Alex Plummer/2-15-13/4:43pm/inequality

This article explores the growing class gap within Chinese societies. There are drastically different lifestyles amidst the poor rural areas and prosperous cities. Like most global economies rural and urban areas generally vary based on their means of making money, education, and family status. The article states increasing disdain between working-class Chinese and the rich. A common theme worldwide between those who have and have not. The gap between classes within China has been expanding since the early 90's. The social disorder within China has much to do with corruption among officials and unequal treatment between classes. Many people have taken to online message boards to revile in the demise of the wealth, corrupt, or privileged.

The Gini Coefficient is a statistical measurement used to determine the inequality within a region. It is most often used to determine income inequality but it can also be used to measure educational and opportunity inequalities. The range of measurement is from 0 to 1. Zero indicating perfect equality and one representing complete inequality. In January China released its Gini Coefficient data indicating a change in income inequality from 0.492 in 2008, to a decrease to 0.474 last year. To compare that to the United States Gini Coefficient, through the late 2000s the U.S. held a rating of 0.378 after taxes and transfers. According to United Nations data, 13% of China's population live on less than $1.25 per day while, average annual disposable income within cities is estimated at $3,500. This division within China is a worldwide situation. Even though there are varying degrees of income inequality within countries, it still exists and can be openly observed among city streets.

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/02/09/in-china-a-vast-chasm-between-the-rich-and-the-rest/?pagewanted=print