In the past and present, we can observe inequalities in most aspects of the society that we live in and so these inequalities are also present in political engagement. There are noticeable socioeconomic inequalities in political engagement in the UK, with individuals from lower socioeconomic backgrounds being less likely to participate in political activities compared to those from higher socioeconomic backgrounds. Voting for politicians or parties, as well as other actions like campaigning, demonstrating, and filling petitions are just a few ways that citizens can affect the decisions that governments make, and these actions are referred to as democratic or political engagement. These inequalities in political engagement can have significant implications for democracy and representation, as the voices and perspectives of certain groups may be underrepresented in the political process. This then runs the risk of starting a vicious cycle in which people withdraw from politics out of a sense of alienation from the system, the system disregards their interests in favour of engaged groups.

Figure 1: Social Grade of Chief Income (Ipsos, 2009)Socio-economic groups can be categorised in a variety of ways, such as by income, profession, housing or educational attainment. the term ‘social grade’ which is based on occupation is sometimes used as a substitute for these many qualities. the definitions can be found above, in figure 1.

It is easier to read figure 2, with the support of figure 1. Figure 2 clearly shows that the social grade that participates the most in political activity is social grade A, which according to figure 1 will be classed as middle class. Whereas, as C2 and E, social grades are less likely to participate in political activity in comparison to middle class.

Individuals from higher socioeconomic backgrounds are more likely to vote in elections, donate to political parties, and join political organisations than those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. There are several reasons why there are socioeconomic inequalities in political engagement in the UK, and education is an important factor in political participation since it gives the knowledge, skills, and confidence needed to participate in the political process. Individuals with a high level of education have more knowledge about political issues, better critical thinking skills, and stronger verbal and communication skills which can help them be more effective in political activities such as voting and campaigning. It is believed that education is the strongest predictor of political knowledge. Overall, in our societies, education always plays a major role as it is an institution with the primary purpose of educating us all.

However, individuals from lower socioeconomic backgrounds may have limited access to education due to a range of factors that expand on to class inequalities in education and academic achievements, an example is financial barriers such as the cost of education, for instance, tuition fees, and hidden costs. Another example is social and cultural barriers, the Marxist sociologist Pierre Bourdieu (1986), developed the concept of cultural capital and applied it to education and one aspect of this cultural capital is educational capital where middle-class parents are more likely to have university degrees and so more educated and can help with their children with academics and enforcing the importance and value on education. Yes, it is important for schools to get students engaged with politics, but this really is not possible if the child is not engaged with education in the first place. The cases of pupils also leaving education before the age of 18 could also be critical as it means they missing out on the knowledge passed by their educational institutions.

There are also systematic barriers where the education system may be structured in a way that disadvantages certain groups This can always lead to limited access to information which is one of the factors that impact political engagement as individuals from lower socioeconomic backgrounds may not have access to the same sources of information about political issues and candidates as those from higher socioeconomic backgrounds. They may have limited access to the Internet, newspapers, or other media outlets, which can make it difficult to stay informed about political issues. Or as mentioned the cultural capital, the flow of political knowledge and political engagement within the family also play a role in keeping members of the family engaged. Linking this back to education, schools can also fail to give access to this information due to unequal funding and under-resourced schools. Although there is compulsory education on political engagement, like citizenship education is in the UK education curriculum, there are many other ways that schools can engage their students in politics, this will be done voluntarily hence why it may not be taken as a priority by some schools, especially in disadvantaged areas. This also results with an argument of different education pupils can get depending on their socio-economic backgrounds, so comparing private and public-school education. These factors can create significant barriers to education for individuals from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, which in turn can limit their opportunities to engage in the political process. Addressing these barriers and promoting greater access to education for all individuals can help to reduce socioeconomic inequalities in political engagement.

 

Income and employment also play a role in an individual’s political engagement as individuals from lower socioeconomic backgrounds may have lower income and be more likely to work in low-wage jobs with less flexible work schedules or may have caregiving responsibilities that limit their ability to participate in political activities, making it more difficult to participate in political activities that require time and resources families.  Time constraints are also related to access to information, as there is so much information out there to consume, as politics is not just about one issue, there are so many issues that we all need to encounter when choosing to stand by a specific political party.

I am a dual citizen, and I use my vote in both countries, which means that I follow politics of two nations which at time does get overwhelming, but being surrounded by family and friends that are politically engaged keeps me engaged too. Political engagement is often facilitated through social networks, and individuals from higher socioeconomic backgrounds may have greater access to social networks that facilitate political engagement, such as through friends, family, or colleagues who are politically active. This also links to having the time to keeping these connections.

The feeling of disempowerment also play a role in inequalities of political engagement. Individuals from lower socioeconomic background may feel disempowered by the political system and may not believe that their participation can make a difference. As it is visible on figure 3 too, it is the individuals from lower socioeconomic background believe that politicians do not care, so they do not feel like they are empowered to change things.

Addressing these barriers will require a multifaceted approach that involves improving access to information, creating more flexible work arrangements, and promoting greater civic engagement among all members of society

 

 

References

Bourdieu, P. (1986). THE FORMS OF CAPITAL. pp.241–258. Available at: https://home.iitk.ac.in/~amman/soc748/bourdieu_forms_of_capital.pdf. (Accessed: 4 April 2023).

Ipsos (2009). Social Grade A Classification Tool Bite Sized Thought Piece. Available at: https://www.ipsos.com/sites/default/files/publication/6800-03/MediaCT_thoughtpiece_Social_Grade_July09_V3_WEB.pdf. (Accessed: 4 April 2023)

Uberoi, E. and Johnston, N. (2021). Political disengagement in the UK: who is disengaged?  Parliament.uk. Available at: https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-7501/CBP-7501.pdf. (Accessed: 4 April 2023)