Suchergebnisse

THE AUTHORS COMMENT ON SCHOLARSHIP BY J.J. RAY AND BY MIDDENDORP AND MELOEN ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN AUTHORITARIANISM AND SOCIAL CLASS. THEY STATE THAT THEIR ANALYSIS, USING A THEORETICALLY-BASED AND EMPIRICALLY-VALIDATED CLASS MODEL, DOES NOT SHOW SYSTEMATIC DIFFERENCES AMONG SOCIAL CLASSES WITH RESPECT TO INTERRELATIONSHIPS OF F-SCALE ITEMS, THEIR SCALEBILITY, AND RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHER AUTHORITARIAN BELIEFS.

IT HAS BEEN WIDELY SUGGESTED IN THE MEDIA THAT YUPPIES (YOUNG URBAN PROFESSIONALS) ARE BECOMING A MAJOR CULTURAL AND POLITICAL SECTOR OF MODERN SOCIETY. THE DISTINCTIVE NATURE OF THEIR SOCIAL AND POLITICAL VIEWS IS ATTRIBUTED TO A FAIRLY UNIQUE COMBINATION OF LIBERAL POLITICAL VIEWS AND CONSERVATIVE ECONOMIC ATTITUDES. THEY ARE ALSO THOUGHT TO HAVE LITTLE POLITICAL INVOLVEMENT AND TO PLACE A STRONG EMPHASIS ON INDIVIDUAL WELFARE. USING DUTCH SOCIAL SURVEY DATA, IT IS FOUND THAT ALTHOUGH YUPPIES HOLD MORE LIBERAL POLITICAL ATTITUDES THAN NON-YUPPIES, THERE IS NO EVIDENCE THAT THEY ARE MORE CONSERVATIVE ON ECONOMIC MATTERS, LESS POLITICALLY INVOLVED OR PLACE A STRONGER EMPHASIS ON INDIVIDUAL PROSPERITY. MORE RESTRICTED DEFINITIONS OF THE TERM "YUPPIE" DO NOT AFFECT THESE RESULTS. BESIDES THESE ANALYSES OF SINGLE POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC ATTITUDES, AN ADDITIONAL ANALYSIS WAS CONDUCTED TO TRACE POSSIBLE DIFFERENCES IN ATTITUDINAL PATTERNS BETWEEN YUPPIES AND NON-YUPPIES. NO SUCH DIFFERENCES HAVE BEEN FOUND, HOWEVER. IT IS ARGUED THAT, INSTEAD OF YUPPIES BEING A SPECIFIC SOCIAL GROUP, THEY ARE PART OF A MUCH BROADER CATEGORY OF YOUNG, LEFT-OF-CENTER PROFESSIONALS WHO, IN LINE WITH "NEW CLASS" THEORIES, HOLD LIBERAL POLITICAL ATTITUDES.

THE AUTHORS REPLY TO CRITICISM OF THEIR PREVIOUS SCHOLARSHIP REGARDING WORKING CLASS AUTHORITARIANISM. THEY REJECT THE CRITIQUE BY MIDDENDORP AND MELOEN BECAUSE THEIR REQUIREMENT OF EMPIRICAL VALIDITY HAS NO RELEVANCE TO THE ARGUMENT FOR USING E.O. WRIGHT'S CLASS MEASUREMENTS; MIDDENDORP AND MELOEN FAIL TO SEE THE RELATIONAL AND QUALITATIVE CHARACTER OF THE CLASS MEASUREMENTS USED BY DEKKER AND ESTER; AND MIDDENDORP AND MELOEN DO NOT SHOW ANY EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE THAT CONTRADICTS THE ORIGINAL FINDINGS. THE AUTHORS DO AGREE WITH MIDDENDORF AND MELOEN ON THE IMPORTANCE OF EDUCATION FOR EXPLAINING AUTHORITARIANISM AND WARN THAT EDUCATION IS TOO IMPORTANT TO MISUSE IT AS A CLASS INDICATOR.

Examined how knowledgeable politicians are of the political opinions of their voters as well as of the general public. 48 national Dutch politicians were asked to estimate the percentage of the public at large and of their own voters who agree with specific political statements. These estimates were then compared with the actual distribution of opinions. (Abstract amended)