Perceptions of equality and fairness: A contemporary survey on Erasmus students in Spain

Many humanitarian organisations and institutions have focussed on reducing inequality, end discrimination, promote cohesiveness and ensure that everyone enjoys their fundamental human rights regardless of race, sexual orientation, age and income. What makes it more of a massive undertaking is that there are so many different conceptions of fairness and equality around the world. As evidence suggests, there is limited information on how different people understand and assign meaning to these concepts. This paper tries to identify the key drivers that shape the attitudes and understanding of fairness and equality among Erasmus students. It also investigates the implications of their understanding towards building a more equitable society. The key drivers of attitudes were demographic factors (age and political orientation). Other demographic factors, such as gender and income, were not significant. Equality was divided two-fold: equality of process and equality of outcome. Subjects who saw inequality as a valid issue also supported equality of outcome.