Self-assessment of well-being and individual attitudes towards inequality
Keywords:
economic inequality, meritocratic and non-meritocratic factors of economic success, income distribution, subjective well-being.
Abstract
The problem of social inequality is a relevant subject of research, since in many ways all kinds of protest movements arise in the society when its different segments and groups feel and experience social injustice. The individual’s disadvantaged position in the society at present and his/her willingness to change it against the inability to do it is an important indicator of social instability. However, people’s perception of social injustice and inequality is different. The purpose of the present study is to explore the causes of economic inequality in Russia, as viewed by the population, as well as the attitudes to fairness of economic inequality and subjective assessment of one’s own chances of material success. The paper identifies the factors that influence subjective assessment of a person’s own chances. In the opinion of the population, it is non-meritocratic forms that are predominant in the Russian society. It was found that dissatisfaction with inequality is lower among the people who are poor today but contemplate to become rich in the future than among those who apprehend of becoming poor both now and in the future. It is shown that the individual’s subjective rank in income distribution is more important for one’s subjective well-being than the relative wage level.
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References
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Rozer, J., & Kraaykamp, G. (2013). Income Inequality and Subjective Well-being: A CrossNational Study on the Conditional Effects of Individual and National Characteristics. Social Indicators Research, 113(3), 1009-1023. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-012-0124-7
Proudhon, P.-J. (2019). What is property?: An inquiry into the principle of right and of government. The Project Gutenberg eBook. https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/360/pg360-images.html
Schwarze, J., & Härpfer, M. (2007). Are People Inequality-Averse, and Do They Prefer Redistribution by the State? Evidence from German Longitudinal Data on Life Satisfaction. Journal of Socio-Economics, 36(2), 233-249. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socec.2005.11.047
Senik, C. (2004). When Information Dominates Comparison. Learning from Russian Subjective Panel Data. Journal of Public Economics, 88(9-10), 2099–2123. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0047-2727(03)00066-5
Tomes, N. (1986). Income Distribution, Happiness and Satisfaction: A Direct Test of the Interdependent Preferences Model. Journal of Economic Psychology, 7(4), 425–446, https://doi.org/10.1016/0167-4870(86)90032-2
Van de Werfhorst, H.G., & Salverda, W. (2012). Consequences of Economic Inequality: Introduction to a Special Issue. Research in Social Stratification and Mobility, 30(4), 377–387. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rssm.2012.08.001
Van Praag, B.M.S., & Baarsma, B.E. (2005). Using Happiness Surveys to Value Intangibles: the Case of Airport Noise. The Economic Journal, 115(500), 224–246. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-0297.2004.00967.x
Vandendriessche, D. (2012). Inequality Aversion: Mediation of Needs and Social Comparisons. (Masters Thesis). University of Paris.
Verme, P. (2011). Life Satisfaction and Income Inequality. Review of Income and Wealth, 57(1), 111–127. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-4991.2010.00420.x
Winkelmann, L., & Winkelmann, R. (2010). Does Inequality Harm the Middle-Class? Evidence from Switzerland. Kyklos, 63(2), 301–316. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6435.2010.00474.x
Ball, R. (2001). Incomes, Inequality and Happiness: New Evidence. Haverford College: Mimeo.
Biancotti, C., & D’Alessio, G. (2008). Values, Inequality and Happiness. Themes of discussion (Economic working papers), 669. https://ideas.repec.org/p/bdi/wptemi/td_669_08.html
Bjornskov, Ch., Dreher, A., Fischer, J., A. V., Schnellenbach, J., & Gehring, K. (2013). Inequality and Happiness: When Perceived Social Mobility and Economic Reality Do Not Match. Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 91, 75-92. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jebo.2013.03.017
Blanchflower, D.G., & Oswald, A.J. (2003). Does Inequality Reduce Happiness? Evidence from the States of the USA from the 1970s to the 1990s. Mimcographed: Warwick Univercity.
Brodeur, A., & Flèche, S. (2013). Where the Streets Have a Name: Income Comparisons in the US. IZA Discussion Paper, 7256. https://ideas.repec.org/p/iza/izadps/dp7256.html
Clark, A. (2003). Inequality-Aversion and Income Mobility: A Direct Test. DELTA Working Papers, 2003-11.
Di Tella, R., & MacCulloch, R. (2008). Gross National Happiness as an Answer to the Easterlin Paradox? Journal of Development Economics, 86(1), 22–42. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdeveco.2007.06.008
Di Tella, R., MacCulloch, R.J. and Oswald, A.J. (2001). Preferences over Inflation and Unemployment: Evidence from Surveys of Happiness. American Economic Review, 91(1), 335-341. https://doi.org/10.1257/aer.91.1.335
Ebert, U., & Welsch, H. (2009). How do Europeans Evaluate Income Distributions? An Assessment Based on Happiness Surveys. The Review of Income and Wealth, 55(3), 801–819. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-4991.2009.00347.x
Ferrer-i-Carbonell, A., & Ramos, X. (2014). Inequality and Happiness. Journal of Economic Surveys, 28(5), 1016-1027. https://doi.org/10.1111/joes.12049
Graham, C., & Felton, A. (2006). Inequality and Happiness: Insights from Latin America. Journal of Economic Inequality, 4, 107-122. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10888-005-9009-1
Grosfeld, I., & Senik, C. (2010). The Emerging Aversion to Inequality: Evidence from subjective data. Economics of Transition, 18(1), 1-26. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-0351.2009.00376.x
Hagerty, M.R. (2000). Social comparisons of income in one's community: evidence from national surveys of income and happiness. Journal of personality and social psychology, 78(4), 764-771. https://doi.org/10.1037//0022-3514.78.4.764
Knight, J., Song, L., & Gunatilaka, R. (2009). Subjective Well-being and its Determinants in Rural China. China Economic Review, 20(4), 635–649. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chieco.2008.09.003
Luechinger, S. (2009). Valuing Air Quality Using the Life Satisfaction Approach. The Economic Journal, 119(536), 482–515. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-0297.2008.02241.x
Morawetz, D., Atia, E., Bin-Nun, G., Felous, L., Gariplerden, Y., Harris, E., Soustiel, S., Tombros, G., & Zarfaty, Y. (1977). Income Distribution and Self-Rated Happiness: Some Empirical Evidence. The Economic Journal, 87(347), 511-522. https://doi.org/10.2307/2231556
Oishi, S., Kesebir, S., & Diener, E. (2011). Income Inequality and Happiness. Psychological Science, 22(9), 1095-1100. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797611417262
Oshio, T., & Kobayashi, M. (2010). Income inequality, perceived happiness, and self-rated health: evidence from nationwide surveys in Japan. Social science & medicine, 70(9), 1358-1366. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2010.01.010
Park, L.E., Ward, D.E., & Naragon-Gainey, K. (2017). It’s All About the Money (For Some): Consequences of Financially Contingent Self-Worth. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 43(5), 601–622. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167216689080
Rozer, J., & Kraaykamp, G. (2013). Income Inequality and Subjective Well-being: A CrossNational Study on the Conditional Effects of Individual and National Characteristics. Social Indicators Research, 113(3), 1009-1023. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-012-0124-7
Proudhon, P.-J. (2019). What is property?: An inquiry into the principle of right and of government. The Project Gutenberg eBook. https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/360/pg360-images.html
Schwarze, J., & Härpfer, M. (2007). Are People Inequality-Averse, and Do They Prefer Redistribution by the State? Evidence from German Longitudinal Data on Life Satisfaction. Journal of Socio-Economics, 36(2), 233-249. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socec.2005.11.047
Senik, C. (2004). When Information Dominates Comparison. Learning from Russian Subjective Panel Data. Journal of Public Economics, 88(9-10), 2099–2123. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0047-2727(03)00066-5
Tomes, N. (1986). Income Distribution, Happiness and Satisfaction: A Direct Test of the Interdependent Preferences Model. Journal of Economic Psychology, 7(4), 425–446, https://doi.org/10.1016/0167-4870(86)90032-2
Van de Werfhorst, H.G., & Salverda, W. (2012). Consequences of Economic Inequality: Introduction to a Special Issue. Research in Social Stratification and Mobility, 30(4), 377–387. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rssm.2012.08.001
Van Praag, B.M.S., & Baarsma, B.E. (2005). Using Happiness Surveys to Value Intangibles: the Case of Airport Noise. The Economic Journal, 115(500), 224–246. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-0297.2004.00967.x
Vandendriessche, D. (2012). Inequality Aversion: Mediation of Needs and Social Comparisons. (Masters Thesis). University of Paris.
Verme, P. (2011). Life Satisfaction and Income Inequality. Review of Income and Wealth, 57(1), 111–127. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-4991.2010.00420.x
Winkelmann, L., & Winkelmann, R. (2010). Does Inequality Harm the Middle-Class? Evidence from Switzerland. Kyklos, 63(2), 301–316. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6435.2010.00474.x
Published
2023-06-30
How to Cite
Nikolskaya, A., Butorina, G., Gareev, R., Podbiralina, G., & Mrochkovsk, N. (2023). Self-assessment of well-being and individual attitudes towards inequality. Amazonia Investiga, 12(65), 116-130. https://doi.org/10.34069/AI/2023.65.05.12
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