A reflection that has always been under the sign of philosophical, and later economic, thought, is the subtle, but very important difference between equity and equality. Two concepts that are not antilogues, but neither are they synonyms. They are often thought to have the same meaning and, therefore, people tend to confuse them. Even so, they are different concepts with different implications at a sociopolitical level.
Both concepts are dimensions of social justice. In this Psychology-Online article, we will delve into the difference between equality and equity. We will see the definitions of each term and examples of them in everyday life.
What is equality
In general, equality means the equality of human and individual rights, a condition for which each person is considered equal to the others in any context, regardless of their social position and origin. Indeed, the recognition and respect of our fundamental rights derives from the principle of equality. These apply equally to every person.
Equality was one of the fundamental principles claimed by the French Revolution at the end of the Second World War and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948 states that this is real regardless of sex, ethnicity, culture, religion, etc. So that there were no misunderstandings regarding the differences that exist between people and peoples worldwide, in 1975 the right to difference was also affirmed to recognize the same dignity for all.
It is evident to all of us that, from a legal point of view, We are all equal before the law. It is the condition by which each individual or community must be considered equal to all others, especially in political, social and economic rights. We demand equal treatment for all.
In international law, we talk about equality of states, a situation in which states find themselves as members of the international community, that is, as members of a perfectly equal society, as sovereign entities independent of each other. In general, constitutions contain norms that refer to the supreme value of human dignity.
Examples of equality
Next, we will see some examples of equality that are very present in social movements that defend human rights.
- : defends that men and women have the same rights. Let gender not be an obstacle to having the same opportunities.
- social equality: refers to each individual having the same economic, legal and political rights.
What is equity
Equity is the ability, taking into account similarities and differences, to make a decision unrelated to the application of an abstract and conscientiously developed norm. This is called trial according to equity.
In this sense, equity is based on the assumption that the rigid application of abstract law to all possible real-life cases leads to injustices. For this reason, under certain conditions, the legislator allows the judge to create and apply an ad hoc rule. Therefore, the doctrine speaks of equity as “justice of the individual case” or, rather, “rule of judgment of the individual case.”
Social exchange theory
According to George Homans’ sociological theory of social exchange postulated in 1974, collective gratifications are maximum when social actors adopt the principle of equity. For this reason, equity becomes the legitimate standard of justice.
In this theory it is postulated that equity is the balance between the inputs and outputs of ego and alter in a social exchange. The relationship is fair at the moment when the relationship of inputs and outputs of the ego is equal to the relationship of the alter. In other words, for there to be equity, they must not only derive mutual benefit from the relationship, but also obtain rewards exactly proportional to the investment each has made in the report.
In this article, you will see another postulated by John Stacey Adams in 1963.
Examples of equity
To better understand what equity is, let’s look at some examples in which this concept is applied:
- Gender equality: gender equity complements the term gender equality. This specifically focuses on women as the discriminated gender. Therefore, it gives them preferential treatment. Gender equity is achieved when opportunities are provided for women to have the same jobs as men and the same political, economic and social visibility. Find more information in this article about .
- Social equity: refers to the actions taken to guarantee that all people enjoy the same opportunities, even if their circumstances are different. Ensure that people with fewer resources can exercise their rights because having them does not mean being able to exercise them.
Differences between equality and equity
In this section we will see the differences between equality and equity. As we have seen previously, they are related terms, but they are not the same.
The case of the athletics race
To understand the difference between equality and equity, a small but significant example would be enough. Let’s think for a moment about runners running on a light athletics track during a 400-meter race competition. If you look at the starting grid, the athletes are not perfectly parallel. The concept of equality wants us to treat runners exactly the same, ensuring that everyone starts at the same point on the track.
On the surface, this seems fair. But we know that runners in inner hallways have a clear advantage over runners in outer hallways because the distance they have to cover is shorter. Consequently, equality, from the same point, does not translate into equity.
The concept of equity, on the contrary, leads to staggering the starting positions of the runners to compensate for the disadvantages they must face compared to those in the outer lanes. In this case, a different or tailored treatment is a safer path to equity and justice.
Main differences between equality and equity
Next, we will see what the most important differences are between equality and equity:
- The principle of equity uses individual contributions as the main criterion for distributing resources. The principle of equality calls for absolute equality between individuals on the level of dignity, not contributions.
- Justice in the way individuals are treated is called equity.. Equality is what we call the state in which everyone is on the same level.
- Equity is a process, while equality is the result. Definitely, Equity is the necessary condition to achieve equality.
- While equity represents impartiality, that is, the distribution that is made in such a way as to create opportunities for all people. On the other hand, equality indicates uniformity, where everything is distributed equally among people.
- In equity, differences are recognized and made to counteract the way individual opportunities are not equal. In contrast, equality recognizes identity and therefore aims to treat everyone as equal.
- Equality means having everyone the same, equity means having all the same opportunities. In equity, all people can have access to what they need. Equality, on the other hand, determines that all people have the same things, for example, rights, resources and opportunities.
This article is merely informative, at Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
If you want to read more articles similar to Difference between equality and equitywe recommend that you enter our category.
Bibliography
- Anna Maria (2021). Uguaglianza: tutti uguali, perché tutti diversi… Retrieved from: http://www.istituzioneteresiana.it/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=468:uguaglianza-tutti-uguali-perche-tutti-diversi&catid=85: a-new-babele&Itemid=28
- Carriero, R. (2011). Equità, sentimenti di giustizia e disuguaglianze de reddito in Italia. Quaderni di Sociologia, 56:37-61.
- De Crescenzo, S. (2021). Eguaglianza ed Equità, a regulation guide for the distribution of goods. Retrieved from: https://omniadigitale.it/eguaglianza-ed-equita-un-insieme-di-regole-per-la-distribuzione-di-beni/