What's fair is fair--or is it? Value differences underlying public views about social justice. 1987

K A Rasinski

Individual differences in judgments of the fairness of various sociopolitical phenomena were examined in three surveys. Scales measuring two value dimensions thought to underlie the meaning of fairness were constructed, and survey respondents endorsing these different values were compared on their evaluation of the procedural and distributive fairness of political objects. Those endorsing the value of proportionality, hypothesized by equity theorists to underlie fairness judgments, judged equity-based public policies to be fairer than equality-based policies and judged that Ronald Reagan would be a fairer president than Walter Mondale. These people also emphasized the procedural aspects of government when judging government fairness. Respondents endorsing the value of egalitarianism, hypothesized by developmental theorists and some political philosophers to underlie fairness judgments, judged equality-based public policies to be fairer than equity-based policies and judged that Mondale would be a fairer president than Reagan. These people emphasized the distributive aspects of government when judging government fairness. Results support the naive moral philosopher image of the individual as judge of political objects (Tyler, 1984a). Political fairness judgments are ideological responses and are subject to the influence of the value structure of the judge (Tetlock, 1986).

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007206 Individuality Those psychological characteristics which differentiate individuals from one another. Individual Differences,Difference, Individual,Differences, Individual,Individual Difference
D011639 Public Opinion The attitude of a significant portion of a population toward any given proposition, based upon a measurable amount of factual evidence, and involving some degree of reflection, analysis, and reasoning. Interest Groups,Pro-Choice Groups,Public Opinion Polls,Group, Interest,Group, Pro-Choice,Groups, Interest,Groups, Pro-Choice,Interest Group,Opinion Poll, Public,Opinion Polls, Public,Opinion, Public,Poll, Public Opinion,Polls, Public Opinion,Pro Choice Groups,Pro-Choice Group,Public Opinion Poll
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D006806 Human Rights The right of the individual to cultural, social, economic, and educational opportunities as provided by society, e.g., right to work, right to education, and right to social security. Linguistic Rights,Right to Housing and Shelter,Rights of Indigenous Peoples,Collective Human Rights,Equal Rights,Human Rights, Collective,Indigenous Peoples Rights,Rights, Collective Human,Rights, Equal,Rights, Linguistic
D012935 Social Justice An interactive process whereby members of a community are concerned for the equality and rights of all. Food Justice,Common Good,Justice,Obligations of Society,Good, Common,Justice, Food,Justice, Social
D012945 Social Values Abstract standards or empirical variables in social life which are believed to be important and/or desirable. Value Orientation,Values, Social,Value Orientations

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