Individuals' Social Position, Inequality Perceptions, and Redistributive Preferences

Principal Investigator(s):  View help for Principal Investigator(s) Gwangeun Choi, University of Essex

Version:  View help for Version V2

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Individuals' Social Position, Inequality Perceptions, and Redistributive Preferences 0

Project Citation: 

Choi, Gwangeun. Individuals’ Social Position, Inequality Perceptions, and Redistributive Preferences. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2018-08-22. https://doi.org/10.3886/E101258V2

Project Description

Summary:  View help for Summary The standard model of redistribution posits that attitudes towards redistribution are driven by economic self-interest. From a social psychological perspective, however, subjective social status rather than material wealth is relevant basis for self-interest that is closely associated with policy preferences. This inquiry compares these two different approaches and further explores the role of individuals’ inequality perceptions including perceptions of inequality norms, which researchers have paid little attention to, in shaping individual preferences for redistribution. For the empirical analysis, the new measures of perceived actual inequality, perceived normative inequality, and perceived injustice have been developed with the aim to overcome the limitations of the existing measures of perceived inequality. The International Social Survey Programme (ISSP) micro-data are used to create the measures, which cover 31 OECD countries over the four waves: 1987, 1992, 1999, and 2009. The empirical evidence shows that the effect of subjective social position is stronger than that of objective income position in determining redistributive preferences. The current findings also demonstrate that individuals’ inequality norms play a more crucial role in preference formation than does their perception of actual inequality, which sheds new light on another facet of inequality perceptions at the individual level.

Scope of Project

Subject Terms:  View help for Subject Terms perceived inequality; redistributive preferences; normative inequality
Geographic Coverage:  View help for Geographic Coverage global
Universe:  View help for Universe 31 OECD countries
Data Type(s):  View help for Data Type(s) survey data

Methodology

Data Source:  View help for Data Source The International Social Survey Programme (ISSP) micro-data, four waves: 1987, 1992, 1999, and 2009.
Unit(s) of Observation:  View help for Unit(s) of Observation individuals
Geographic Unit:  View help for Geographic Unit country

Related Publications

This study is un-published. See below for other available versions.

Published Versions

V4 [2019-11-10]

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