Social heterogeneity

7 important questions on Social heterogeneity

Which are the three basic cleavages?

  1. Urban-rural
  2. Confessional
    1. Secular-clerical: laïcisering
  3. Class cleavage: work versus capital

Which are the three extra modern cleavages?

  1. Post-materialist cleavage: greens (silent revolution) versus extreme right (silent counter-revolution
  2. Ethnic and linguistic cleavages
  3. Center-periphery: NL: Randstad (heartland) versus provinces (platteland)

What is the difference between cross-cutting and coinciding cleavages?

In coinciding cleavages multiple people stand across each other in multiple cleavages. This was for example the case in the so-called 'minikoningskwestie' in Belgium.
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Cleavages sometimes start latent (people don't know there is a cleavage: gen z versus boomer), but eventually becomes politicized. What drives a cleavage becoming politicized?

Electoral institutions

Posner (2004) did research about why the ethnical Chewas and Tumbukas behave differently in Zambia and Malawi. They are allies in Zambia but adversaries in Malawi. In the latter they are a much larger group. Explain with the politicization of ethnic cleavages.

  • In Zambia both minority groups
    • Working together is a better option
  • In Malawi both large groups
    • It is politically opportune to politicize ethnicity

Duverger speaks about two effects of electoral systems. Which?

  • Mechanical effect
    • The hard reality
  • Strategic / psychological effect
    • The mind gamez

Can social cleavages gain representation in two party-systems?

No, because of the mechanical effect of electoral laws

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