Browsing by Author "Atria, Jorge"

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    A Multidimensional Approach for Measuring Meritocratic Beliefs: Advantages, Limitations and Alternatives to the ISSP Social Inequality Survey
    (Routledge Journals, Taylor & Francis LTD, 2023) Castillo, Juan Carlos; Iturra, Julio; Maldonado Navarro, Luis Edgardo; Atria, Jorge; Meneses, Francisco
    A great part of the comparative international research that has attempted to measure meritocratic beliefs has used the social inequality module of the ISSP (International Social Survey Programme), which offers an unprecedented opportunity to compare meritocratic views in different societies. Based on a series of studies using ISSP data, the present paper proposes a multidimensional measurement framework for meritocratic beliefs. This framework distinguishes, on the one side, between perceptions and preferences and, on the other side, between meritocratic and not meritocratic aspects. In the first study, we test the multidimensional framework for meritocratic beliefs using the ISSP 2009 inequality module through confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) techniques. After identifying the advantages and some limitations of ISSP items for a multidimensional operationalization of meritocratic beliefs, in a second study, we suggest a modified set of items that better taps the different dimensions of meritocracy. We examined the measuring properties of this new instrument using a sample of Chilean adults (N = 2,141). Based on these results, we recommend improvements in measuring meritocratic beliefs in cross-national studies.
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    Fiscal aftershocks: taxes and catastrophes in Chilean history
    (2022) Gil, Magdalena; Atria, Jorge
    Socio-natural disasters remain underexplored events in economic history, even though they stress societies in several ways and are known for their relationship with institutional change. In this paper, we explore this issue showing that major earthquakes in Chile have become a window of opportunity for important fiscal reforms. Our findings indicate that there are two mechanisms to explain this relationship: first, reconstruction demands greater state expenditure and intervention; and second, the emergence of narratives that justify these reforms, such as patriotism and solidarity. However, data show that in the case of Chile, changes following disasters have had little impact on the overall tax structure of the country, and the historical preference for indirect taxes has been maintained, with limited power to impose taxes on high-income groups.
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    Pandemic patriotism: Official speeches in the face of the global COVID-19 crisis
    (2022) Atria, Jorge; Alfaro, Juan; Tapia, Magdalena; Frei, Raimundo
    Faced with the COVID-19 pandemic, authorities have had to announce health, economic, financial, and social measures. The way in which these actors communicate is crucial and points to the collective meanings that are transmitted when dealing with the pandemic. The discourses used are designed with different frameworks and narratives to have broad appeal, so as to convince the public about the government's performance in managing the crisis and to obtain respect and obedience. Based on a qualitative analysis of 238 official speeches from five continents delivered between March and May 2020, this article contributes to the analysis of the pandemic with regard to two axes that underlie the speeches in other crises of this magnitude: appeals for solidarity and references to a war context. The results show that in this pandemic, the discourses have been deployed through these axes, reinforcing collective memories and national identities as sources to activate patriotic feelings and sustain implemented measures.
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    STUDYING MERITOCRACY IN AN UNEQUAL CONTEXT: PERSPECTIVES FROM CHILEAN SCHOLARS
    (2019) Atria, Jorge; Carlos Castillo, Juan; Maldonado, Luis; Ramirez, Simon
    Although the idea of meritocracy is widely present in social research, few studies analyze and discuss this concept. This research note shows the results from a first stage of a wider research project on meritocracy and distributive preferences in Chile, which is based on 9 interviews with social science scholars whose research is related to these issues. Findings show that researchers refer to merit and meritocracy not only departing from different definitions but also giving them contentious social relevance. Furthermore, effort takes precedence over talent, a more developed dimension in international research. The results are discussed taking the Chilean socio-cultural context into account, characterized by rapid neoliberal modernization as well as high economic inequality.