Inequality Concerns, Social Location, and Perception of Opportunities for Social Advancement: Czechia and Slovakia in a Comparative Perspective

The analytical puzzle of this study is straightforward: how do people's concerns about inequality and social location affect their beliefs about the opportunities for advancement? This study compares Czechia and Slovakia, two states with very low objective levels of inequality but quite different levels of concern about it. In both countries, social welfare expectations derive from the state-run economy in the pre-1989 period. However, in Slovakia the economic changes caused social difficulties and considerable discontent, whereas Czech society demonstrated more free-market friendly attitudes, and the perception of social inequalities was less critical. Based on the ISSP data we analyze what factors are seen as important for "getting ahead" and whether perceptions of inequality and social location reflect meritocratic beliefs or their opposite-corrupt advancement strategies. While there is a stronger feeling in Slovakia that corrupt strategies are necessary in Slovakia, in both societies preferences in regard to strategies for social advancement are better explained by socioeconomic position than by attitudes toward inequalities.