THE LAST TWO chapters have explored key aspects of economic production. The market system is built on the commodity form and markets act as a coordinating mechanism, allocating commodities for consumption and between different uses in production. This coordinating role of the market has also been extended to the factors of production – land, labour and capital – making them ‘fictitious commodities’ and thus creating a ‘market society’. The market system has proven to be highly productive with accumulation expanding the range, quality and quantity of goods available. Material living standards have also been lifted for many people. This process sometimes breaks down, creating hardship during periods of economic recession. For some people, this hardship is a persistent feature of their everyday lives, even through periods of economic growth. This is because the proceeds of growth are unevenly distributed.

Analysing economic production is therefore only part of the story in understanding market society. Looking at economic distribution is also an important and necessary counterpart in understanding and evaluating a commodity-based system. Historically, inequality was an essential part of how market society was constituted and such societies continue to be marked by pronounced inequalities in the distribution of economic resources. In this chapter we explore the nature of inequality and how it is measured, as well as how the onset of capitalism changed the nature of inequalities. The resulting patterns of distribution have also been highly contested as the values of modernity inspired many people to challenge the fairness of market distributions. We therefore also examine the struggles over economic distribution because such conflicts have profoundly reshaped the evolving character of market societies.