refer to varying impact that decision has on different groups of people. while decision may benefit society in general, it can have a negative impact on certain groups of people

SocialStudiesExamples Building an expressway would improve traffic flow for commuters. However this may come at a cost for those living near expressways who may be affected by the noise generated by the traffic.

When decision leads to an unequal sharing of costs not everyone will agree that a decision is a good one other hand: residents who are negatively impacted will say that it is not a good decision


SocialStudiesExamples NIMBY syndrome (not in my backyard) foreign dormitories being built near residential areas to give foreign workers better living conditions. good intensions because it gives more respect to foreign workers and prevents them from living in poor conditions. but people who stay near feels it might affect safety and cleanliness of area some times, recreational facilities like basketball courts were sacrificed to build the dormitories