THE EFFECTS OF RURALISM, BUREAUCRATIC STRUCTURE, AND ECONOMIC ROLE ON RIGHT-WING EXTREMISM

In: Canadian journal of political science: CJPS = Revue canadienne de science politique : RCSP, Band 7, Heft 1, S. 155-165

Abstract

IN THE SOCIAL STRUCTURE OF MODERN CAPITALIST SOCIETIES, DIFFERENTIATION IS MADE BETWEEN THE 'OLD' MC (BUSINESSMEN) & THE 'NEW' MC (BUREAUCRATS). IT IS HYPOTHESIZED THAT THE OLD MC IN A MATURE, INDUSTRIALIZED, CAPITALIST SYSTEM IS HIGHLY VULNERABLE TO RIGHT-WING EXTREMISM. THIS HYPOTHESIS IS TESTED USING 3 FACTORS OF EXPLANATION UPON WHICH TESTABLE HYPOTHESES WERE GROUNDED: (1) MASS-SOCIETY THEORY CLAIMS A RIGHT-WING MC RESPONSE TO A LACK OF INVOLVEMENT IN THE POWER STRUCTURE & DECISION-MAKING OF MODERN CAPITALISM, (2) ECONOMIC THEORY CLAIMS THAT THE ROOTS OF EXTREMISM LIE IN THE ECONOMIC RISK INHERENT IN CAPITAL INVESTMENT, & (3) RURALISM THEORY SEES THE ROOTS OF EXTREMISM IN THE VALUES OF THE PREINDUSTRIAL AGRARIAN EXPERIENCE. A TOTAL OF 388 (N=299 UR, 45 RU) QUALIFIED PHARMACISTS WERE R'S IN INTERVIEWS CONDUCTED IN THE SUMMERS OF 1969 & 1970 IN THE RU & UR AREAS OF EDMONTON. DIFFERENCES DO OCCUR IN THE HYPOTHESIZED DIRECTIONS, BUT NOT OF A MAGNITUDE SUBSTANTIAL ENOUGH TO BE STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT. 6 TABLES, APPENDIX. T. BABITSKY.