Reading: June 28 Class and Politics

The article begs the question about the nature of class, whether or not it is declining, and how politics fits into the picture. The article argues that there are political behavioral differences with regards to class and that voting behavior in the U.S. may not be as spread but when one looks at political participation, the disparities are clear.

The authors give weight to different opinions on why there are disparities in class and politics. Some argue that certain classes have more income and resources than others and so they have a bigger say in the political arena. Others stress the importance of education; others stress the workplace situation in fostering discussions about politics.

One of the terms I found particularly interesting in the article is this somewhat Marxian term “group consciousness.” This may be a sort of homage to Marx’s idea of the collective consciousness in which individuals can identify with one another’s sort of disposition in life, whether it be the working class consciousness, or the shared experiences of African Americans in effecting voting patterns, etc. etc. Working class voters will arguably then behave in a certain way due to their similar economic interests. Others argue that classes are disappearing but all in all, the authors make a great case about the changing nature of the disparities in society and how that affects politics and voting behavior in the U.S.