Irwin, S orcid.org/0000-0001-9591-147X (2018) Lay Perceptions of Inequality and Social Structure. Sociology, 52 (2). pp. 211-227. ISSN 0038-0385
Abstract
Lay perceptions of social structure and economic distribution have a particular salience in the current era of widening inequalities which has characterised Britain since the 1980s. Research into subjective beliefs has generated puzzles: people underestimate the extent of inequalities, see themselves as being situated ‘near the middle’ irrespective of their objective position, and allegedly hold an a-social view of the underpinnings of socio-economic inequalities. This article presents a new qualitative analysis of lay perceptions of inequality. It does so with a particular focus on context, biographical experience and social change. The qualitative and temporal perspectives reveal that people are more sophisticated analysts of social process, and of their own situatedness within the wider social structure, than often thought. This has implications for sociological understanding but also holds relevance for renewing political options for intervention. Additionally, the evidence offers insights into lived experiences of inequality through a period of significant restructuring.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: | |
Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © The Author(s) 2016. This is an author produced version of a paper published in Sociology. Reprinted by permission of SAGE Publications. |
Keywords: | ISSP; perceptions; recession; reference groups; socio-economic and subjective social inequality |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Education, Social Sciences and Law (Leeds) > School of Sociology and Social Policy (Leeds) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 04 Jul 2016 12:12 |
Last Modified: | 18 Apr 2018 15:33 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Sage Publications |
Identification Number: | 10.1177/0038038516661264 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:101846 |