The Elements of Class Conflict in Pakistan

The Elements of Class Conflict in Pakistan1.1 Overview of the TopicIncome distribution is a frequency distribution showing number of persons, taxpayers or households varietyified by levels of income. The unequal distribution of income is a major issue in m on the whole countries, for the most part in developing countries and in Pakistan it has been a burning since its birth. As the contrariety in the distribution moves, it divides the creation into small groups with respective(a) differences among them, thus fueling a departure between them. The date arises collectable to difference in the income patterns, employment patterns, wage rates, difference in resources symbolic or material, accessible status etc. the difference in the lifestyle, wage rates, and the job opportunities in the rural and urban cities of Pakistan cause word form fighting, as muckle living in conglomerate locations plump to different income groups. Feudal culture in Pakistan is among the major r easons of manikin difference of opinion. Landlords have make monopolies which have increased the disparities among the confused degreees living. Class conflict is a grievous problem which causes violent activities such as high crime. Unfortunately our government has been unable to solve this problem of irritable distribution of income, as they themselves atomic number 18 enjoying the socio- economic clan difference existing in our earth. Over the past year this conflict has been boiling and will call fortually erupt genius day. With this segregation of the population into various affectionate classes, neighborly gaps have increased and state have become more than than accustomed to some other citizenry who be of similar stature in the society. This is nonpareil of the major issues Pakistan is facing, unity among the population is a challenge to the government of Pakistan, but it all trickles down to the fact that the raft who are causing this unequal distrib ution of income are the ones who are leading us. Over the past years, the income distribution in Pakistan has adopted an uneven skid, meaning that thither is no signifi bungholet increase or decrease, thus the notion that the enough are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer, and the result of this is a growing conflict among the various classes that exist in our society today. Other doers such as corruption also play a vital role in this unequal distribution of income, not entirely at higher levels but at the smallest and lowest level of the society as well.1.2 Background InformationSince Pakistan came into being, the income distribution has been a serious issue. During the time of partition, many people were stripped of their lands, properties, valuables and other financial assets. The unequal distribution of income we are experiencing today has its roots from the time of the partition of India and Pakistan. Feudalism in those days was at its peak and remnants of it ca n still be seen in the modern society. Many powerful feudal lords claimed lands by force from people who were financially or heartyly weak, thus the wealth became concentrated and its effects can be seen today in our society, as the unequal distribution of income. crimson today, many influential people such as politicians and local feudal lords all around Pakistan are in control of the major chunk of the income that is generated and flows with the economy, which is why Pakistan also faces uttermost(prenominal) poverty. Pakistan has experienced an uneven trend in the distribution of income in the past years, as on that point is no significant trend of increase or decrease. This uneven pattern of income distribution has been the root cause of the division of the population into various classes on the basis of income inequalities. During the early years of Pakistan, the population was less(prenominal)(prenominal)(prenominal) shared out, but with the departure of time and the un even trend of the income contrariety has caused the population to be divided into upper, middle and lower classes based on different employment patterns, wage rates, households, social status and limited resources etc. The formation of these classes has led to the widening of the social gaps between the people and has also led to social elimination of people belong to different classes. This has been a common practice in history that people belonging to a similar group or stratum, tend to socialize more i.e. people who share common resources either symbolic or material in nature tend to form stratums. As the general population is divided into these stratums, belief and ideals change, thus a conflict arises due to these changing ideals. Over the past years, since the birth of Pakistan, this conflict between the different classes has been slowly boiling and has erupted into a class conflict based on income disparity.1.3 Importance of the Study With Respect To the WorldThe problem of unequal distribution of income exists in almost every ground around the world, from the weakest to the strongest economies of the world income disparity is clear and present. It is also one of the major problems that developing countries face and if not contained in due time, it paves the way for many other problems which are either directly or indirectly linked with it. One of these problems is the class conflict that arises due to income inequality among the general population. The relevance of this problem can be best understood with an example of eastbound and West Germany. In World War II the Allies occupied West Germany and the Soviets occupied East Germany. The border between the two Germanys was famously known as the Berlin Wall. Since the corporate and industrial might of the Allies was far superior compared to the Soviets at that time, the Allies started injecting billions of dollars in the economy of West Germany, resulting in higher living standards and plentiful jobs for the people. In stark contrast the jobs and living standards in East Germany were inferior, resulting in constant hullabaloo which ultimately substantiated into a major class conflict. Thus throughout the world, we see many similar cases where the major chunk of the economy is concentrated at a singular point, that is the selected or the ruling class, leaving the lower classes with little or no financial assets. Concentration fuels the class conflict in a society and ultimately damages a nation as a whole. The inequality in the distribution is caused by many relevant factors, such as inflation, foreign direct investment, remittances, trade, corruption, feudalism etc. and these are all present in almost every society of the world. Thus the significance of this study cannot be denied with respect to the world.1.4 Importance of Study With Respect To PakistanSince Pakistans Inception, the Populace has been plagued with the diabolical issue of income distribution. The seriousness o f this issue cannot be denied, since it has been the root cause of constant upheaval in the society in general and also the catalyst of constant unrest, distrust and sometimes violent protests. In other words we have been compromised in a never ending stalemate, since there is no significant trend of increase or decrease of income distribution in Pakistan, thus this kind of uneven trend is giving rise to undesirable hybrid classes based upon this income inequality. The initiation of such classes has led to an avalanche of prejudice, discrimination and more disturbingly, excommunication of significant amount of people from the nucleus of the society. It has also led to the formation of different stratums among the people. With the passage of time this horrendous social exclusion, disparity and discrimination has manifested into an ugly class conflict amongst the people we see today in Pakistan. The mere presence of various classes based on improper income distribution is evidence of its existence. The increasing social gap, distrust and lose of communication between the people, nourishes the problem of income distribution and provides sustenance for its future. The prevailing feudal culture in Pakistan is also one of the major catalysts of the unequal distribution of income in Pakistan. The most influential people or the ruling class has the most concentration of resources they also include the politicians of Pakistan who are responsible for making policies against this burning issue. pretentiousness is another factor contribute to the lowering of the purchasing power of the lower classes, which in turn induces a conflict among the general public, as inflation hits troublesome on the lower classes and has little effect on the elite class. All the foreign investment and the remittances are also controlled by the upper or elite class, thus the flow of money in the economy is limited to a set number of influential or powerful people, while the majority of the population is deprived even the basic necessities of life.1.5 Research QuestionThe elements of class conflict in Pakistan.The problem of class conflict is justified with the increasing gaps between the populations of Pakistan. conglomerate classes exist due to this income disparity. It is due to this income disparity among the people different classes are formed. Thus, there is a clear and present conflict between the classes in our society.CHAPTER 2LITERATURE REVIEWThe review of existing literature in the current study area of the income distribution patterns and the class conflict in Pakistan will armed service in appraising additional information on the subject matter and help in establishing a better understanding of the research that is to be undertaken.Hasan (2002) do a study on the emerging trends of Pakistans upper or elite class which is under heavy influence of the west. The post Bhutto era changed all the pervious trends that the ruling class observed. The elite class now has separated itself from the middle and lower classes and with it, has also lost the trend to use public services. They are more inclined to private services and they are the ones who are embedded deep in Pakistans political lobby. They reflect the countrys politics, society and the culture as well. Today, Pakistans elite class enjoys the most as income and money is no object to them, they go abroad for vacations and education whereas the majority of the population has little to eat. This gives rise to a class conflict between the general populations and thus differences are uplifted.Y. So (1991) studied the causes of stratification among people. The author focuses on the study of politics and history in accordance with the class struggle. The author makes the analysis based on three major components, the conditions of class struggle, the entire process of class struggle and the consequences that follow the class struggle two on micro as well as the macro level. By incorporat ing class struggle into the process stratification theory, the author opens up new a horizon for the analysis. The stratification theory groups people correspond to income distribution. People possessing similar characteristics form social groups or classes which give rise to social gaps. The Neo-Marxist theory focuses on the production sphere and is the advocate of conflict between the emerging classes. The aim of this study was to analyze the formation of different classes. The study looks at the various forms of class struggle and the ways in which classes are formed with special reference to reasons and causes of this phenomenon.Strasser (1980) argues that there two principles which are involved in the social inequality, stratum and class formation. It is intended to substantiate the piss by comparing the claims of the functional theory of social stratification and to uncover the frame of reference that underlies the analysis of social inequality in a society. The author calls attention to the recent finding of his time in anthropology and ethnology to further explain his thesis and looks at various theories of social inequality, functional, materialistic and progressive. Stratum is a group of people sharing common characteristics such as income, occupation, status etc. Socialization is the major cause of the formation of various stratums. People belonging to a similar background tend to socialize more between themselves rather than with people who are different from them. Social inequality among the various classes takes the form of unequal distribution of resources. These resources either symbolic or material are responsible for the conflict among classes. Classes are formed as a result of grouping of similar people belonging to specific interests, whereas strata are formed due to similar lifestyles of various people.Rashid (1985) examines the feudal culture that has existed since Pakistans birth and even now this culture prevails as many of the rulin g elites and politicians are among them. Land reforms are imperative for a country like Pakistan, but the people who are responsible for the implementation are the ones who benefit the most out of land. The policy makers and the people who implement the policies are in the politics, and these people compromise the majority of the landlords here in Pakistan. Landlords enjoy the fruits of other peoples hard work which belong to the lower classes that tend to the lands which are not of their own. This tense relationship of worker and master gives rise to a class conflict which will erupt one day. The government is not trying to balance out this unequal distribution of land among the people. there is concentration of all the wealth of the land to one ruling class.Chandra (1972) stated that since the earliest beginning, Pakistan has been dominated by the ruling class. The author gives a complete judgment of the class character of West Pakistan. Even the Muslim League consisted majority of two classes, the Zamindars and the traders, both of which belong to the upper or elite classes of that time. The study aims at living conditions of the lower or working class, which are still the same even after such a long time. There has not been any significant improvement in the living conditions nor other important sectors for these poor people, even though they comprise the majority of the total population of Pakistan. There has been a significant growing in the industrial and the private sector, i.e., inflow of foreign investment, but to no avail, the landlords and the capitalists are only the ones who enjoy the fruits of life, as they comprise all the heavy investors in both the sectors. Landlords have made monopolies, and by doing so the disparities among the classes have further increased ever since.Crenshaw and Ameen (1993) in their study of the different dimensions of social inequality in the third world, reveal that the modernization and the ecological-evolutionary theories provide more evidence regarding the social inequality than the either the dependency/world systems or the urban bias theory. They provide a cross national assessment of the determinants of income inequality. They also shed light on the various finales that can be drawn from various theories. Injection of foreign capital provides opportunities for some people, but it also widens the gap as many people are unable to capitalize on the certain(prenominal) amount of capital. Thus only the people who are strongly embedded and/or in the mainstream, are the ones who are able to capitalize. The analysis point towards the economic growth and the development of the rural areas to reduce mortality and stabilize the income inequality.Ahmed (1996) in his study comments that in a rapidly progressing world, social, religious and social conflicts are savage states apart not only in the developed world, but also in the lesser developed third world countries. Pakistan is divided into man y ethnic groups according to the author, the largest group being the Punjabis, who comprise mainly of the upper and middle classes. However social inequality in rampant in the whole country as there are small pockets of people who have similar access to resources, thus forming various ethnic groups and/or classes, which include Sindhi, Pushtoon and Balochi people, who are less developed and less embedded. Even though Pakistan is rapidly growing but there are elements that hinder the growth of people and inhibit potential factors which work to decrease this chasm between the people of Pakistan. National integration is a desirable goal but it has caused a lot of problems in the past, such as oppression. Even if national equity is promoted and there is harmony among the different groups, there would yet be emerging ideas of different stances, and this time around would have an adverse effect.Bulir (2001) made a study using the traditional Kuznets model. Inflation reduces the purchasing power of the poor people it also tends to decrease the general income thus increasing social gaps. The government can tax the rich to cover the gap but there are only a few direct taxpayers as inappropriate to the number of poor people in Pakistan. This ignites a certain conflict among the people, as a certain image is developed for the tax evaders, who are mostly the ruling class or the elites. People belonging to the lower class are hit heavily by inflation, as they are already pathetic on resources, and after further reduction in their purchasing power, they are forced to corruption. Lower inflation rates, in addition to the level of development and monetary redistribution are found to improve income equality and their impact is uniform for all levels of GDP per capita, thus low inflation rates improve the income inequality. Level of development state employment, fiscal redistribution, and price stability are found to improve income inequality in a given country. The positi ve impact of price stability on income distribution is nonlinear. When inflation is cut down from hyperinflationary levels, there is a significant reduction in the income inequality also, while if it is decreased further, then there are small gains in the countrys gini coefficient.Kentor (2001) observed the effects of globalization on the income distribution, population growth and the economic development. The goal was to develop the linkage between them, and it is evident that they are inter-related parts of a complex system of unequal economic, social and political relationships. Globalization has effects on the income inequality and income distribution, but there are no properly demarked good or bad effects to it. Where there is a negative effect of globalization on the per capita GNP growth, there is also a positive impact on the trade openness. Policies should be made according to the given circumstances at hand, not by prediction.Hussain, Sharif, Hasan (2009) studied the impa cts of openness of trade, FDI and remittances on the income distribution and the income inequality in Pakistan. Increased openness of trade leads to economic growth which reduces poverty and makes income distribution more equal. Trade liberalization has been a factor in reducing the income distribution as there is a significant increase in the total trade over the past years. Pakistan has also reduced tariffs from 200% to only 25%. Studies show that FDI has a positive effect on income distribution, but owing to the unstable political and economic conditions it has not move considerably. FDI was restricted to only few areas but since it opened up to the industrial sector, Pakistan has witnessed a considerable amount of increase in FDI (poor in the 70s and began rising in the 80s). However the extent of FDI had good effects on income distribution in Pakistan. Remittances, also play a vital role in the economy, Pakistan had high remittances through the 70s and 80s but saw a decline af ter that, yet after 2000, Pakistan again saw rapid increase in the remittances, Pakistan is trying to open up the economy by privatization. This will ultimately cause growth in the economy and reduce poverty and equalize the income inequality. Thus their study revealed that the income inequality in Pakistan follows an uneven pattern, meaning that there is no significant increase or decrease.CHAPTER 3METHODOLOGY3.1 Research TypeMy Research falls under the family line of a quantitative research. I gathered data and put it through a series of statistical techniques to prove the system derived in the research3.2 entropy Type and Research PeriodMy Research was done by using the primary data. Primary data was collected to study the class conflict, as no historical data is currently available. Questionnaire provided me with relevant information to conduct the research3.3 Sources of dataA questionnaire was floated asking general questions related to the issue of class conflict in Pakis tan3.4 Theoretical Framework3.5 Variables DefinitionsInequalityThe degree to which the distribution of economic welfare generated in an economy differs from that if equal shares among its inhabitants(Dictionary of Economics, Graham Bannock)Stratum variation of people according to some variableFeudalismA European system flourishing between 800-1400 based upon fixed relations of lord to vassal(www.thefreedictionary.com)Income disseminationThe various levels of income existing within a given population(Dictionary of Economics, Graham Bannock)Class ConflictConflict between different classes in a society resulting from different social or economic positions and reflecting opposed interests(www.dictionary.reference.com)Income DisparityIn economic context, it refers to the difference in wages of people3.6 Population, Working Population and plotted SampleThe questionnaire was completed by 50 people of Lahore. Questionnaire asked questions regarding the social class conflict existing in o ur society.3.7 Research HypothesisH0 Class conflict is caused due to income disparityH1 Class conflict is not caused due to income disparityH0 Social gaps and social exclusion lead to the class conflictH1 Social gaps and social exclusion does not lead to class conflictH0 Division of stratums is a major reason for class conflict.H1 Division of stratums is not a major reason for class conflict.H0 There are social gaps between the various classes in PakistanH1 There are no social gaps between the various classes in Pakistan3.8 TechniquesFor the analysis of the data collected, the statistical technique of retroversion was used to build and establish linkages between the variables used in the research and finally deriving the conclusion from the results of the regression analysis.3.9 Data AnalysisThe statistical software Mini tab was used to apply the regression technique to analyze the data. The software provided with graphs, tables and charts after running regression.3.10 Data recita lThe data was interpreted using the regression results. Based on the current analysis the main aim of the study was to understand which element was the major one of class conflict.CHAPTER 4RESULTS AND ANALYSIS4.1 ResultsMultiple Regression AnalysisDependent variable Class ConflictStandard TParameter Estimate hallucination Statistic P-ValueCONSTANT -0.0519046 0.421089 -0.123263 0.9024Income Disparity 0.24955 0.122053 2.04461 0.0466Socialization 0.753118 0.148753 5.06289 0.0000Stratification 0.0101818 0.092964 0.109524 0.9133Analysis of VarianceSource Sum of Squares Df Mean Square F-Ratio P-Value-Model 4.90069 3 1.63356 10.81 0.0000Residual 6.95066 46 0.151101 marrow (Corr.) 11.8514 49R-squared = 61.3514 percentR-squared (adjusted for d.f.) = 57.5264 percentStandard Error of Est. = 0.388717Mean absolute error = 0.318889Durbin-Watson statistic = 1.52396Class Conflict = -0.0519046 + 0.24955*Income Disparity +0.753118*Socialization + 0.0101818*Stratification4.2 Findings AnalysisThe re gression model describes the relationship of enculturation, stratification and income disparity with class conflict. It explains how socialization, stratification and income disparity affect class conflict. As we can see from the above equation that income disparity, socialization and stratification is directly linked with class conflict as all three variables have a positive relationship. Since the P-value in the ANOVA table is less than 0.01, there is a statistically significant relationship between the class conflict and the 3 independent variables at the 99% confidence level. The R-Squared statistic indicates that the model as fitted explains 61.3514% of the variability in Class Conflict. The adjusted R-squared statistic, which is more suitable for comparing models with different numbers of independent variables, is 57.5264%. The standard error of the estimate shows the standard parenthesis of the residuals to be 0.388717. This value can be used to construct prediction limits f or new observations by selecting the Reports option from the text menu. The mean absolute error (MAE) of 0.318889 is the honest value of the residuals. The Durbin-Watson (DW) statistic tests the residuals to determine if there is any significant correlation based on the order in which they occur in the data file. Since the DW value is great than 1.4, there is probably not any serious auto correlation in the residuals.In the model the highest p-value on the independent variables is 0.9133, belonging to stratification. Since the p-value is greater or equal to 0.10, so this variable is not significant at the 90% confidence level. Therefore, we can say that stratification have little and no effect on the dependent variable, class conflict.Questionnaire was floated by various people including students and professors of my university i.e. Lahore School of Economics, Doctors working in CMH hospital, Students of LMDC, Shop keepers of H-Block market DHA and people working as drivers and co oks in my colony. The main purpose of getting questionnaire filled from people belonging to various income groups was to clearly study and understand the relationship of socialization, stratification and income disparity with the class conflict issue. The only limitation of doing this primary research was that the sample size of 50 people was very low in order to draw a conclusion as the topic is very wide and each and every individual has his/her own views on the class conflict topic. Overall people surveyed, were of the view that class conflict did exist in our society and gave rise to problems such as income disparity and it divided the population into various stratums.4.3 Hypothesis testingH0 Class conflict is caused due to income disparityH1 Class conflict is not caused due to income disparityAs the results show the p-value of income disparity to be 0.0466 which is less than 0.05 thus we accept Ho at 95% confidence interval. This manner that income disparity causes class confl ict. According to the respondents, class conflict is a result of the income disparities as these days in Pakistan the rich are getting richer day by day and the poor are getting poorer. Class conflict is dependent upon income disparities.H0 There are social gaps between the various classes in PakistanH1 There are no social gaps between the various classes in PakistanThe p-value of the information in the regression analysis is 0.0000. As the p-value is less than which is 0.05, we accept the null hypothesis and say that social gaps do exist between the various classes in Pakistan. It should be noted that the p-value is very small and is significant. legal age of the respondents were of the view that social gaps are present in the various classes of Pakistan.H0 Social gaps and social exclusion lead to the class conflictH1 Social gaps and social exclusion does not lead to class conflictThe p-value of socialization in the regression analysis is 0.000 which is less than 0.05 we accept H o at 95% confidence level. This means that social gaps led to the problem of class conflict. Majority of people said that wide social gaps and differences and social exclusion led to class conflict. They were of the view that this musical interval between the classes will lead to a major conflict among the general public in Pakistan.H0 Division of stratums is a major reason for class conflict.H1 Division of stratums is a major reason for class conflict.In the regression analysis we can see that the p-value of stratification is 0.9133 which is greater than 0.05 thus we reject the null hypothesis at 95% confidence level. This means that stratification is not a major reason of the class conflict problem. One of the limitations behind this result could be that the sample size is very small, which is in sufficient to draw a conclusion regarding stratification and its relationship with class conflict.ConclusionFrom the above argument, it is concluded that there is a marked class conflict in the population of Pakistan based on the unequal distribution of income in Pakistan. Corrupt officials, low number of honest taxpayers and resistance to change are some of the factors which contribute to fuel this ongoing conflict among the people. Pakistan is also facing a great threat from security point of view as well as inefficient monetary policies, which also hinders economic growth. Hence the people are divided into the various groups mentioned in the paper, according to difference in income, status, amount of resources and other contributing factors. According to the results, stratification among the people does not hold much importance, but it is a minor contributing factor in the class conflict. Socialization, however is an important variable in the class conflict, people of similar backgrounds belong to a similar type of social status tend to socialize more than people belonging to other classes. This is a common practice that people with similar resources either mate rial or symbolic will from a social group and tend to exclude people who are different from them.