ABSTRACT
This chapter summarizes the findings concerning all level-of-living components, concentrating on class inequality. It focuses on the class perspective by studying inequality in a hierarchy of socioeconomic groups, supplemented with elite groups and a selection of marginal groups. Indicators from all level-of-living components will be used. The chapter illustrates the position of the old democracies of Scandinavia in a cross-national comparison. A strong flow of persons from various backgrounds to the elite groups means a blending of experiences, traditions, and norms. For the marginal groups in general, job insecurity is not a predominant problem, except for the welfare clients, of whom 30.5 percent are classified as underemployed and 52.9 percent have previously experienced unemployment. The marginal groups deviate only moderately from the average income of the working class, mainly due to such transfers as pensions, social allowances, unemployment benefits, and the like.
