring hope to the World.
[5] Martin Luther King Jnr.. Letter From the Birmingham Jail. April 16, 1963.
[1] American Declaration of independence.
[2] Elliot, Anthony. Contemporary Social Theory: An Introduction. 2014. Routledge, London, UK. Kindle, Loc 880.
[3] Ibid…
[4] Ibid…
About the Author
Wallace Kamau
Wallace is a believer in Christ, Married to Mary Kamau (Founder and Executive Director of Missions of Hope International) and father to 3 Wonderful children, Imani Kamau (Graduate student at London School of Economics, UK), Victory Kamau (Undergraduate student at Portland state University, Oregon, USA) and David Kamau ( Grade student at Rosslyn Academy). Founder and Director, Missions of Hope International (www.mohiafrica.org), CPA, BAchelor of Commerce (Accounting) from University of Nairobi, Masters of Arts (Leadership) from Pan African Christian University.6 responses to “Equity versus Equality.”
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Wallace,
Thanks so much for your lucid thoughts and your uniques presentation. I love how you have connected your research topic to address the inequity your see in your society. I will have to think about inequity versus inequality, as a more effective marker for social justice. Thanks again for your unique food for thought, H
You’re most Welcome Harry
Insightful post Wallace I really enjoyed it. As someone who grew up poor, “not knowing”, was a huge part of getting to the place I am today (which is better than anyone in my family ever). I think at the highest levels of government and the lowest levels of life people are concerned about money (well being), so you have chosen an important topic. In your reading did you find one “social theory” that was better at pushing knowledge over the system?
Wallace, your post is most insightful. I like that you quote MLK’s letter from the Birmingham Jail. He spoke to the status quo of the church as a social system, and how it was ignoring the plight of other Christians. This is important because it challenges what a society says it believes versus how we act. We need this message repeated today.
I agree that there is a significance difference between equality and equity. It would be like giving all my kids an equal share of food, when of course my 14 yr old needs far more to sustain his health than my 2 yr old. I’m looking forward to your recommendations for the local church on how it might empower the economically vulnerable. Do you think the principle will be applicable regardless of the social economic system of a country? Or will it be unique to Kenya? Can you see how these principles might contribute to a more international equality?
I had a political science teacher in college who used to say, Communism has failed, but Marxism has not. His point was that the form of authoritarian Marxism that Communism employs has failed, but the theories of Marx have not been fully tested in the environment he would have chosen. (Though you could probably argue that the Nordic countries have given it a real shot). For as much as the US is fond of saying that it’s the most free country on earth, I’m pretty sure there’s about half the population that would dispute that perspective. I wonder if there’s a fair middle ground between Marx and the US system that allows for both equality and equity. I sure hope there is, maybe you can find it for us.