Who Is in the Middle: Social Class, Core Values, and Identities in India

Capelos, T. and Basu, I. 2022. Who Is in the Middle: Social Class, Core Values, and Identities in India. Political Psychology. 43 (1), pp. 89-109. https://doi.org/10.1111/pops.12742

TitleWho Is in the Middle: Social Class, Core Values, and Identities in India
TypeJournal article
AuthorsCapelos, T. and Basu, I.
Abstract

This article examines how middle‐class identity is experienced and employed by traditional and neo‐middle‐class identifiers in India. The economically and socially heterogeneous middle‐class identifiers vote similarly, but we know very little about what they want out of politics. We focus on the subjective experiences of middle‐class identifiers, we theorize the expressive function of middle‐class identities, and we examine the socially and personally focused core values of traditional middle‐class identifiers and neo‐middle aspirers. We introduce the "Class as Social Identity" scale and analyze qualitative interviews with strong middle‐class identifiers (Study 1) and the 2006, 2012, and 2014 World Values Survey India segments (Study 2). The interviews show that upper middle class and lower middle class identifiers express similar socially focused values but different personally focused values. The WVS analyses show convergence of upper‐middle‐class and lower‐middle‐class identifiers on conservation and self‐transcendence in line with dominant political narratives and divergence on materialism, hedonism, and stimulation in line with their rising differences in income and every‐day life pressures. We discuss the significance of these findings for the understanding of the political function of middle‐class identities in India in the context of heightened Hindu nationalism and recent socioeconomic challenges aggravated by the COVID‐19 pandemic.

KeywordsPolitical Science and International Relations
Philosophy
Experimental and Cognitive Psychology
Sociology and Political Science
Clinical Psychology
Social Psychology
JournalPolitical Psychology
Journal citation43 (1), pp. 89-109
ISSN0162-895X
1467-9221
Year2022
PublisherWiley
Publisher's version
License
CC BY 4.0
File Access Level
Open (open metadata and files)
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1111/pops.12742
Web address (URL)https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/pops.12742
Publication dates
Published online09 Apr 2021
Published in printFeb 2022
Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Related outputs

My City (In)visible: Colombo
Basu,I. 2023. My City (In)visible: Colombo. Liverpool

The Democratic Prospects of Digital Urban Futures: Lessons from India's Smart Cities Mission
Basu,I. 2022. The Democratic Prospects of Digital Urban Futures: Lessons from India's Smart Cities Mission. Journal of Indian and Asian Studies. 3 (2), pp. 1-25. https://doi.org/10.1142/S2717541322400071

Governing Without the Politics: Postcolonial Governmentality and the Indian Middle Classes
Basu,I. 2020. Governing Without the Politics: Postcolonial Governmentality and the Indian Middle Classes. in: Teo, T.-A. and Wynne-Hughes, E. (ed.) Postcolonial Governmentalities London Rowman & Littlefield.

Elite Discourse Coalitions and the Governance of 'Smart Spaces':Politics, Power and Privilege in India's Smart Cities Mission
Basu, I. 2019. Elite Discourse Coalitions and the Governance of 'Smart Spaces':Politics, Power and Privilege in India's Smart Cities Mission. Political Geography. 68, pp. 77-85. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polgeo.2018.11.002

Governance, rights and the demand for democracy: evidence from Bangladesh
Basu, I., Brown, G.K. and Devine, J. 2018. Governance, rights and the demand for democracy: evidence from Bangladesh. in: Basu, I., Devine, J. and Wood, G. (ed.) Politics and Governance in Bangladesh: Uncertain Landscapes London Routledge.

Dhaka's Invisible Inhabitants
Basu,I. 2012. Dhaka's Invisible Inhabitants. Daily Star.

State of Cities: Urban Governance in Dhaka City Report
Basu, I. 2012. State of Cities: Urban Governance in Dhaka City Report. Dhaka, Bangladesh BRAC.

The Politics of Recognition and Redistribution: Development, Tribal Identity Politics and Distributive Justice in India's Jharkhand
Basu, I. 2012. The Politics of Recognition and Redistribution: Development, Tribal Identity Politics and Distributive Justice in India's Jharkhand. Development and Change. 43 (6), pp. 1291-1312. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-7660.2012.01803.x

Security and Development: are they two sides of the same coin? Investigating India’s two-pronged policy towards left wing extremism
Basu, I. 2011. Security and Development: are they two sides of the same coin? Investigating India’s two-pronged policy towards left wing extremism . Contemporary South Asia. 19 (4), pp. 373-393. https://doi.org/10.1080/09584935.2010.537745

Permalink - https://westminsterresearch.westminster.ac.uk/item/v4qvy/who-is-in-the-middle-social-class-core-values-and-identities-in-india


Share this

Usage statistics

89 total views
70 total downloads
These values cover views and downloads from WestminsterResearch and are for the period from September 2nd 2018, when this repository was created.