From Iceland — Study On Icelandic Attitudes On Social Injustice

Study On Icelandic Attitudes On Social Injustice

Published December 29, 2011

A recent study conducted in Iceland reveals some interesting findings about the way the average Icelander views the structure, and the future, of their society.
The study (.pdf file), “Subjective Injustice during the Icelandic Recession 2009-2010”, sought to see if the hypothesis that those with higher monetary goals would, during a recession, experience greater subjective social injustice. 948 Icelanders over the age of 18 were interviewed for the study, with about 63% participating in full.
Of those surveyed in the depths of the recession, most Icelanders felt as though their status in society was neither just nor unjust, with a skew towards believing their status was just. Most Icelanders said they either never or almost never got angry or frustrated due to their status in society. The majority of those surveyed also believed their status in society would remain more or less the same in the future.
However, the vast majority of Icelanders agreed that advancing in their society was dependent on knowing the right people, although bribes were not necessarily a part of getting ahead.
Overall, Icelanders interviewed during the darkest points of the recession expressed a great deal of uncertainty about the future of their country, as well as the political positions of those around them.

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