Clashing narratives about economic inequality in the economic and sociological textbooks

Ewa Weychert () and Tomasz Kopczewski
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Ewa Weychert: University of Warsaw, Faculty of Economic Sciences
Tomasz Kopczewski: University of Warsaw, Faculty of Economic Sciences

No 2026-10, Working Papers from Faculty of Economic Sciences, University of Warsaw

Abstract: Students of introductory economics courses pointed out that economic inequality the most significant challenge in the 21st century (Bowles & Carlin, 2020). However, there is limited research on how this issue is portrayed in introductory textbooks. Our study aims to investigate the presentation of economic inequality in economics textbooks compared to sociological ones. We conduct a mixed-method study to examine differences in how introductory economics and sociology textbooks portray economic inequality. By focusing on the comparison between economic and sociological textbooks, we aim to highlight the importance of an interdisciplinary approach to studying economic inequalities, as advocated by economist Thomas Piketty (Korom, 2019). Comparing textbooks across disciplines is essential for informing curriculum development, encouraging interdisciplinary learning, and enhancing the relevance of education to real-world issues. This comparison provides insights that help integrate diverse perspectives on economic inequality into educational practices in both disciplines. Our analysis includes twelve introductory economics textbooks and three introductory sociological textbooks. We find significant differences: top-selling economics textbooks focus on statistical measurements of inequality and the trade-off between equality and efficiency, while sociological textbooks consider economic inequality from historical, cultural, and philosophical perspectives.

Keywords: income inequality; wealth inequality; textbook analysis; narrative economics; qualitative research (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A23 D63 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 39 pages
Date: 2026
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-hme, nep-hpe and nep-pke
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