Public and Social Security Officials' Attributions of Poverty in Finland

Abstract

This article compares attributions for poverty among public and social security officials in Finland. The main question is: how similar or dissimilar are the perceptions of social security officials and citizens regarding the reasons for poverty? The article explores whether attributions for poverty vary between different categories of the poor - immigrants, families with children and retirees. The data derive from two e-mail surveys conducted in Finland in 2008. The results are as follows: first, there are significant differences between the public and social security officials. The public is more likely than the social security officials to attribute individual behaviour or society as causes of poverty. Second, the class affiliation of social security officials cannot explain their distinctive attributions, and thus it is suggested that their profession and professional values explain their perceptions of the causes of poverty. Third, both groups share distinctive causal beliefs when it comes to the different categories of the poor.