Political Views as a Lens: Examining the Impact of Socioeconomic Status on Perceived Human Rights Practices Through Life Satisfaction

Abstract

This study aims to examine the relationships between socioeconomic status (SES), life satisfaction, and perceived human rights practices (PHRP) within the framework of Bandura’s social cognitive theory, which emphasizes the interaction of personal, environmental, and behavioral factors in shaping perceptions and behaviors. By integrating this perspective, the study provides a novel understanding of how socioeconomic factors and well-being influence human rights perceptions. In addition, a revalidation study of the Human Rights in the Context of Generational Rights Scale was conducted. The research was designed as a quantitative and cross-sectional study. A total of 791 adults living in different cities in Türkiye were reached online in June 2022. The data collection tools were a demographic information form, the revalidated version of Human Rights in the Context of Generational Rights Scale, and the Life Satisfaction Scale. The collected data were analysed using IBM’s SPSS v.26 and SPSS Amos v.24 and Hayes’ Process Macro plug-in v.4.2. It was found that SES has a direct negative effect on PHRP and an indirect positive effect through life satisfaction. In addition, political opinion was found to have a moderating effect on the relationship between SES and PHRP in terms of government and opposition. These findings suggest that perceptions of human rights are influenced not only by structural socioeconomic conditions but also by subjective well-being and political affiliations. This highlights the importance of considering psychological and ideological factors in discussions on human rights perceptions, providing implications for policymakers and scholars examining social inequalities and governance. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2025.