ABSTRACT
This chapter argues that the unequal distribution of individual resources among the members of the social unit ultimately causes the nature of these relations, and the social inequality and abuses of power that simmer within them. The list of resources at the disposal of the individual can be aggregated into a few categories. Biological resources are, of course, among the individual resources whose distributions shape human relations. Sexual attractiveness is another example of a mostly biological resource that has an immense impact on human relations. Status in society and the prestige that society bestows on the individual members of a social unit also play a powerful role within social units. The network of people who can and want to help an individual in one way or another is among an individual's most powerful resources. People with poor health become dependent on those who can help them.
