Who Feels More Deprived: The Effect of Age and Education on Perception of Deprivation

Abstract

Who feels more deprived in Turkey? What is the role of demographic factors in this perception of deprivation? This study is a search for an answer to these questions. Accordingly, we first examined four models of relative deprivation perception. We considered Davis's, Runciman's, Gurr's, and Crosby's models of explaining relative deprivation. The common point addressed by all four models is that the perception of relative deprivation is based on social comparisons that occur at the individual or group level. Therefore, the perception of deprivation refers to a state of mind and occurs when a person is at a disadvantage when comparing himself/herself to a reference point. In Turkey, one of the most important reference points in social comparisons is the type of political party supported. Secondly, we examined the effect of age and education level on the perception of individual-based relative deprivation, which varies according to the type of political party in Turkey. The results obtained in the present analyses show that the perception of relative deprivation varies according to the age level but does not differ depending on educational level. Participants aged 18-24 who did not experience the 2002 crisis feel more deprived and unhappy. However, older respondents who experienced the 2002 crisis and the preceding 80s and 90s feel less deprivation and discontent than younger people.