Political rhetoric and attitudes toward nationhood: A time-comparative and cross-national analysis of 39 countries

an article by Markus Hadler (University of Graz, Austria) and Anaїd Flesken (University of Bristol, UK) published in International Journal of Comparative Sociology Volume 59 Issue 5-6 (October-December 2018)

Abstract

Research on the relationship between nationhood and individual attitudes prominently focuses on whether – and how – the distinction between ethnic and civic conceptions may be drawn in mass public opinion.

We depart from this literature to explain the effects of party rhetoric on shaping more restrictive conceptions of nationhood, which previous research refers to as “ethnic,” “objective,” or “ascriptive” views on nationhood.

We do so in three parts:

1. we examine whether political rhetoric, in terms of party manifestos, and individual-level conceptions of nationhood are linked;
2. whether the relationship depends on the ideological alignment between political parties and respondents; and
3. whether political rhetoric and individual predisposition act in combination.

We analyze three waves of survey data from the International Social Survey Program’s National Identity module from 1995, 2003 and 2013, covering 58,498 respondents from 39 countries.

We find that political rhetoric influences respondents’ conceptions of nationhood. This effect, however, is not as straightforward as initially expected. While the overall political climate does not have a direct effect at the societal level, it does affect the way in which a specific party’s political messages influence the attitudes of their individual recipients.

Once the political climate is more ethnocentric, conceptions of nationhood tend to be more restrictive across the board, even among respondents aligned with parties that do not emphasize ethnic conceptions.

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Lay Perceptions of Inequality and Social Structure

an article by Sarah Irwin (University of Leeds, UK) published in Sociology Volume 52 Issue 2 (April 2018)

Abstract

Lay perceptions of social structure and economic distribution have a particular salience in the current era of widening inequalities which has characterised Britain since the 1980s.

Research into subjective beliefs has generated puzzles: people underestimate the extent of inequalities, see themselves as being situated ‘near the middle’ irrespective of their objective position, and allegedly hold an a-social view of the underpinnings of socio-economic inequalities.

This article presents a new qualitative analysis of lay perceptions of inequality. It does so with a particular focus on context, biographical experience and social change.

The qualitative and temporal perspectives reveal that people are more sophisticated analysts of social process, and of their own situatedness within the wider social structure, than often thought. This has implications for sociological understanding but also holds relevance for renewing political options for intervention.

Additionally, the evidence offers insights into lived experiences of inequality through a period of significant restructuring.

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