Shift in the Nature of Global Inequality: From Intra-Country to Inter-Country Dominance
Over the last millennium, the primary determinant of an individual's economic standing has fundamentally shifted. In the pre-industrial era, around the year 1000, one's social position within their own society (e.g., lord vs. serf) was the most critical factor, as income differences between countries were relatively small. In the modern era, following the Great Divergence, the country in which a person is born has become one of the most significant predictors of their potential income, reflecting the vast economic gaps that now exist between nations.
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Intra-Country vs. Inter-Country Inequality in the 14th-17th Centuries
The Great Divergence: Global Economic Inequality and the Industrial Revolution
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Between-Country Income Inequality in the 2020 World Distribution
Shift in the Nature of Global Inequality: From Intra-Country to Inter-Country Dominance
Figure 1.1: Visualizing Early Global Economic Equality
The 'Economically Flat' World of a Millennium Ago
Determinants of Economic Standing Across History
An economic historian compares two hypothetical individuals: Person A, a peasant living in 11th-century Persia, and Person B, a merchant living in 11th-century France. They find the economic disparity between them is primarily due to their different social roles. The historian then compares Person C, a software engineer in modern-day Nigeria, with Person D, a software engineer in modern-day Norway. Which statement best analyzes the fundamental shift in the nature of global inequality between these two eras?
Arrange the following descriptions of the global economy in chronological order, from the earliest historical period to the most recent.
Evaluating a Historical Economic Claim
Reconciling the 'Flat World' with Internal Inequality
The statement that the world was 'economically flat' around the year 1000 implies that there was very little economic inequality of any kind during that period.
Match each historical period with the description that best characterizes the dominant form of global economic inequality during that time.
An economic historian presents data showing that in the year 1000, the average income in Western Europe was only slightly higher than in China and India. However, by the year 1900, the average income in Western Europe was many times greater than in both China and India. This dramatic widening of income gaps between different regions of the world is a central illustration of which economic concept?
Historical Perspective on Modern Inequality
The dramatic increase in income disparity between nations that began around the 17th century, marking a shift from a relatively equal global economy, is referred to by economic historians as the ____ ____.
Global Inequality in the 14th Century: The Primacy of Class Over Location
Learn After
Historical Shift in Global Economic Determinants
An economic historian is studying global income distribution. They observe that around the year 1000, the average person in one part of the world was not dramatically wealthier than the average person in another. However, today, the income differences between people in different countries can be vast. Which of the following scenarios best illustrates this historical shift in the nature of global inequality?
Comparing Global Economic Fortunes Across Time
A thousand years ago, the primary determinant of an individual's economic standing was the country in which they were born.
Match the historical period with the statement that best describes the primary nature of economic inequality during that time.
Evaluating Historical Economic Equality
Imagine you are comparing the economic lives of two individuals: Person A, a skilled artisan living in the 11th century, and Person B, a skilled artisan living in the 21st century. Based on general historical economic patterns, which of the following conclusions is LEAST likely to be true?
An economic historian is analyzing texts from around the 11th century. Which of the following hypothetical findings would be most inconsistent with the general understanding of the global economy during that period?
A student researching global economic history is trying to characterize the world around the 11th century. Which of the following statements best captures the primary nature of economic inequality during that period?
While significant income disparities have always existed, their primary nature has shifted over the last millennium. Around the year 1000, the largest economic gaps were typically found between the rich and the poor within a single society. In the modern era, one of the most significant factors determining a person's potential income is the ______ in which they are born.