ABSTRACT
Using survey data, this chapter analyses ideas and practices representative of upper-class political orientations. The topics uncovered by a dissection of political values are: conceptions of democracy, cohesion, inequality, meritocracy, and social justice; the role of the public sector and their preferences in terms of public or private services; and views of property ownership, cosmopolitanism, amongst others. Rather than distinguishing between conservative and progressive views, as has been traditional in studies on stratification and politics, we offer a nuanced understanding of political orientations and subjectivities: upper-class political views are a mixture of progressive (positive decentralisation, cultural contribution of migrants, legalisation of marijuana, homosexuals’ ability to raise children), liberal (globalisation as an opportunity) and conservative (children suffer when mothers work, inequalities a necessity, legalisation of the death penalty, homosexuality unacceptable) stances. The issue of political participation is also addressed (elections, demonstrations, etc.). The combination of socio-political views and forms of political behaviour results in what we term ‘Political Orientations’: Networked Pragmatism, Individualised, and Communitarian Individualism.
