Self-assessment of well-being and individual attitudes towards inequality

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.