Vol. 5(6), pp. 205-218, September, 2013 DOI: 10.5897/IJSA11.150 International Journal of Sociology and ISSN 2006- 988x © 2013 Academic Journals Anthropology http://www.academicjournals.org/IJSA Full Length Research Paper Social and economic inequality in Sindh - A factorial analysis approach Syed Nawaz-ul-Huda1, Farkhunda Burke2*, Muhammad Azam3 and Sohail Gadiwala4 1DAWN-GIS, Geospatial, Statistical Research and Analysis Division, Dawn Media Group, Karachi, Pakistan. 2Department of Geography, University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan, 75270. 3Department of Geography, Federal Urdu University of Arts, Sciences and Technology, Karachi, Pakistan. 4Pakistan Meteorological Department, Karachi Pakistan. Accepted 01 July, 2013 The significance of social and economic inequality becomes more prominent due to the lack of regional planning, a phenomenon present in third world countries, where good governance is a rare administrative reality. Coupled with this is the lacuna of administrative coordination, which exacerbates the inequality scenario. The paper highlights the significant factors responsible for social and economic inequality in Sindh, a province of Pakistan. The lopsided nature of urban development, coupled with rural backwardness, acts as a double-edged knife leading to exaggeration of socio- economic inequalities caused mainly by population explosion natural in rural areas and migratory in urban areas. This leads to staggering economic conditions, with falling income levels, perpetrating vicious social and cultural impacts. Reduction of inequalities demands implementation of planned, targeted development strategies in line with the policies of regional planning. Key words: Factors, quality of life, urbanization, demographic stress, Sindh. INTRODUCTION Inequality is an inherent part of global existence, but it consist of a relevant series of measurements that are becomes problematic when its magnitude becomes easily understood and obtainable. In regional planning, unbearable. It should be noted that third world countries analysis of QOL has bounded within a range of indicators have a high tolerance threshold for inequality, groaning that represent components in human well-being. A quality under its weight and revolting only when it becomes very indicator is a key concept in the context of quality unbearable. Through factorial analysis approach, this assurance, to which the following definition can be work aims to pinpoint very specifically the traumatic employed: a specially selected measure or attribute that causes of disparities. The main objective of this work is to may indicate and point to good or poor quality (Ader et identify the factors responsible for social and economic al., 2001). inequality, as this is the first and most essential step Various researches have been carried by government towards its redress and minimization. and international agencies to compile large set of Nowadays, with authorities having greater responsi- indicators to satisfy the growing demand for quantitative bilities for social and economic development, decision evidence of socio- economic policies (Atkinson et al., makers require indicators that could show in which 2002; Noll, 2002). Even so, it is recognized that their direction a particular situation is tending. Ideally, a valid importance is restricted due to lack of well-defined indicator system for social and economic welfare should supporting theories. While an abundance of different *Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected]. 206 Int. J. Sociol. Anthropol. regimes of social and economic welfare have been critical forms, is concerned with the top-down exposition suggested in various literature, none can be considered of the context fields and axes of coordination in which as one that would best support the construction of a regulatory structures exist (Larner and Le Heron, 2002). ‘good’ set of internationally applicable social and econo- The approach in the present study is the factorial mic indicators (Kalimo, 2005). In the research and approach, that is, one which focuses on the identification development of regional planning, selection of indicators of factors from the following facets of life- social and depends on the purpose of the study and mental level of economic. This factorial approach, however, has to be the people (Diener and Suh, 1997; Diener et al., 1995). linked to the governmental approach for implementation The theoretical perspective of Welfare Geography is of its findings and searching for governmental and public the basis on which the present study has been con- solutions. All economic and social interactions in order to ceived. The geographers’ heightened concern with issues be implemented successfully and viably necessitates the pertinent to societal problems has led to a focus of diffusion of government plans with the thrust of social increased relevance in geographical research. The scientists while analyzing societies and embarking on spatial concepts of welfare incorporate everything enhancements. differentiating one state of society from another (Smith, Weinbach and Grinnell (2001) explain that researchers 1975). It includes all things from which human satis- use factor analysis to perform several different tasks. faction is derived and their manner of distribution. There One common use is to reduce the length of a measuring are several works regarding social stratification and instrument such as a scale or index by eliminating items welfare states which exhibit inequality among regions that are redundant, that is, those that measure the same (Birkelund, 2006; Beller and Hout, 2006; Zhang and indicator of a variable more than once. Bryman and Kanbur, 2005; Popay et al., 2003; Wang and Arnold, Cramer (1999) provide the easiest explanation that factor 2008; Tomul, 2009). Welfare is not directly observable analysis is primarily concerned with describing the but can be determined by comparisons. The best way to variation or variance which is referred to as common and explain the welfare approach more spatially is to indicate unique variance. Although studies of a geographic nature the kind of real – world problems that it is designed to were undertaken at an early date by sociologists, the tackle. technique has been used only recently by geographers. Geography plays a vital role in the study of socio- Examples of research by geographers incorporating economic development of human beings (Bond, 1999; factor analysis include economic, climatic, disease and Harris and Arku, 2007; Coen et al., 2008; Redding and urban area regionalization studies, classification of cities, Venables, 2004). Welfare analysis in terms of states and the analysis of commodity flow and concern of involves economic, social, cultural and political consi- inequality patterns. derations, whatever the spatial level and aspect of The province of Sindh has been selected for an inquiry enquiry (Tranby, 2006; Vouvaki and Xepadeas, 2008). It into social and economic inequalities. Its twenty-one also involves the physical environment, as far as this is districts (Census, 1998) were made the basis for part of the resource constraint. Welfare is thus a natural analyzing the pattern of social and economic disparities. integrating theme. A welfare focus provides a centripetal The purpose of the present study is to provide cogent force to counter centrifugal tendencies in the study of argument for the emerging dimensions of social and human existence, geographical ‘state’ or ‘situation’. As economic inequality based on factor analysis of the 47 such it may relate to spatial allocation of resources, variables deemed relevant for the various aspects of this income or any other source of human well being. It may study. The study is based on secondary data. Data were concern the spatial incidence of poverty or any other converted into variables by conversion into percentages, social problems. These expressions may also be used to proportions, ratios, etc. From a geographic perspective, describe industrial location patterns, the distribution of much of this discussion remains on disparities among population, the location of social service facilities, districts. The previous section sets the context of the transportation networks, pattern of movement of people paper by discussing the theoretical framework that guides or goods or any special arrangement which has a bearing the analysis and next section for study area. The on the quality of life as a geographically variable penultimate section describes the data collection and condition, followed by the types of society, the economic, statistical methods employed in this analysis. The final social, and political structures that generate the patterns. section presents the empirical result, which is followed by The governmentality approach derived from the later discussion and conclusion, which provides commentary work of Michel Foucault (Gordon, 1991) and sub- on directions for further research. sequently developed by a number of scholars (Burchell et al., 1991) conducts its analysis from the perspective of government. Government here is a wider conception than Study area the monolithic entity of ‘the state’, and even wider than the notion of governance which, in its normative and Sindh Province lies between 23ο40' and 28ο29' north Nawaz-ul-Huda et al. 207 (BOI, 2006). Sindh has major deposits of metallic, non- metallic and fuel minerals. The igneous rocks of Nagar Parkar and the sedimentary rocks near Jungshahi are used for building purposes.