Consensus or dissensus? Analysing people's perceptions of the necessities of life in Finland

Abstract

<p>The aim of this study is to analyse whether or not people are in consensus on what the necessities of life are in Finland. Consensus is analysed through two criteria: a public oriented view on the necessities and agreement between individuals. The study utilises a Finnish postal survey from 2015 where people were asked about the necessity of 23 items. The results suggest that individual views are shaped by personal circumstances and a fully public-oriented view cannot be established. Further, the respondents did not seem to agree on what are necessities. This implies that the minimum living standard could not be established consensually. </p>