INCOME INEQUALITY, HEALTH AND SOCIAL PROBLEMS IN SLOVENIA AND POSTCOMMUNIST COUNTRIES OF THE EUROPEAN UNION

V teoretičnem delu pričujoče magistrske naloge smo najprej opredelili pojem, vrste, obseg, posledice neenakosti ter njihov izvor. Nadalje smo predstavili sociološke teorije ter njihove klasične in sodobnejše utemeljitelje, ki obstoj neenakosti razlagajo na različne načine. V okviru slednjih smo preučili, kakšne so funkcije družbene neenakosti, kako je nastala, katere elemente obsega, zakaj se ohranja, kako jo prepoznamo, kako se spreminja ter zakaj postaja globalna. Pomemben pokazatelj družbene neenakosti je porazdelitev materialnih virov med ljudmi, vključno z njihovim dohodkom. Neenakomerno porazdelitev dohodka smo zato najprej predstavili na globalni ravni, nato pa na ravni držav Evropske unije, katere del so tudi države, ki so predstavljale naš vzorec. Slednjim – postkomunističnim državam Evropske unije – je tako namenjeno posebno poglavje, v katerem smo raven dohodkovne neenakosti prikazali statistično, predstavili pa smo tudi nekatere javnomnenjske podatke glede stališč o neenakosti. Podobno smo obravnavali tudi Slovenijo, za katero smo podatke predstavili še v zgodovinski perspektivi. Kot uvod v empirični del smo pojasnili poglede nekaterih avtorjev, ki menijo, da dohodkovna neenakost vpliva na kvaliteto življenja celotne populacije, ter opredelili, na katerih področjih se kažejo njeni vplivi v zdravstvenem in družbenem smislu. V empiričnem delu smo predstavili rezultate povezanosti med dohodkovno neenakostjo ter izbranimi zdravstvenimi in družbenimi težavami: z dolžino pričakovane življenjske dobe, deležem prekomerno težkih in debelih ljudi, pogostostjo pojavljanja duševnih motenj, deležem zapornikov, pogostostjo najstniških materinstev ter s subjektivno oceno zadovoljstva ljudi z življenjem. Na vzorcu postkomunističnih držav Evropske unije smo potrdili dve hipotezi: za statistično značilno se je izkazala negativna povezanost dohodkovne neenakosti z dolžino pričakovane življenjske dobe, ter s subjektivno oceno zadovoljstva z življenjem. Ostale spremenljivke, z izjemo pogostosti pojavljanja duševnih motenj, so bile z dohodkovno neenakostjo povezane v predvideni smeri, toda statistično neznačilno.In the theoretical part of the existing master thesis, we first defined the concept, types, extent, and consequences of inequality and their origin. Further on, we presented sociological theories and their classical and modern founders, who interpret the existence of inequalities in different ways. Within the latter, we examined what the functions of social inequality are, how it is created, the elements which it includes, why it is maintained, how to recognize it, how it is changing and why it is becoming global. An important indicator of social inequality is the distribution of material resources among people, including their income. First, we presented the unequal distribution of income on a global level, and then on the level of the countries in European Union, which are also the countries represented in our sample. We have dedicated a separate chapter to the latter, the post-communist countries in the European Union, in which we have statistically shown the level of income inequality, as well as presented data, collected from the public opinion research, regarding inequality positions. We similarly discussed Slovenia, whereas we also presented the data in a historical perspective. As a prelude to the empirical part we clarified some views of authors, who believe that income inequality affects the quality of life for the entire population, and identified the areas in which it shows its influence concerning health and social areas of interest. In the empirical part, we presented relation results between income inequality and selected health and social problems: the length of life expectancy, the share of overweight and obese people, the frequency of mental disorder occurrences, the share of prisoners, and the frequency of teenage motherhood, as well as the subjective evaluation of people\u27s satisfaction with life. In our sample of post-communist countries of the European Union we confirmed two hypotheses: at the macro-level income inequality was found to be negatively associated with life expectancy and the satisfaction with life. Other variables, with the exception of mental disorder frequency, were associated with income inequality in the expected direction, but statistically insignificant