30224

WiSe 20/21: Perceptions of Social Justice in Europe - Comparative Analyses using the European Social Survey Round 9 Module "Justice and Fairness in Europe"

Stefan Liebig

Information for students

Please note: Basic knowledge of applied statistics is a prerequisite for participation and indispensable for the successful completion of the course.

Comments

Over recent decades, European societies have witnessed increasing social inequalities. Faced with more flexible labor markets, open trade, and technological as well as ongoing demographic changes, European welfare models have been unable to effectively address this issue. Recent developments such as the rise of populist parties across Europe have renewed research interest in the mechanisms driving the distribution of income, wealth, and other social resources. Although challenges arising from social inequalities are having a major impact on European societies and policy making, there is still little empirically based knowledge about how populations respond to such challenges and how these issues can and should be effectively addressed. This seminar focuses on the question of how inequalities are perceived and evaluated in European societies.
To this end, we will first work out the basics of the quantitative comparative research strategy. In the following, we will look at the current state of comparative social research on the causes and consequences of attitudes to social inequality and justice. On this theoretical basis participants develop their own research questions that can be dealt with using the European Social Survey (ESS) 9 Module "Justice and Fairness in Europe" (if necessary, taking other external data sources into account). In 2018, the ESS surveyed attitudes and assessments of social inequality and justice in 30 countries. These harmonized survey data not only allow a very detailed description of how inequalities are perceived and evaluated in these countries but also enable researchers to identify the socio-economic factors that lead people to consider inequalities as fair or unfair.
In order to enable students to conduct their own analyses, the methodological basics of regression analysis will be repeated and multi-level analyses (in STATA) will be worked on in depth. close