Why do people object to economic inequality? The role of distributive justice and social harmony concerns as predictors of support for redistribution and collective action.

ABSTRACT: People may perceive economic inequality through moral lens, focusing on the unfair distribution of resources, or as a threat to their personal and social environment. This research examines how justice- and threat-based concerns shape reactions to economic inequality. In Study 1 (N = 358), we identify elements of inequality perceived as unjust or threatening and explore how these are organized into meaningful clusters using network analysis. We identified four overarching concerns: distributive justice, social harmony, inequality of opportunities and economic threats. Distributive justice and social harmony concerns were the most prominent, associated with perceptions of injustice and threat, respectively. Study 2 (N = 260) showed that distributive justice (but not social harmony) concerns

SUBMITTER: Petkanopoulou K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11909494 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature