Distributive justice, how finite resources should be allocated in a society, is a central issue in our political systems. People may have different preferences about how this allocation should be done and what principle should guide it. Primarily, one may think that it should be done based on people's needs so that resources are directed to those who need them most. Another option is to consider that they should be distributed equally, i.e., everyone should receive the same amount. It is also possible to think that what is fundamental is equity or that these resources should be distributed in such a way that those who contribute the most receive the most.
Social justice orientations and their impact on the perception of poverty
Joaquín Alcañiz Colomer, Inmaculada Valor Segura and Miguel Moya, from the Psychosocial Consequences of Social Class Laboratory of the Psychology of Social Problems Research Group (HUM-289), have recently published an article with three studies that analyzed how preferences for these principles of justice influence causal inferences about poverty and support for social protection policies aimed at groups in this situation.
When we discuss causal inferences about poverty, we refer to the factors we hold responsible for poverty and how we justify this assessment. For example, we may think that people in poverty are there because of their lack of effort, which would be an individualistic cause, or that they are there because of low wages in general, which would be a structural cause.
What is the connection between justice, causes of poverty and support for the welfare state?
In these three studies, it is consistently shown that when people adhere to or prefer the principles of need or equality, they attribute less individual responsibility for their situation to people in poverty. In turn, this leads to a better attitude towards social protection policies. On the contrary, the more the principle of equity is supported, the more individual causes are highlighted when explaining the situation of poverty, which leads to less support for these policies. These findings are found both in Spain and in data from 29 European countries.
These results are essential for advancing our theoretical understanding of perceptions and reactions to poverty. Moreover, they propose a new conceptual framework for understanding the relationship between normative distributional principles (what people think should be), causal reasoning, and the attitudinal consequences of the former.
This is particularly relevant considering that whether or not social policies are implemented to protect the most vulnerable people depends on the potential support of citizens for these measures. On the other hand, these social protection policies, although generally insufficient, serve as a last resort for many people to gain access to a somewhat more dignified standard of living.
Reference
Alcañiz‐Colomer, J., Valor‐Segura, I., & Moya, M. (2024). Social justice orientations: Exploring their impact on poverty attributions and support for social protection. Political Psychology, 45(3), 559-580. https://doi.org/10.1111/pops.12937
Contact
Joaquín Alcañiz Colomer (@email)