Cross-class interactions and subjective inequality: perceptions, beliefs and distributive preferences at a Colombian elite university.

ABSTRACT: This study examines how cross-class interactions influence perceptions and beliefs of inequality, and distributive preferences. It is based on the implementation of Ser Pilo Paga, a government program that granted access to high-quality higher education for low-income students in Colombia. Drawing on 61 in-depth interviews and complementary survey data, we find that exposure to peers from different socioeconomic backgrounds recalibrates students' understanding of inequality, making their perceptions more accurate and their attitudes toward redistribution more favorable-regardless of class. While students consistently held structural views of inequality, these interactions reshaped their views on merit, revealing its dual function as both a source of validation and a relational tool.

SUBMITTER: Galeano-Salgado AM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12481291 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature