№ 4/2017

The article presents the scientific substantiation of the phenomenon of social inequality. The tendencies of social inequality of incomes have been investigated and its impact on leading socio-economic processes has been proved. The trends of the development of global income inequality in the future have been outlined. The purpose of the article is the author's explanation of the nature of social in-equality of incomes, mechanisms of its reproduction and distribution through the prism of modern trends and further development in the global dimension. The methodological basis for achieving this goal is systematic and interdisciplinary approaches to the study of the system of distributive relations in the context of profits and losses in the contour of the global economy have been presented. The approaches to the study of the system of distributive relations in the context of profits and losses in the contour of the global economy have been presented. The essence of the definition of "social inequality" has been revealed. The spectrum of manifestations of social inequality has been outlined, among which the inequality in income is the key reasoned argument. An estimation of the current state of global income inequality with an emphasis on its components has been made. The author argues that the social processes of the era of globalization include both the deepening of inequality and its reduction in certain sections as a consequence of changes in the global distribution of incomes. Global inequality has been considered dually as inequality between countries and as inequality within countries. The phenomenon of income and wealth concentration in the upper segments under conditions of globalization and increase of national economies` openness has been substantiated. The "benefits" and "losses" incurred in the process of globalization with reference to separate population groups in rich and poor countries have been revealed. The tendencies of the change have been outlined and current trends in income inequality on country level and international level have been outlined. The positive and negative consequences of social inequality have been substantiated. The suggestion has been made to consider the galloping growth of inequality in the context of the relationship and interaction of inclusive and extractive institutions. The tendency of the decline of the middle class and the increase in the share of the upper tier`s (rich and super-rich) income has been proven. The movement of the distribution relationship in the direction of serving the interests of large capital and top management has been emphasized. The changes that contribute to the abovementioned situation have been outlined. The most vulnerable strata in relation to the level and dynamics of labor income have been distinguished. It has been emphasized that the concentration of income and wealth in the upper segments is nothing but a component of the failure of the global economy. The influence of inequality on the leading socio-economic phenomena has been investigated. The existence of complex, nonlinear, multi-vector link between inequality and economic growth has been proven. The trends of the development of global inequality in the future in the context of the rates of economic growth, its influence on the middle class stratum have been outlined.

Keywords:Social inequality, income inequality, global dimension of social inequality, inequality and economic development, inequality and social being, inequality and middle class.