Reference groups and complaints about inequality

Although influence of reference population on assessment of individual position is well recognized on the ground of sociology, its impact is rarely taken into account in economic analysis of inequality. Few analyses that are concerned with issue of reference groups in the context of inequality and relative deprivation measurement deal, however, with single reference group. The aim of the paper is consideration on how concept of reference populations of different kind (reference groups and reference categories) may be applied to assessment of aggregated complaint that results from inequality in income (wealth) distribution.