Equality is a myth, Deprivation is not

If you watch Cribs in MTV channel, you are probably used to seeing houses that are huge, stylish and usually filled with rooms ranging from music room, entertainment room, gym, even a mini bar inside, with 2 or more cars parked in the garage controlled by a very high technology. Basically, the show is about showcasing houses of celebrities, famous athletes and influential people in the US. It’s all about great house structures though the real picture, and the truth of the matter, is that there is an increasing number of poor people forced to live in slum areas and ragged houses due to the decline in their economy. One need not to be smart to realize that inequality exists not only in the American soil but also in different parts of the world.

The term relative deprivation was originally coined by Sam Stouffer and his associates in their wartime study “The American Soldier.” It is a subjective perception that one is in a disadvantaged point as compared to an individual or a group in terms of economic, political or social status. According to Walter Runciman, the four preconditions of relative deprivation are as follows: A does not have X, A knows of other persons that have X, A wants to have X, A believes obtaining X is realistic. From this, we can infer that the realization of deprivation starts by determining what you do not have. Subsequently, you see other people having the thing you wanted, which is then followed by an urge to get what you want believing that it is possible to get it. Relative deprivation then is more of a comparison of the haves and have-nots by people in a given society.

Deprivation is persistent in societies where inequality is widespread. It is a manifestation of inequality brought by various and interlinking factors. It is often perceived as discontentment by an individual or a group giving way to a feeling that a person deserves better than what he/she is getting. Hence, at some point, relative deprivation has been a rallying point of social movements.

Industrial societies are not exempted from this social phenomenon. Relative deprivation however is even more apparent in developing countries. The point is that deprivation is ubiquitous, it transcends borders. It transcends cultures. And it transcends societies fed up with the idea that equality exists. Deprivation, most often than not is anthropogenic. Humans deprive their fellows, consciously or not. One must delve deeper the roots of widespread deprivation resulting to unequal distribution of resources to be able to address it properly. There are cases where relative deprivation is culture-induced as in the case where colonial mentality is prevalent. People believe that other culture or society is more dominant and materially wealthy hence the feeling of hopelessness and deprivation.

Deprivation is not only an economic issue but a moral. There are cases when the feeling of being deprived is transmuted to committing crimes. Sometimes, it results to a feeling of depression and dejection. To cultures that promote individualism where there is a distinction between the haves and have-nots, winners or losers, it may even be demoralizing.

When I was a kid, I saw only a glimpse of social reality. There was one time when I saw beggars swarming the streets of a city, begging for mercy from passers by. The picture struck me. From then on, I started believing that equality is a myth. I failed, however, in recognizing the cause of inequality; I only assumed that is a product of natural circumstances. Laziness, perhaps? But that is not always the case.

What is alarming though is when people are getting used to dissimilarity. It scares me to think of people unaware of the spread of inequality and worse, they tend to pretend that nothing can be done about it.

It is not enough to realize that you are being deprived of your rights. One must fight to live. I used to think that if I would be a very poor individual, I might as well commit suicide. For what is life when sooner or later your life will be taken by poverty and hunger? I don’t see why people still go on begging for a peso or two from aristocrats who waste their money in casinos rather than helping charities.

But then again, I realized. The poor also value their life.