Economic inequality has been of considerable interest to academics, citizens, and politicians worldwide for the past decade–and while economic inequality has attracted a considerable amount of research attention, it is only more recently that researchers have considered that economic inequality may have broader societal implications. However, while there is an increasingly clear picture of the varied ways in which economic inequality harms the fabric of society, there is a relatively poor understanding of the social psychological processes that are at work in unequal societies. This edited book aims to build on this emerging area of research by bringing together researchers who are at the forefront of this development and who can therefore provide timely insight to academics and practitioners who are grappling with the impact of economic inequality.
This book will address questions relating to
perceptions of inequality, mechanisms underlying effects of inequality, various consequences of inequality and the factors that contribute to the maintenance of inequality. The target audiences are students at advanced undergraduate or graduate level, as well as scholars and professionals in the field. The book fills a niche of both applied and practical relevance, strongly emphasizing theory and integration of different perspectives in social psychology. Given the broad interest in inequality within the social sciences, the book will be accessible to sociologists and political scientists as well as social, organizational, and developmental psychologists. The insights brought together in
The Social Psychology of Inequality will contribute to a broader understanding of the far-reaching costs of inequality for the social health of a society and its citizens.
‘This edited volume brings together cutting-edge social psychological research addressing one of the most pressing issues of our times – economic inequality. Collectively, the chapters illuminate why inequality has negative effects on individuals and societies, when and for whom these negative effects are most likely to emerge, and the psychological mechanisms that maintain inequality. This comprehensive volume is an essential read for those interested in understanding and ameliorating inequality.’
-Brenda Major, Distinguished Professor, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California
“This invaluable volume demonstrates the indispensable and powerful contribution that social psychologists can make to our understanding of societal inequality. For those outside of social psychology it provides a unique and comprehensive overview of what social psychology has to offer, and for social psychologists it is exemplary in demonstrating how to make a systematic contribution to the understanding of a hotly debated real-world issue. Scholars and students alikeand from various disciplines will gain much from reading this fascinating and inspiring social psychological journey.”
-Maykel Verkuyten, Professor in Interdisciplinary Social Science, University of Utrecht
“The Social Psychology of Inequality offers a superb and timely social-psychological analysis of the causes and consequence of increasing wealth and income gaps. With its refreshingly international authorship, this volume offers profound insights into the cognitive and social mechanisms that help maintain, but potentially also to overcome, an economy that is rigged in favor of the wealthy. A new and stimulating voice, illustrating science in the service of a fairer and more democratic society.”
-Anne Maass, Professor of Social Psychology, University of Padova
“This volume assembles an impressive list of leading international scholars to address a timely and important issue, the causes and consequences of economic inequality. The approach to the topic is social psychological, but the editors and chapters make valuable connections to related literatures on socio-structural influences in allied disciplines, such as economics, political science, and sociology. The Social Psychology of Inequality offers cutting-edge insights into the psychological dynamics of inequality and novel synthesis of structural- and individual-level influences and outcomes of inequality. It should attract a wide audience and will set the agenda for research on economic inequality well into the future.”
-John F. Dovidio, Carl Iver Hovland Professor of Psychology and Public Health, Yale University
Table of Content
1. Putting a social psychological spotlight on economic inequality.- Section 1: Inequality in organizational contexts.- 2. Fat cats and thin followers: Excessive CEO pay may reduce ability to lead.- 3. Gender inequality in economic resources.- 4. Societal income inequality and coping with work-related economic stressors: A resource perspective.- 5. A rising tide lifts few boats but leaves behind many others: The harms of inequality-induced status seeking and the remedial effects of employee ownership.- Section 2: Inequality in educational contexts.- 6. Social class differences in social integration at university: Implications for academic outcomes and mental health.- 7. Educational Inequalities: The social and cultural factors and social identity processes that underpin educational inequalities between social classes.- 8. The paradoxical role of meritocratic selection in the perpetuation of social inequalities at school.- 9. Education and social class: Highlighting how the educational system perpetuates social inequality.- Section 3: Consequences of inequality on preferences and behaviours.- 10. The psychological consequences of inequality for food intake.- 11. Income inequality and women’s competition: Implications for consumption, status-seeking and self-sexualization.- 12. Developmental perspectives on economic inequality.- 13. Inequality and risk-taking behaviours.- 14. Inequality from the bottom up: Psychological consequences of being poor in a rich country.- Section 4: Why does inequality have these negative outcomes?.- 15. Income inequality and social status: The social rank and material rank hypotheses.- 16. Identifying the psychological mechanism(s) underlying the effects of inequality on society: The Macro-micro model of Inequality and RElative Deprivation (MIRED) .- 17. Social inequality and status stress.- 18. Do people want more wealth and status in unequal societies?.- 19. Inequality and class consciousness.- Section 5: Why and how is inequality maintained? .- 20. The language of inequality.- 21. Mutual status stereotypes maintain inequality.- 22. Everything in its right place: Tradition, order, and the legitimation of longstanding inequality.- 23. Understanding the nature and consequences of social mobility beliefs.- 24. Social sampling, perceptions of wealth distribution and support for redistribution.
About the author
Jolanda Jetten is internationally recognized for her work on group processes and social identity. She has published extensively in high impact international journals (over 150 peer-reviewed articles). She has contributed 35 chapters to edited books and published 4 books. Jolanda is the former co-Chief Editor of the British Journal of Social Psychology and currently serves as co-Chief Editor of Social Issues and Policy Review. She has served as an Associate Editor for the British Journal of Social Psychology, and for Social Psychology and is currently an associate editor with Comprehensive Results in Social Psychology. In 2004, she was awarded the British Psychological Society Spearman Medal, singling her out as the most distinguished mid-career psychologist in the UK for published psychological work of outstanding merit. She was awarded the mid-career Kurt Lewin Medal from the European Association of Social Psychology in 2014. Jolanda is the former President of the Society of Australasian Social Psychology (SASP) and served on the ARC College of Experts. She was elected as fellow of the Association of Social Sciences in Australia (ASSA) in 2015, and is currently Director of the Social Identity and Groups Network (SIGN) at the University of Queensland.
Kim Peters is Senior Lecturer in Organisational Psychology and Director of the Centre for Business and Organisational Psychology at the University of Queensland. Her research focuses on social influence processes (including communication and leadership) in social and organizational settings. She has published over 25 peer-reviewed articles in leading journals in social psychology and management science. She has also contributed to 12 edited books and produced 13 industry reports for a range of partners including the European Parliament and Leadership Foundation for Higher Education. Kim works closely with organisations to examine the role of psychological factors in organisational functioning and design evidence-based interventions. Recent clients include Workplace Health and Safety Queensland, the Leadership Foundation for Higher Education, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and the British Medical Association.
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