I will be focusing on the lack of working class representation in politics. Exploring how education inhibits working class political engagement. I will investigate the increasing of the rich vote vs the decline of the poor vote.
Democracy in the UK continues to be divided (Flinders 2014). Work conducted by Rogers (2005), revealed the social structures behind politics are becoming more discriminatory. Causing typically the poor, working class and youth to be politically alienated. This alienation creates a spiral of exclusion weakening democracy. (Flinders 2014). Democracy becomes vulnerable and lacklustre with low participation rates.
Education is intimately tied in with inequalities in political engagement (Hoskins 2014). Especially in countries that practice allocations of young people to different tracks based on their ability (Hyland 2006), argue it is instead based on social class . The working class are increasingly and disproportionately ending up in vocational education and training school subjects (Hoskins 2014).The correspondence theory suggests schools serves to maintain the capitalist status quo. They are not taught critical thinking, or to create social change (Bowles & Gintis 2011), instead taught to be loyal workers. Therefore, preventing social mobility which could eradicate their barrier to political engagement.
This class based division separates those from entering politics preventing a true reflection of the working class in politics. Research conducted by Hoskins (2014) exposed the working class are seemingly the lower educated group. Hooghe & Dassonneville (2016), the working class continue to drop out of electoral participation. Trying to reengage individuals with politics when political parties do not reflect or represent them in the political decision making process is an uphill battle. Resulting in lost hope with politics accompanied with feelings of powerlessness (Tilley 2017).
The history of politics must be understood to explain the inequalities of working class political engagement. Contemporary political rhetoric reinforces the notion that class is irrelevant (Hyland 2006). Historically in the 1960’s Labour party leaders spoke candidly about representing the working class (Tilley 2017). In the 1990’s political left and right parties declared an end to politics dictated by class (Evans & Tilley 2015). However, the labour party in the 1990’s adopted policies aimed at middle class voters. They stopped speaking to workers, but families instead (Tilley 2017). Blurring political and social divisions between the classes. Giving birth to class issues because of these changing policies.
The historical political change has facilitated an increase in professional politicians deriving from predominantly middle class backgrounds with a university education (Tilley 2017). Supported by (Evans & Tilley 2015) politicians are socially alien from voters such as the working class, failing to comprehend their struggle. Individuals from a lower class have more to contend with such as: unemployment, reduced health and social support (Krauss 2015). Failure for politicians to understand this further exacerbates feelings of feel powerlessness, accepting their conditions. This is in fact dictated by the political landscape (Solt 2008). Therefore, the working class are discouraged from voting permitting thriving of the rich vote. Politicians address their own interests, alongside the desires of the richer and older sections of society (Rogers 2005), due to a lack of working class voting. It would work in the favour of the poor having a redistributive state, concentrated on protection. Working in direct opposition against the rich who desire a free market. (Evans & Tilley 2015). The votes from the rich allow their interests to be met by being politically engaged, hence the larger turnout of rich votes. Voting would change the political landscape of the working class. The feelings of powerless preventing voting continue to hinder working class political engagement.
Wealth has been a key tenant in understanding the behaviours of political engagement. Majority of individuals who are politically engaged are older males, white and higher educated (Hansard 2017). Economic strength or weakness results in a greater or lesser political participation. In the UK differences between the rich and poor turnout were minimal 30 years ago (Tilley 2017). The rich vs poor vote in political science is commonly studied, (Rogers 2005), a difference exhibited more in America, but in Europe it is becoming more apparent.
| Social Class | Turnout 2015 | Turnout 2010 | |
| AB | 75% | 76% | |
| C1 | 69% | 66% | |
| C2 | 62% | 58% |
| DE | 57% | 57% | |
TABLE 1
IPPS Mori (2015) table above illustrates the changes between social classes since 2010 and the UK general election in 2015. In 2015 the working-class turnout is 20% lower than the upper class. Since 2015 in the upper class there has been a minimally increase by both 1%, but a decrease for the C1 social class. The lower social classes saw a decrease by 4%. Showing 2015 turnout has barely changed for the upper class since 2010, but has changed more for the lower class.
This is suggesting that the working class are decreasing in their turnout. Illustrating the vote of the wealthier is stronger displaying a stronger political engagement. The political voice of the poor is being drowned out by the rich as evidence above illustrates.
In conclusion class based division which is a means to wealth strengthens the inequalities in political engagement (Hoskins 2014). Inequalities in the education of the working class, and the lack of representation for the working class indefinitely affect political engagement. The working class are the backbone of society, but have become a political typical scapegoat as presented in the Brexit campaign. There has been a demonization of the working class. The media used derogatory language such as: “dumb, stupid, uniformed” internalised by middle class voters (Price 2017). Some are misled by populist news outlet and political parties such as: UKIP who tap into moral panics of migrants taking their jobs.
If the working class gained “class consciousness”, defined by Karl Marx (1818-1883), they could be the engine of political change. It is time the working class become the focus of attention and politics was more representative of different social groups, to entice the engagement of these individuals who often suffer at the hands of a government who are unable to sympathise with their lives.
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