A Boolean Analysis of the Impact of Development on Social Inequality in Iran

The present article has been written with the aim of investigating the causes of high rates of social inequality in some provinces of Iran. To achieve this goal, the present study used Boolean algebra technique to provide an answer to the question of what combinations of socio-economic development indicators have led to the formation of high rates of social inequality in some provinces of Iran. In this regard, by reviewing the theoretical and empirical literature in the fields of sociology and economics and considering the close relationship between social inequality and socio-economic development, five causal factors were finally selected: GDP, industrialization, urbanization, literacy and life expectancy. The final results of the Boolean analysis indicate that four different combinations in the provinces of Iran have been employed as sufficient conditions for high inequality: A) a combination of low GDP plus low industrialization and low urbanization; B) High GDP plus low literacy and high industrialization and high urbanization; C) High literacy plus high industrialization and high urbanization and high life expectancy; and D) High GDP plus high literacy and low industrialization and high urbanization.