A life course approach to political preference formation across social classes

Abstract

While social class has received renewed attention as a driver of political conflict in Western democracies, little is known about when political differences by classes emerge and consolidate. Are they a direct consequence of individuals’ economic prospects and daily experiences on the job, or are they driven by a sorting process responding to family origin and earlier formative experiences? This study applies a life course approach to identify the impact of (future) social classes during early adulthood, in the transition to employment, and the transition to the main class of destination. These longitudinal analyses using British and Swiss panel data allow for adjudicating the stage(s) at which political preferences become more marked across social classes. The results indicate that differences by (future) class are apparent early in life, and that they consolidate during employment. This research advances current and historical debates about social class as a relevant milieu of political socialisation and public opinion formation.