Towards a better understanding of political inequality through network analysis

Political inequality, defined by the International Social Science Council (ISSC) as "the differentiated capacity for individuals and groups to influence political decision-making processes and to benefit from those decisions, and to enter into political action" has received less attention than wealth or income inequality. It is difficult to quantify and complex to research because it requires a thorough understanding of the relations between a variety of different state and non-state actors. Nevertheless, political inequality is an important element of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals, enshrined also in the overarching principle "to leave no one behind". This paper presents a mixed-method approach to study political inequality that seeks to combine qualitative analysis with social network analysis to develop a better understanding of the dimensions and characteristics of political inequality. This will be applied to the case of agri-food, a sector that is currently witnessing increasing demands for more sustainability, but also a growing politicisation in many countries in the form of political mobilisation of farmers, protests and media debates. Identifying ways of researching patterns of political inequality will therefore strengthen our understanding of the power dynamics, patterns of collaboration and conflict as well as mobilisation processes in the agri-food sector.