RIVERSIDE – (INT) – A new ‘open-access’ study is putting divisive issues more in focus.

Sociologists at UC Riverside studied results of surveys done over a 44-year period found more conservative views on a number of issues that liberal politicians have elevated in recent elections. For example, professionals and managers are becoming more liberal while blue collar workers, who were once the backbone of leftist politics in the U.S., now show more conservative views on a number of issues.

Steven Brint, a professor of sociology and public policy at UC Riverside, led a new open-access study. He found “On such issues as redistributing wealth, reducing poverty or economic inequality, tackling crime and policing, and limiting corporations’ social and economic influence, professionals and managers have become more liberal while blue-collar workers have become more conservative.”

Race played a surprisingly small role, suggesting that the racial divide may not be as formidable as many people imagine. “When there’s no race-baiting to divide voters during campaign seasons, whites and minorities actually agree on many issues,” said Brint. Whites and racial minorities differed on just two of the 15 topics.

Professionals and managers and blue-collar workers still tend to agree on some issues. These include support for more government spending on education, health, and the environment, and support for gun control, according to the study.

Story Date: February 7, 2022