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Inequality Is a Problem of Inference: How People Solve the Social Puzzle of Unequal Outcomes

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  • Jonathan J. B. Mijs

    (International Inequalities Institute, London School of Economics and Political Science, London WC2A 2AZ, UK)

Abstract

A new wave of scholarship recognizes the importance of people’s understanding of inequality that underlies their political convictions, civic values, and policy views. Much less is known, however, about the sources of people’s different beliefs. I argue that scholarship is hampered by a lack of consensus regarding the conceptualization and measurement of inequality beliefs, in the absence of an organizing theory. To fill this gap, in this paper, I develop a framework for studying the social basis of people’s explanations for inequality. I propose that people observe unequal outcomes and must infer the invisible forces that brought these about, be they meritocratic or structural in nature. In making inferences about the causes of inequality, people draw on lessons from past experience and information about the world, both of which are biased and limited by their background, social networks, and the environments they have been exposed to. Looking at inequality beliefs through this lens allows for an investigation into the kinds of experiences and environments that are particularly salient in shaping people’s inferential accounts of inequality. Specifically, I make a case for investigating how socializing institutions such as schools and neighborhoods are “inferential spaces” that shape how children and young adults come to learn about their unequal society and their own place in it. I conclude by proposing testable hypotheses and implications for research.

Suggested Citation

  • Jonathan J. B. Mijs, 2018. "Inequality Is a Problem of Inference: How People Solve the Social Puzzle of Unequal Outcomes," Societies, MDPI, vol. 8(3), pages 1-17, August.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsoctx:v:8:y:2018:i:3:p:64-:d:162406
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    9. Angel L. Harris, 2008. "Optimism in the Face of Despair: Black‐White Differences in Beliefs About School as a Means for Upward Social Mobility," Social Science Quarterly, Southwestern Social Science Association, vol. 89(3), pages 608-630, September.
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    Cited by:

    1. Joshua M. Pearce & Emily Prehoda, 2019. "Could 79 People Solarize the U.S. Electric Grid?," Societies, MDPI, vol. 9(1), pages 1-27, March.
    2. Liza G. Steele & Nate Breznau, 2019. "Attitudes toward Redistributive Policy: An Introduction," Societies, MDPI, vol. 9(3), pages 1-12, June.
    3. Zsófia S. Ignácz, 2018. "The Remains of the Socialist Legacy: The Influence of Socialist Socialization on Attitudes toward Income Inequality," Societies, MDPI, vol. 8(3), pages 1-33, August.

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