Dr. Blair Fix is a Postdoctoral Researcher in the Department of Politics at York University, where he researches the connection between social hierarchy and income inequality. Blair has a PhD in environmental studies from York University and is a recipient of the 2021-2022 LA&PS Postdoctoral Fellowship Program.
Blair uses large-scale computational models to simulate how income changes as a function of hierarchical rank within firms. His Postdoctoral Fellowship Proposal, “Does Hierarchy Drive Income Inequality?” attempts to bridge the knowledge gap of the causes of growing inequality, and proposes that hierarchy — the rank ordering of individuals within a chain of command — is central to how humans distribute resources.
“My research connects the dots between the two features of hierarchy — its organizational structure and its tendency to create income inequality. The goal is to better understand the roots of income inequality so that we can think about ways of building a more equal society,” says Blair. Thus far, his Postdoctoral work has culminated in two research papers: “Firming Up Hierarchy” and “Redistributing Income Through Hierarchy.”
Jonathan Nitzan, Professor in the Department of Politics and the project’s advisor, says, “Dr. Fix’s research of social hierarchy and its relation to income distribution and energy use is path-breaking: it offers empirically-grounded insight into the deep structures of power and the ways in which they transform our society and environment.”
Connect with Dr. Blair Fix to learn more about his work at blairfix@fastmail.com.