The paper studies the relationship between statistical and public opinion indicators of inequality and seeks to determine the role class differences play in shaping attitudes to the extent and causes of inequality. The main theoretical conclusions are that attitudes to inequality are best explained by a combination of the dominant ideology and interest and that class represents one of the most important explanatory factors within a given society. The observed differences in attitudes are, however, not caused by a class-specific ideology but primarily by interest-based calculations arising from differences in material situation and exposure to socioeconomic risks. In Slovenia tolerance towards income inequalities is low and coupled by strong public preferences for the central redistributive role of government, with no indication of a class-based polarisation of views. According to macro-statistical indicators, Slovenia ranks among those countries with the smallest social inequalities in Europe, yet this fact is not reflected in popular perceptions where the extent of inequality is consistently overestimated.
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