Are countries, regions, and firms with stronger discrimination also characterized by greater social inequalities, for instance in employment and earnings gaps? Can the effect of discrimination on real‑life inequalities be quantified? Do inequalities in turn generate further discrimination? How has the relationship between discrimination and social inequalities evolved over time?

While numerous field experiments have provided compelling evidence of the pervasiveness and persistence of discrimination across a range of societies, research remains limited on how these unequal treatments fuel social inequalities in real‑life settings, and how they may in turn be shaped by those inequalities.

The DISEQUAL project, led by Mirna Safi (Sciences Po – CRIS) and funded for five years by the European Research Council (ERC) under the Advanced Grant scheme for established researchers pursuing ambitious and innovative projects, will advance knowledge along three major objectives:

Investigate the relationship between discrimination and inequalities in various contexts by combining experimental and observational data.

Understand the role of psychosocial mechanisms, such as attitudes, beliefs, and subjective experiences, in the cycle linking discrimination and social inequalities.

Assess the role of public policies in the production and reproduction of this cycle between discrimination and social inequalities.

The project will assemble and harmonise cross‑national comparative data covering multiple measures of discrimination, with particular attention to gender and ethnoracial origin. Several spheres of social interaction will be examined, notably the labour and housing markets. The project will cover up to 35 countries with historical depth, allowing the study of temporal changes over the period 1970–2024. It will also integrate data at multiple levels (national, regional, and firm‑level data).

DISEQUAL will draw on theoretical and methodological approaches from sociology, economics, political science, and social psychology to shed light on the mechanisms connecting discrimination and inequalities, and to improve the effectiveness of policies aimed at addressing these persistent societal challenges.

Such a European project is required to include a form of scientific boldness and conceptual risk, making it possible to test novel hypotheses, use complementary methods, and incorporate new data, in order to meet the ERC funding criteria.

The project’s findings will give rise to presentations and publications, which will be announced on our website throughout the lifetime of the project.