Class and Politics in Contemporary Social Science

Marxism Lite and Its Blind Spot for Culture

Nonfiction, Social & Cultural Studies, Social Science, Sociology
Cover of the book Class and Politics in Contemporary Social Science by Dick Houtman, Taylor and Francis
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Dick Houtman ISBN: 9781351528214
Publisher: Taylor and Francis Publication: July 12, 2017
Imprint: Routledge Language: English
Author: Dick Houtman
ISBN: 9781351528214
Publisher: Taylor and Francis
Publication: July 12, 2017
Imprint: Routledge
Language: English

Dick Houtman argues that neither authoritarianism nor libertarianism can be explained by class or economic background, but rather by position in the cultural domain-- what he calls cultural capital. Although he examines all of the statistics and arguments of the conventional approaches with care and concern, Houtman convincingly demonstrates that the conclusions drawn from earlier studies are untenable at a more general theoretical level. Despite differences among advocates of class explanations, their theories are based on largely identical research findings--in particular a strong negative relationship between education and authoritarianism. Unobstructed by the conclusions these authors felt called upon to draw from the findings themselves, Houtman configures them in a new way. The hypotheses derived from this new theory allow for a systematic, strict, and competitive testing of original theses without ignoring the value of and earlier research. After demonstrating that authoritarianism and libertarianism cannot be explained by class or economic background, Houtman examines the implications of this argument for today's death of class debate in political sociology. He holds it to be unfortunate that the relevance of class to politics is typically addressed by studying the relation between class and voting. This conceals a complex cross-pressure mechanism that causes this relationship to capture the net balance of class voting and its opposite, cultural voting, instead of class voting. He argues that references to a decline in class voting may be basically correct, but dogmatic reliance on the relation between class and voting to prove the point systematically underestimates levels of class voting and produces an exaggerated picture of the decline.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Dick Houtman argues that neither authoritarianism nor libertarianism can be explained by class or economic background, but rather by position in the cultural domain-- what he calls cultural capital. Although he examines all of the statistics and arguments of the conventional approaches with care and concern, Houtman convincingly demonstrates that the conclusions drawn from earlier studies are untenable at a more general theoretical level. Despite differences among advocates of class explanations, their theories are based on largely identical research findings--in particular a strong negative relationship between education and authoritarianism. Unobstructed by the conclusions these authors felt called upon to draw from the findings themselves, Houtman configures them in a new way. The hypotheses derived from this new theory allow for a systematic, strict, and competitive testing of original theses without ignoring the value of and earlier research. After demonstrating that authoritarianism and libertarianism cannot be explained by class or economic background, Houtman examines the implications of this argument for today's death of class debate in political sociology. He holds it to be unfortunate that the relevance of class to politics is typically addressed by studying the relation between class and voting. This conceals a complex cross-pressure mechanism that causes this relationship to capture the net balance of class voting and its opposite, cultural voting, instead of class voting. He argues that references to a decline in class voting may be basically correct, but dogmatic reliance on the relation between class and voting to prove the point systematically underestimates levels of class voting and produces an exaggerated picture of the decline.

More books from Taylor and Francis

Cover of the book Encyclopedia of Erotic Literature by Dick Houtman
Cover of the book Everyday Social Justice and Citizenship by Dick Houtman
Cover of the book The Routledge Companion to Digital Journalism Studies by Dick Houtman
Cover of the book Winning with Words by Dick Houtman
Cover of the book God, Human Nature and Education for Peace by Dick Houtman
Cover of the book The Sociology of Urban Living by Dick Houtman
Cover of the book Inequality in Capitalist Societies by Dick Houtman
Cover of the book European Works Councils by Dick Houtman
Cover of the book Hermetic Philosophy & Alchemy by Dick Houtman
Cover of the book The Province of Jurisprudence Determined by John Austin by Dick Houtman
Cover of the book Design for Motion by Dick Houtman
Cover of the book The World of the Revolutionary American Republic by Dick Houtman
Cover of the book Cerebral Laterality by Dick Houtman
Cover of the book Early Christian Latin Poets by Dick Houtman
Cover of the book Language and Discrimination by Dick Houtman
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy