| Title: |
Children's and Adolescents' Reasoning about Distributive Fairness and Educational Inequalities |
| Language: |
English |
| Authors: |
Jeanine Grütter (ORCID 0000-0002-3010-3217); Carmen Barth; Iren Karki; Riley N. Sims; Melanie Killen |
| Source: |
International Journal of Behavioral Development. 2026 50(2):240-252. |
| Availability: |
SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://sagepub.com |
| Peer Reviewed: |
Y |
| Page Count: |
13 |
| Publication Date: |
2026 |
| Document Type: |
Journal Articles; Reports - Research |
| Education Level: |
Elementary Education; Grade 5; Intermediate Grades; Middle Schools; Grade 6; Grade 7; Junior High Schools; Secondary Education; Grade 8; Grade 9; High Schools; Grade 10 |
| Descriptors: |
Children; Adolescents; Rural Areas; Social Justice; Social Class; Educational Resources; Resource Allocation; Equal Education; Beliefs; Foreign Countries; Student Experience; Grade 5; Grade 6; Grade 7; Grade 8; Grade 9; Grade 10; Socioeconomic Status |
| Geographic Terms: |
Nepal |
| DOI: |
10.1177/01650254241308503 |
| ISSN: |
0165-0254; 1464-0651 |
| Abstract: |
To investigate children's and adolescents' reasoning about distributive fairness in a rural area of Nepal, we asked participants (53% girls, N = 706, M[subscript age] = 13.48; SD[subscript age] = 1.79) to distribute educational resources to schools that varied by social class (SC) and to justify their allocation. Most participants allocated equally or equitably; only a minority rewarded the higher-SC school with extra resources. Novel results revealed multiple forms of reasoning coexisting in children's and adolescents' explanations about distributive fairness; participants' reasoning did not just mirror their numeric allocation. Those who allocated equally were primarily concerned with nondiscrimination, whereby some participants focused on social equality and emphasized removing structural barriers. Furthermore, participants' allocation and reasoning depended on their SC and positive experiences at school. |
| Abstractor: |
As Provided |
| Entry Date: |
2026 |
| Accession Number: |
EJ1499940 |
| Database: |
ERIC |