Abstract
IneqPer sets out to analyze whether, and to what extent, people perceive inequalities related to socio-economic position, gender and immigrant status as a relevant societal issue, how they perceive their own position in society in relation to such inequalities, and which individual and contextual factors correlate to people’s perceptions of inequality. The topic is approached by combining both inequalities related to socio-economic status (e.g., wealth, income or social connections) and group-based inequalities (based on group belonging such as being men, women, immigrants, or natives). Even though structural inequalities are vast and growing in most societies, it is not clear how fully people understand the extent to which cleavages exist. There are well-known examples of highly unequal nations where a large number of citizens do not grasp the actual level of inequality. The project aims to: - develop a survey for a representative sample of the Italian adult population; - design and implement survey experiments that assess social (mis)perceptions and test how they can be challenged; - analyze the main determinants of (mis)perceptions. The main purpose of the survey is to collect empirical data on perceptions for descriptive and analytical purposes. The survey was conducted from November 2024 to February 2025 on 12000 respondents. The sample is quota-based and is representative of the Italian adult population for gender, age, education, employment status, and macro-regions. As far as expected results is concerned, providing factual information may significantly correct misperceptions, especially among more educated individuals. However, resistance to information may persist among ideologically committed individuals (e.g., those strongly aligned right-wing parties). Finally, some interventions may have no effect or even provoke reactance (e.g., when inequality is framed in moral or emotional terms), particularly among high-status respondents. Results: Website: https://ineqper.unipv.it/ Project Activities During the reporting period, the project successfully achieved the planned objectives. Data analyses were completed, scientific papers were prepared based on the experimental analyses and the pre-registered research plans (November 2024), and the research team held more than ten online meetings to coordinate research activities and dissemination. Publications The project has already produced four publications: · Kulic, N., Mantovani, D., & Bellani, D. (2026). (Mis)perceptions of Inequality as a Social Issue. Frontiers in Sociology. · Kulic, N. et al. (2026). A Comprehensive Overview of a Large-Scale Survey on Inequality Perceptions (IneqPer) in Italy. Frontiers in Sociology. · Kulic, N., Griaznova, O., & Clerici, E. (2026). (Mis)perceptions of Individual Position in National and Global Income Distribution: The Italian Case. Frontiers in Sociology, 10. · Clerici, E., Kulic, N., Mantovani, D., & Vergolini, L. (2026). La percezione della vulnerabilità: come gli italiani percepiscono i richiedenti asilo e i rifugiati e le loro caratteristiche. In L'immigrazione non è un'emergenza. Feltrinelli. Scientific Dissemination Project results were presented at several national and international scientific events, including the ESPAnet Italia Conference (Turin, September 2025), the SISEC Conference (Florence, January 2026), the CLOSER Workshop (Collegio Carlo Alberto), and invited seminars at the University of Florence and the European University Institute. The research team also organized the project's final conference at the University of Bologna (2 October 2025) and the closing meeting at the University of Pavia (20 January 2026). Professor Thomas Hinz (University of Konstanz) visited the Department of Political and Social Sciences at the University of Pavia, where he delivered an invited seminar and discussed the project's findings with the research team. Project results were also presented during a public event on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. Dissemination and Knowledge Transfer The project maintained an active dissemination strategy through regular updates on the project website, reporting scientific events, seminars, and conference participation. The IneqPer Research Hub was established to encourage undergraduate and graduate students from the Universities of Pavia, Bologna, and the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart (Milan) to develop research projects based on the IneqPer dataset in collaboration with the research team. The project also launched the IneqPer Working Paper Series, an interdisciplinary publication series devoted to preliminary research on inequality, social stratification, and public perceptions of economic and social disparities. The series promotes scholarly discussion prior to submission to peer-reviewed journals and is jointly coordinated by researchers from the Universities of Pavia and Bologna and the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart. All publications, events, and dissemination activities are regularly updated and made publicly available through the project website.
Project details
Unibo Team Leader: Debora Mantovani
Unibo involved Department/s:
Dipartimento di Scienze Politiche e Sociali
Coordinator:
Università degli Studi di PAVIA(Italy)
Total Unibo Contribution: Euro (EUR) 28.467,00
Project Duration in months: 24
Start Date:
30/11/2023
End Date:
28/02/2026
