Meritocracy as Fair Inequality – Young People's Perceptions on Equality of Opportunity and Possibilities of Agency
Keywords:
individual agency, inequality, meritocracy, mixed methods research, perceptions on equality of opportunityAbstract
In my article, I examine young people's perceptions of the realization of equality of opportunity and the possibilities of agency by utilizing an integrative mixed method approach. Based on survey data related to perceptions of equality of opportunity, three types of orientation towards the realization of equality of opportunities for young people were formed: The majority were optimists and believed that equality of opportunities is being realized, but almost as many were critical, meaning that they were skeptical about it. The smallest proportion was uncertain. In their class reflections, young people described their perceptions of which factors in society affect the possibilities for agency. These factors came down to money, education and middleclass status. In addition to these three themes, young people outlined a way of understanding meritocracy as fair inequality. Regardless of the type of orientation, young people think that the starting points for life can be unequal, but society is fair to the extent that it makes it possible to pursue a better life through individual agency based on hard work. The young people in my data have grown up in a meritocratic society that emphasized the need for individual agency, which was reflected in their views. The principle of fair inequality illustrates young people’s perceptions of the frames of agency in society. In addition, it provides a framework for understanding the interaction that takes place between society and the young person as he strives to fulfill his agency within the expectations set by meritocracy.
