Mobilization of the Wealthy to Contest Income Inequality

In this paper, we look at the prospects for mobilization of the wealthy to contest widening income inequality. We begin by looking at members of an organization that supports the mobilization of grassroots groups on behalf of economic justice. We found among its members an “unexpected voice” – the voice of wealthy people grappling with their fairly invisible wealth and their own surprise that it evoked such a series of emotions and a gradual process they termed “coming out” as wealthy. We discuss the implications of this identity formation and interpretation for the organization’s ability to shape a collective agenda for social change. This study locates a novel space at the intersection of business and society – where the spoils of business are used to redress societal inequalities, and even to reshape how business is conducted.