Globalisation and the middle class in the West

The emphasis will be on understanding what the consequences of socio-economic stratification will be, and why does it arise? Is it the more or less inevitable consequence of the new phase in globalisation, or are there alternatives? Is capitalism sawing off the consumer branch on which it itself is sitting? Social gaps of this kind are not politically legitimate in a democratic age, and, if the differences become permanent, this will give rise to strong political reactions.

1. Glasshouse Forum begins its project on the middle class in the Western world with the publication Towards an Hourglass Society? Income Differentials and the Fate of the Middle Classcontaining a review of trends in income differentials between and within countries, and country-specific reports and interviews looking at the situation in the US, Germany, France and Sweden. The reports can be downloaded here.

2. The next phase of this project focuses more specifically on the future of the middle class. On 12-13 November 2009 Glasshouse Forum and Stanford University will organise an international conference on Inequality in a Time of Contraction.

Although there has been extensive discussion of the financial dimensions of the crisis, to date there has been far less written about the distributional implications. The goal of the conference is to bring together scholars from the social sciences, such as economics, sociology, and political science, to deepen our understanding of the link between globalisation (of both financial and real markets) and economic inequality. In this way we will be in a better position to understand and perhaps predict the consequences to inequality of the current economic turmoil.

Among the topics to be discussed:
• Have past financial crises reduced inequality or increased it?
• Who are the main winners and losers in this crisis?
• What international comparisons and benchmarks are useful in understanding the consequences of the crisis and how public policy might address it?

Speakers include: Anthony Atkinson, Oxford University, Enrico Moretti, University of California Berkeley, Philippe Aghion, Harvard University, Robert Frank, Cornell University, Richard Blundell, University College London, Richard Freeman, Harvard University, Jonas Pontusson, Princeton University, Thomas DiPrete, Columbia University, John Van Reenen, London School of Economics/GSB Stanford University, Kim Weeden, Cornell University. Moderator: Chris Giles, Economics Editor, Financial Times.

Read more and dowload the programme.

Glasshouse Forum is politically independent and should not engage in lobbying activities, or make policy recommendations. Thus, the main outcome of Glasshouse Forum activities will be asking the key questions, finding the key facts, analysing and presenting them, and thereby contribute to debate and discussion.

The main communication channels will be the Glasshouse Forum’s website, the newsletter LookingGlass, a series of short research reports, the final project publication and public seminars.

Glasshouse Forum has first hand right to publishing research and other material produced within the forum’s projects. Thereafter, researchers are free to use their research as and where they want.