Voting Behaviour And The Media- Social Demographic Factors Affecting Voter Behaviour, Social Class

Question 1

Social class

Answer 1

The classification of people based on their occupations and, to some extent, their income. Social class is often expressed using social grades AB, C1, C2 and DE, which divide the population up into different professions.

Question 2

Classifications

Answer 2

AB

C1

C2

DE

Question 3

Describe AB classification

Answer 3

Higher and intermediate managerial, administrative and professional occupations

Question 4

Typical occupations of :

AB classification

Answer 4

+ Banker
+ Doctor
+ Company director
* Senior executive

Question 5

Describe C1 social classification

Answer 5

Supervisory, clerical and junior managerial, administrative and professional occupations

Question 6

Typical occupation of :

C1

Answer 6

+ Teacher
+ Office manager
+ IT manager
+ Social worker

Question 7

Describe C2 social classification:

Answer 7

Skilled manual occupation

Question 8

Typical occupations of :

C2

Answer 8

+ Plumber
* Hairdresser
+ Mechanic
+ Train driver

Question 9

Describe C2 social classification

Answer 9

Semi-skilled and unskilled occupations, unemployed and lowest-grade occupations

Question 10

Typical occupations of:

C2 social classification

Answer 10

+ Labourer
+ Bar staff
+ Call centre staff
+ Unemployed

Question 11

Class dealignment

Answer 11

A trend whereby fewer people associate themselves with belonging to a particular social class, decreasing the impact of class on voting behaviour.

Question 12

Partisan dealignment

Answer 12

A trend whereby fewer voters are committed to, or loyal to, a specific party.

Question 13

How important is social class in determining the way people vote?

Answer 13

+ Peter Pulzer once wrote that ‘Class is the basis of party politics, all else is embellishment and detail.’

+ Traditionally, the AB groups would largely vote Conservative, while the DE groups would largely vote Labour. They would do so based on perceptions that those parties would best represent their interests.

+ In the 1964 general election, Labour won 64% of DE voters while 78% of AB voters chose the Conservatives.

+ However, class dealignment has
resulted in partisan dealignment, affecting the importance of social class in determining electoral outcomes.

Question 14

Important election years to know:

Answer 14

1964

1997

2017

2019

Question 15

1964

% class AB voting Conservative

Answer 15

78

Question 16

1964

% class DE voting Labour

Answer 16

64

Question 17

1997

% class AB voting Conservative

Answer 17

41

Question 18

1997

% class DE voting Labour

Answer 18

59

Question 19

2017

% class AB voting Conservative

Answer 19

43

Question 20

2017

% class DE voting Labour

Answer 20

47

Question 21

2019

% class AB voting Conservative

Question 22

2019

% class DE voting Labour

Answer 22

39

Question 23

Arguments for Social class being important

Answer 23

+ Class divides in voting might be expressed in other, more subtle ways, such as the probability that black and minority ethnic (BME) voters in low-paid jobs might vote Labour, or that DE voters in Kent might vote Conservative.

+Education might be the new reflection of class, with 58% of those with GCSES or below voting Conservative and 43% of those with a degree or higher voting Labour in the 2019 general election.

+ Equally, class plays a significant role in how political parties fight campaigns — the Tories targeted the ‘left-behind towns’ in 2017 and 2019.

Question 24

Arguments for Social class NOT being important

Answer 24

+ In the 21st century, class-based voting has been undercut by class dealignment and issue-based voting (e.g. Brexit).

+In the 2017 general election, the DE vote was split: 43% of this group voted Conservative and 47% Labour.

+ In 2019, the Conservatives won support from all social grades, including AB and DE.

+Class is therefore no longer as important, as there is no clear divide between how different social grades vote.

Question 25

The significance of class-based voting can be evaluated as follows:

Answer 25

+ Class is no longer as reliable a predictor as it once was of how a person might vote.

+ It is important to note, however, that class-based voting may manifest itself through other characteristics, such as levels of education, which means that the significance of class in how a person votes cannot be completely discounted.