Social classes and political behaviours: Directions for a geographical analysis |
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| Authors: | Gilles Van Hamme |
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| Institution: | 1. Department of Geology, Faculty of Science, Benha University, Farid Nada Street 15, Benha 13518, Egypt;2. Department of Tourism, Higher School of Business, Southern Federal University, 23-ja linija Street 43, Rostov-na-Donu, 344019, Russia;3. P.O. Box 7333, Rostov-na-Donu, 344056, Russia;1. School of Social Work, Louisiana State University, United States;2. George Warren Brown School of Social Work, Washington University in St. Louis, United States;1. School of Mechanical Engineering, Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai, India;2. School of Mechanical and Construction, Vel Tech Rangarajan Dr. Sagunthala R&D Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai, India;1. Geology Department, Faculty of Science, Helwan University, Cairo, Egypt;2. International Institute of Seismology and Earthquake Engineering (IISEE), Building Research Institute (BRI), Tsukuba, Japan;3. National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics (NRIAG), Helwan, Cairo, Egypt |
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| Abstract: | The pertinence of social classes to the understanding of political behaviour has been questioned. The purpose of this article is to propose some directions for a geographical approach of political behaviour centred on social classes. More precisely, we intend here to show how geography can participate in this major debate about the present relevance of social classes. To achieve this objective, a geographical analysis must integrate two major socio-political evolutions since the 1970s: the re-composition processes of social classes and the role of parties in the decline of class voting. Drawing on examples in Belgium, the paper proposes original multi-scalar analyses that take these evolutions into account. At local scale, we highlight fractures inside intermediate classes, which are associated to the fact that left wing segments of these classes are more inclined to live in core cities. At national level, we show the deepness of class and regional gaps in political attitudes despite relative dealignment in electoral behaviour, resulting in the difficulties for big national parties to keep together such a heterogeneous electoral support. Finally, we show how big left wing national parties are able to overcome these difficulties when they are associated to strong and dense local social networks. |
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