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Upward classism: Prejudice and stereotyping against the wealthy

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  • Rainer Zitelmann

Abstract

While there are many studies of prejudice towards disadvantaged minorities, there has been little research into stereotypes of rich people. The author commissioned the first international comparative study to investigate popular attitudes towards rich people. He analyses findings from the United States, Great Britain, Germany, and France, and calculates a ‘Social Envy Coefficient’ for these four countries. Envy appears most pronounced in France, followed by Germany. By contrast, envy is significantly lower in the United States and Great Britain, although there are interesting variations by age. In addition, the study subjects a sample of popular international feature films and articles in German newspapers to detailed media content analysis. This analysis finds that rich individuals are predominantly portrayed as cold‐hearted, profit‐hungry and morally suspect.

Suggested Citation

  • Rainer Zitelmann, 2020. "Upward classism: Prejudice and stereotyping against the wealthy," Economic Affairs, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 40(2), pages 162-179, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:ecaffa:v:40:y:2020:i:2:p:162-179
    DOI: 10.1111/ecaf.12407
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    Cited by:

    1. Rainer Zitelmann, 2021. "Attitudes to wealth in seven countries: The Social Envy Coefficient and the Rich Sentiment Index," Economic Affairs, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 41(2), pages 211-224, June.
    2. Benedikt Schnurr, 2022. "People in the United States judge the success of individuals from higher- versus lower-income families as less deserving," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 9(1), pages 1-8, December.
    3. Rainer Zitelmann, 2022. "Attitudes towards the rich in China, Japan, South Korea, and Vietnam," Economic Affairs, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 42(2), pages 210-224, June.
    4. Axel Kaiser & Rainer Zitelmann, 2024. "Moving to the Left: what people in Chile think of capitalism and the rich," Economic Affairs, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 44(1), pages 139-153, February.
    5. Rainer Zitelmann, 2024. "Popular perceptions of the rich in 13 countries," Economic Affairs, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 44(2), pages 363-373, June.

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