BLOG 2 Socioeconomic Disparities in Political Engagement – Why?

In my previous blog I demonstrated age disparities in political engagement and that divide is often perceived as the largest inequality in political engagement – unfortunately I’m here to tell you that this is only the tip of the iceberg. From my own background, which I certainly feel necessary to draw upon in this context of socioeconomic inequalities; I come from a large working class family and originally I never had much interest in the subject, I believed that the world of politics was not relevant in my daily life. However, through educating myself I came to the harsh realisation that politics governed almost every aspect of daily life and I could not understand why my socioeconomic class was so disengaged. Therefore, in this blog I aim to provide an explanation of why working class individuals are so detached from politics.

Firstly, when speaking of inequalities within political engagement it is important to note that social hierarchy has been present in politics, even from the very beginning. Those with power and wealth govern the rest of us who are working at the bottom of the hierarchy. Due to this evident inequality in power, it is reasonable to claim that working classes feel a sense of hopelessness in society, because political decisions and elections are only beneficial for the wealthy. It is undeniable that there is a momentous gap between the rich and the poor, and it is evident that within societies with high levels of inequality, political participation is low (Hoskins, et al 2017). With little social cohesion in the UK, there is a reluctance to engage in politics. For example, unskilled workers and the long-term unemployed are less likely to vote, and also less likely to be registered to vote in the first place (Hoskins, et al 2017). Figure 1 (Dempsey and Johnston, 2018) demonstrates the different socioeconomic statuses in the UK, which is based on the occupation of the lead earner in the household. In other words, it is a grading system, which demonstrates the social class hierarchy, defined by income and wealth. 

 

Fig 1: Social Grade Table with population figures (Dempsey and Johnston, 2018)

Furthermore, it is evident that people with higher incomes and a good quality education (private school education) are significantly more active in politics. This is one explanation for the voting turnout in 2019, IPSOS MORI (2019) reported a turnout of 68% for A/B social class, compared to a mere 53% of D/E social class. Therefore, this hierarchy is relevant in today’s political climate, A/B social class are reported to have a far greater knowledge of politics in comparison to the lower social grades. Therefore, unfortunately working class people are generally less educated than those from higher social classes. Schusmann and Soule (2005) found that individuals who attend state schools are extremely unlikely to have had a formal political education, which contributes to the disinterested culture towards politics. This educational inequality goes right to the top in the government, with 30% of MP’s who have been privately educated, compared to 7% of the general population (House of Commons Briefing Paper 2018). It is clear that the lower classes are overwhelmingly underrepresented by the politicians who are elected to promote their interests. 

 

Our political system is meant to be based on democracy, a form of government where common people hold equal political power, and in this sense politics should represent all groups, regardless of age, socioeconomic background, gender and race. However, as we know this is simply not true, democracy is a myth. How can politics truly be democratic without giving working class individuals the same opportunities to learn the importance of participation and how to do so?

 

However, I believe that there is more to this problem than just educational inequalities resulting in voting disparities. As previously mentioned, the role of peoples backgrounds are an instrumental factor in political engagement, parents pass on their societal position to their children and with that is culture and attitudes. For example, Hoskins et al (2017) found that wealthier households promote a home environment where children are encouraged to discuss, critically think about situations and assess outcomes (afterall, isn’t that what politics is all about?). This environment is less present in lower class households, meaning the disadvantaged are further at a disadvantage. Note that the lower classes are not intentionally creating an environment where this does not exist, but rather they are raising their children the way they were raised, with different resources, education and values in comparison to middle/upper class households. To aid your understanding in this concept, I urge you to look at this comic, it sums this point up perfectly! 

https://digitalsynopsis.com/inspiration/privileged-kids-on-a-plate-pencilsword-toby-morris/

 Research has found that these disparities in voting can be reduced by creating an open classroom climate and encouraging participation in political activities (Hoskins et al., 2017). Those from lower social backgrounds will very much benefit from receiving a formal citizenship education, as it is a skill they will carry for the rest of their lives. Lastly, there are many reasons behind the inequality between socioeconomic status and politics, I believe providing sufficient education is just the start. 

What are your thoughts on the subject?

What do you think causes this socioeconomic disparity in politics?

Let me know in the comments!

Bibliography 

Dempsey, N. and Johnston, N. (2018). Political disengagement in the UK: who is disengaged?. House of Commons. [online] Available at: https://researchbriefings.parliament.uk/ResearchBriefing/Summary/CBP-7501 (Accessed: 21/3/20)

 

Hoskins, B., Janmaat, J. and Melis, G. (2017). Tackling Inequalities in Political Socialisation: A Systematic Analysis of Access to and Mitigation Effects of Learning Citizenship at School. Social Science Research, [online] 68, pp.88-101. Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0049089X16304458?via%3Dihub (Accessed 21/3/20).

 

House of Commons, (2019). Social background of MPs 1979-2017 (6). London: House of Commons Library.

 

IPSOS MORI. (2019). How Britain Voted in the 2019 Election. Available: https://www.ipsos.com/ipsos-mori/en-uk/how-britain-voted-2019-election (accessed 21/3/20).

 

Schusmann, A. and Soule, S. (2005) Process and Protest: Accounting for Individual Protest Participation in Social Forces, 84 (2), pp 1083-1108.