Socioeconomic inequalities are usually only analysed in terms of the "pole of poverty", with sociological studies of affluent classes being rare. The difficulties for the Social Sciences are due to material aspects (lack of access to essential data), but also to mistaken deontological problems. The introduction summarizes the specific contributions of each article included in the "Wealth and Inequalities" file emphasizing that, despite the diversity of contributions and theoretical references employed, they all have one common feature of demonstrating the scale of the "pole of wealth" hidden by ideology and the effects of power. One of the challenges faced by Sociology is that of demystifying and demythologising totems and taboos created around the material and social existence of the wealthy classes which are neither self-referential nor self-sufficient, but which establish specific relations of exploitation and domination over the social structure.
social theory; social classes; inequalities