To What Extent Is Social Class An Important Factor When Considering Why People Vote The Way They Do?

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To What Extent Is Social Class An Important Factor When Considering Why People Vote The Way They Do?

At first glance, an attempt to explain voting behaviour is a near impossible task. The British vote is a secret ballot, in which voters have free choice where there is no compulsory reason making a voter vote for one candidate above another. Therefore it is the task of political scientists (Psephologists) to look for trends or patterns in voting behaviour. Therefore many different theories, or models, have been thought up to try and explain this mystery which is voting behaviour.

One explanation of voting behaviour is the social structures model, which as an overview states that the main reason voters vote the way they do is because of social factors. The aim of this essay is to conclude whether one of these factors, social class, is the main factor when voters decide whom to vote for in a General Election.

The social structures model, as stated above, is one explanation for voting behaviour. It states that most people vote according to their ‘objective class interests’. Traditionally class was seen in terms of occupation. Those who were in manual jobs, i.e. the working class (blue collar workers), would vote for the Labour Party. Whereas, those in non-manual jobs (white collar workers), i.e. the middle class, would vote for the Conservatives.

But, if this were true the Labour Party would have won every election since at least 1945, as there were clearly more working class voters than middle class voters from this time onwards. Obviously, Labour did not always get into power and so there must be some sway in the working class vote.

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One reason for this unexpected working class – conservative vote is the theory of Embourgeoisement. This theory is as follows; due to rising pay levels and a raise in living standards since the Second World War, there was a change in behaviour and attitude of working class voters, which made them more like the middle class, these were therefore now expected to vote Conservative. But, however this theory has had little support, as it does not explain the recline of middle class conservative votes.

Class dealignment also must be looked at when determining whether social class is a ...

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