Suchergebnisse

THE CONCEPT OF AUTHORITARIANISM HAS GENERALLY BEEN CONSIDERED A PERSONALITY CONSTRUCT, ALTHOUGH ADORNO'S APPROACH WAS INSPIRED BY PREVIOUS WORK WITH AN IDEOLOGICAL FASCIST ANGLE. THESE TWO APPROACHES HAVE BEEN, TO AN APPRECIABLE EXTENT, MIXED IN LATER THINKING. THIS PAPER ENDEAVORS TO DISENTANGLE THEM BY CONSIDERING THE CLASSICAL ADORNO F-SCALE AS A PERSONALITY VARIABLE AND CONSTRUCTING AN IDEOLOGICAL LIBERTARIANISM-AUTHORITARIANISM DIMENSION, PARTLY VALIDATED BY ITS RELATIONSHIP TO A SHORTENED UNIDIMENSIONAL VERSION OF THE F-SCALE. THE PERSONALITY VARIABLE OF AUTHORITARIANISM IS SHOWN TO HAVE NO SUBSTANTIAL EMPIRICAL RELATIONSHIP TO VOTING INTENTIONS IN THE NETHERLANDS. HOWEVER, THE IDEOLOGICAL MEASURE OF AUTHORITARIANISM IS RELATIVELY STRONGLY AND CONSISTENTLY ASSOCIATED WITH INTENDED VOTING BEHAVIOR. THIS STUDY ALSO CLARIFIES THE ONGOING DEBATE OVER THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN AUTHORITARIANISM AND LEFT-RIGHT IDEOLOGY. THE WEAK RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN MEASURES OF AUTHORITARIANISM AND LEFT-RIGHT IDEOLOGY SIGNIFY THE EXISTENCE OF LEFT-WING AUTHORITARIANISM IN THE DUTCH POPULATION.

THE AUTHORS RESPOND TO CRITICISM FROM J.J. RAY REGARDING THEIR RESEARCH ON WORKING CLASS AUTHORITARIANISM. THEY ARGUE THAT RAY HAS MISINTERPRETED THEIR CONCLUSIONS AND CONTRADICTED HIMSELF. THEY SERIOUSLY QUESTION RAY'S SUGGESTION THAT THE DIRECTIVENESS SCALE MEASURES AUTHORITARIANISM. THE ADORNO ET AL. F-SCALE HAS BEEN SHOWN TO BE A POTENTIAL FASCISM SCALE, WHEREAS NO SUCH EVIDENCE IS AVAILABLE FOR RAY'S DIRECTIVENESS SCALE.

Using the reconceptualization of class concept developed by Eric Olin Wright (Classes, London: Verso, 1985), the assertion by P. Dekker & P. Ester that the working class is not more authoritarian than other classes (eg, see SA 36:2/88T4138) is tested, based on analysis of survey data collected from the Dutch electorate between 1975 & 1980. In Wright's reconceptualization, ownership of the means of production, capitalist manner of production, & differences in educational level are used to formulate 12 classes. Results do not support Dekker's & Ester's assertion, & also indicate that class divisions are neither empirically nor theoretically sound. 4 Tables, 15 References. A. Cole