The article analyses the main features of the social inequality in the modern world and their reflection in contemporary sociological theories. It claims that globalization has led to a fundamentally different kind of inequality. It has been proved that globalization causes serious changes in social and political spheres, which directly even if to different extents affect all humankind. Despite growing economic and cultural interdependence, the global social order is ruptured by rising inequality. Authors consider various types of inequality in the age of globalization. Their regional peculiarities are shown in the article. According to numerous recent sociological works the perspective of neo-capitalism seems to be the most adequate theoretical frame for studying globalized society and its inequality. Changing nature of labor and social inequality is a basis of justification of such theories. The article considers the main points of the “real utopias” concept developed by Wright as an alternative to capitalist organization of the modern world. Finally it reviews two reports of international organizations addressing issues of social inequality at a global scale. The article provides main characteristics of the social inequality in Russia, determines the peculiarities of inequality and data regarding involvement of the Russians into the global elite and middle class.

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