Call for Papers: Perceptions of Wealth Inequality

Call for papers for a special issue in Historical Social Research

edited by Daniel Mayerhoffer (University of Amsterdam), Jan Schulz (University of Bamberg) and Daria Tisch (Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies, Cologne)

Across different social groups and countries, individuals perceive the extent of economic inequalities such as wealth inequality spectacularly wrong. This applies to estimating their view of their own wealth relative to the society they live in but also to the overall situation in this society, i.e., the level of economic inequality, and its consequences for individual life courses. Perceptions of wealth are crucial as they can influence attitudes towards redistribution, shape public support for policy measures, and affect social cohesion. Although the literature provides evidence for the existence and the relevance of these misperception phenomena, perceptions of wealth (inequality) are yet understudied empirically as well as theoretically across disciplines.

The special issue seeks to consolidate diverse methodological and theoretical approaches to provide a comprehensive understanding of how perceptions of economic inequality, with a particular focus on wealth disparities, are formed, maintained, and challenged. By offering insights into the mechanisms driving these perceptions, we aim to better understand their role in shaping individual behaviour and collective policy decisions. We welcome contributions that engage with the complex interplay between perceived and actual inequality, as well as the channels through which perceptions shape policy preferences, institutional dynamics, and societal outcomes. Submissions from all disciplinary backgrounds are welcome, including theoretical contributions and studies using diverse methodological approaches such as experimental studies, qualitative research, survey-based analyses, computational methods, or mixed-methods designs.

We invite theoretical and empirical research as well as methodological contributions and review articles. Possible topics include, but are not limited to Perceptions of wealth distribution and economic inequality across different social groups

• International comparisons of perception of wealth inequality

• Formation of perception of wealth and drivers of misperceptions

• The role of the media in the formation of perception of wealth inequality

• Consequences of perception of wealth for attitudes, policy preferences, and redistribution

• Consequences of perception of wealth for daily life, individual behaviour, and social interaction

• Perceptions and the legitimization of wealth (inequality)

• Ethical status and normative implications of the perception of wealth

• Historical dimensions of perception of wealth inequality

Important Dates and Path to Publication in the Special Issue

February 15, 2025: Submission of extended abstracts

March 31, 2025: Decision on extended abstracts

August 15, 2025: Submission of manuscripts

September 2025 – April 2026: Reviews and revisions, with online first publication for articles whose revision process is finished earlier

October 8, 2025: Online author conference

May 2026: Publication of the Special Issue

At the full-paper stage, submissions will undergo a rigorous peer-review process, combining cross-review and double-blind external review.

How to Submit

Extended abstracts and manuscripts should be prepared according to the journal’s submission guidelines and submitted via Microsoft Forms

Commitment to Equity and Inclusion

We encourage especially submissions by structurally marginalised people in global academia, including people with disabilities, people of colour, FINTA+ (Female, Inter, Trans, A-Gender people), and first-generation academics.

About the Outlet

Historical Social Research (HSR) is an international, peer-reviewed English-language journal for the application of formal methods in the social sciences. The scope of the journal includes quantitative research and computer-assisted qualitative research in the social sciences and historical sociology. The journal explicitly endorses interdisciplinary work, in particular involving fields such as philosophy, economics, and the information sciences. HRS also serves as the official journal of the QUANTUM association (Association for Quantification and Methods in Historical and Social Research).

Historical Social Research is published by GESIS – Leibniz-Institute for the Social Sciences, Germany. HSR offers full and open access to all articles through its website. The journal is abstracted and indexed in SocINDEX, Social Science Citation Index, Scopus, Sociological Abstracts, Historical Abstracts (ABC-CLIO), International Political Science Abstracts, Social Research Methodology Database, and the Social Science Literature Information System. All articles are also accessible through JSTOR.