The aim of this research project is to examine some implications of contemporary theories of justice and to show their relevance for current sociological research on the legitimation of social inequalities. The project originates with Kazimierz M. Slomczynski and Wlodzimierz Wesolowski 1978 paper on status inconsistency. By providing a link between the main types of resources identified in distributive justice theories and distinguishable status dimensions, we analyze the problem of status inconsistency in a new theoretical framework. Within this framework, we ask: What kind of status congruence do distributive justice theories imply? We show that, under feasible assumptions, neither the utilitarian nor the egalitarian theories of distributive justice exclude status inconsistencies. We also show that some specific theories, Walzer's theory in particular, imply a discrepancy among status components. Empirically, on the basis of ISSP data, we demonstrate that people's tolerance of status inconsistency is large enough to provide some support for different distributive justice solutions, including complex equality.
Kazimierz M. Slomczynski and Wlodzimierz Wesolowski. 1978. "Reduction of Social Inequalities and Status Inconsistency." Pp. 103-121 in Polish Sociological Association (Ed.), Social Structure--Polish Sociology 1977. Wroclaw: Ossolineum.
This preprint was subsequently published in Current Sociological Perspective. Slomczynski, Kazimierz and Wlodzimierz Wesolowski. 1983. "Status Inconsistency and the Reduction of Social Inequalities." Current Sociological Perspectives, Vol. 2, No. 1: 18-31.Slomczynski, Kazimierz M. 1989. “Effects of Status-Inconsistency on the Intellective Process: The United States, Japan, and Poland.” Pp. 148-166 in Cross-National Research in Sociology, edited by Melvin L. Kohn. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
Kazimierz M. Slomczynski and Wlodzimierz W. Wesolowski, Distributive Justice
and Status (In)Consistency: A Theoretical Debate and Empirical Evidence.