Sociology Plus
Class Dealignment Definition
Class dealignment refers to the process, particularly in Great Britain, where the traditional association between occupation and political party support erodes. Historically, this alignment was characterised by manual occupations correlating with support for the Labour Party and nonmanual work with Conservative support; however, recent years have witnessed a significant shift away from these established patterns. The core thesis of class dealignment posits that the historical linkage between political attitudes and class is breaking down, replaced by more fluid affiliations and more volatile voting behaviours. This shift is evidenced by declining working-class support for Labour alongside an increase in middle-class support for both Labour and non-Conservative parties.
Theoretical Basis and Measurement
The concept is closely linked to earlier work concerning ‘class voting’ and ‘non-class voting’. For instance, Alford (1967) proposed an index of class voting calculated by subtracting the percentage of nonmanual workers voting for ‘Left’ parties from the percentage of manual workers voting for ‘Left’ parties. This measurement framework suggests that dealignment can be quantified by examining these shifts in political allegiance across occupational lines.
Methodological Challenges
While useful, this approach faces methodological limitations regarding how ‘class’ is operationalised and measured. Critics argue that relying on a single baseline for class measurement may not capture the full complexity of voting behaviour. Furthermore, studies often fail to account for mediated class locations, such as the influence of a spouse’s or partner’s employment on an individual voter’s perception of their own class position. Historically, many analyses have relied narrowly on the occupation of the male head of household as the primary indicator of class, which limits the accuracy of estimates regarding ‘class’ or ‘class-deviant’ voting patterns. Alternative baselines, such as Marxian conceptions of class or sectoral interests, may offer more cogent explanations for observed shifts in political support.