Fairness Perception, Working-Class Background, and Backlash to Globalization

• In Event: Responses to Globalization

Abstract

How does the perception of fairness in access to education and employment opportunities influence support for globalization? Global economic integration has promised increased social and economic prosperity for all, but its benefits are disproportionately distributed by class. Yet, we have little knowledge about how dissatisfaction with equitable opportunities combined with occupation-defined class background contributes to a political backlash against globalization. This study addresses this gap by examining the influence of fairness perception on political preferences towards globalization, using data from the 9th wave of the European Social Survey. We show that public perception of unfair treatment in accessing education and employment opportunities predicts negative evaluations of EU integration and support for exiting from it. Moreover, this relationship is more pronounced among working-class, in particular production workers and clerks, who have lost confidence in the fairness of society. This research underscores the interconnected roles of fairness perception and class backgrounds in assessing the impact of globalization on political attitudes.

Author

• Jaewook Lee, Leiden University