Perception of Economic Inequality in Chile: Measurement, Differences and Determinants

Abstract

Even though a series of perceived inequality indicators have been used in survey research, to date there is no research comparing these indicators. Using data from the 2009 Chilean ISSP national representative survey (N = 1,505), this research compared 3 measures of inequality perception and analyzed the influence of status, political position and evaluation of wage justice on perceptual variables, through correlation and regression methods. Results showed that the perceptual indicators are weakly associated with each other and, therefore, they can be regarded as covering different aspects of inequality perception. Furthermore, socioeconomic status had a direct influence on inequality perception, whereas those that evaluate their salary as fair tend to perceive less inequality. The consequences and projections of the study are addressed in the final discussion.