Research

My research agenda over the past couple of years clusters around three broader topics: economic stratification in comparative perspective, elite and class sociology, and cultural processes in the (re-) production of inequality. Ongoing work shifts the focus towards housing inequality, credit markets, and redistribution.

Economic Stratification in Comparative Perspective

I have published various studies on wealth inequality across countries. My aim is to understand differences in levels and variation of wealth across countries. I am particularly interested to study how redistribution moderates the association between income and wealth, how housing markets form central elements in wealth stratification across countries, and how increasing indebtedness of households explains part of the puzzle of varying levels of inequality.

Class Analysis and Economic Elites

A second research strands is theoretically and empirically interested in class analysis and wealth accumulation. Inspired by the recent rise in wealth-related inequalities, I try to theoretically and empirically assess how we can activate traditional and more recent approaches to class to account for wealth. I am further interested in conceptualizing and measuring economic elites across countries.

Culture and Inequality

Lastly, I am interested how people make sense of inequality, and how they evaluate the legitimacy of vast fortunes. For example, I study how the super-rich are portrayed in the press, and how they themselves try to legitimize their riches. Further, I use experimental methods to understand how people evaluate the deservingness of inherited wealth, even if this wealth was obtained through crimes against humanity.