Sozialstruktur, gesellschaftliche Wertorientierungen und Wahlabsicht: Ergebnisse eines Zeitvergleichs des deutschen Elektorats 1953 und 1976 [1977]

Abstract

Social cleavages are defined as coalitions of large societal groups which are themselves organized in interest groups and other organizations with certain po-litical parties. Overcoming the macro analysis of Lipset and Rokkan, value orientations are analyzed as micro mechanisms connecting social structural positions and voting behavior. By replicating survey questions in 1976 which were first asked in a 1953 survey, changes of in the relation between certain social structural positons and voting over time are documented. A major result is that the political re-orientation of the new middle class towards the Social Democrats was less driven driven less by left economic attitudes than by increasing liberal attitudes towards marriage and family which are were propagated by the SPD.