Does belief in meritocracy increase with inequality? A reconsideration for European countries

Abstract

Recent research finds that higher inequality reinforces a tendency to see inequality as legitimate, via beliefs about meritocracy. That pattern appears in a cross‐sectional analysis—but it is seemingly evident also in a longitudinal analysis: an increase in inequality apparently leads to a stronger perception of a meritocratic process. I reconsider that finding here via an analysis that uses (1) a different set of countries, (2) a different time‐period, and (3) different measures of inequality and beliefs about meritocracy. Using data from the European Social Survey on 17 countries from 2008 to 2016, I present results that are in tension with earlier research: an increase in inequality leads people to disagree more strongly with a core meritocratic principle—that is, the idea that large differences in incomes are needed to reward talents and effort.

Economic inequality and student outcomes: What we know and where to go from here.

“…While research in this field is still emerging, preliminary evidence suggests that students from countries with higher levels of economic inequality perceive their teacher as being more engaged (Johnson et al, 2024; see also Chiu & Chow, 2011). In addition, national economic inequality may be associated with stronger beliefs in meritocracy (Mijs, 2021; but see Bartram, 2023; Morris et al, 2022), and teachers with these meritocratic beliefs tend to foster classroom environments that emphasize the importance of outperforming others (Darnon et al, 2023). In light of these findings, it seems plausible that teachers in economically unequal environments may recognize the particular importance of relative success in a stratified society, thereby developing practices that encourage social comparison in their classrooms.…”