Networked Inequality: The Role of Changes in Network Size on Attitudes Towards Inequality

Existing research on attitudes toward inequality has predominantly focused on individual class or socioeconomic positions, with little attention given to the role of personal networks. The limited research available has primarily examined the socioeconomic composition and network heterogeneity, while neglecting an essential aspect: network size. Moreover, the lack of quantitative data containing information about socioeconomic standings, network configurations, and attitudes over time for the same individuals has hindered the accurate testing of personal networks' influence on attitudes toward inequality. To address these gaps, the main goal of this paper is to examine the extent to which changes in the size of acquaintanceship networks affect attitudes toward inequality in Chile—a middle-high income country with high levels of income and wealth inequality. We utilize two waves (2016-2018) of unique and representative panel data from the urban Chilean population—the Social Longitudinal Study of Chile (ELSOC)., and we use the position generator instrument to compute the network scale-up and diversity measures Our cross-sectional analyses indicate that network heterogeneity and network size both enhance perceived income inequality and egalitarian preferences, while decreasing meritocratic perceptions. In the fixed effects regression models, however, network size is more closely linked to an increased perception of inequality, while network heterogeneity is more strongly associated with higher egalitarian preferences. These findings suggest that network size are complementary network characteristics in explaining attitudes towards inequality.