More than self-interest: Why different classes have different attitudes to income inequality

Abstract: The connection between social class and political preferences is among the most well established in the social sciences. This association is typically taken as prima facie evidence of economic self-interest: Classes hold different attitudes, values, and party preferences because they have different economic interests. However, this assumption has rarely been tested empirically. In this article, we use survey data from 18 West European countries to examine why classes differ on a central aspect of political preferences, namely their views on the desirability of income inequality. We find that only a moderate proportion of differences between employee classes in support for redistribution can be accounted for by contemporary differences in resources and risks; differences in economic interests to some degree account for the anti-redistributive preferences of the professional middle classes compared with the working class. However, the preferences of the self-employed have a different

Location
Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Frankfurt am Main
Extent
Online-Ressource
Language
Englisch
Notes
Veröffentlichungsversion
begutachtet (peer reviewed)
In: British Journal of Sociology ; 71 (2020) 4 ; 594-607

Classification
Wirtschaft

Event
Veröffentlichung
(where)
Mannheim
(who)
SSOAR, GESIS – Leibniz-Institut für Sozialwissenschaften e.V.
(when)
2020
Creator
Langsæther, Peter Egge
Evans, Geoffrey

DOI
10.1111/1468-4446.12747
URN
urn:nbn:de:0168-ssoar-75199-1
Rights
Open Access; Der Zugriff auf das Objekt ist unbeschränkt möglich.
Last update
15.08.2025, 7:37 AM CEST

Data provider

This object is provided by:
Deutsche Nationalbibliothek. If you have any questions about the object, please contact the data provider.

Associated

  • Langsæther, Peter Egge
  • Evans, Geoffrey
  • SSOAR, GESIS – Leibniz-Institut für Sozialwissenschaften e.V.

Time of origin

  • 2020

Other Objects (12)