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First ISA Forum of Sociology
Sociological Research and Public Debate
Barcelona, Spain
September 5 - 8, 2008


Research Committee on
Political Sociology RC18

Main theme
The enduring impact of class and religion in contemporary party politics


Programme Coordinator
Piero Ignazi, Universitá di Bologna, Italy, piero.ignazi@unibo.it

The traditional cleavages ranging around class and religion have played a crucial role in determining political alignments. Since the last quarter of the XX century these cleavages have been losing part of their influence. The post-industrial and post-modern era has introduced different axes of competition and different values’ priorities. The much celebrated Inglehart’s “silent revolution” has been regarded as the forerunner of a dramatic change in political alignments and party choices. Actually, the impact of this phenomenon - and of the reactions provoked by it - has not devastated the party systems in the established democracies. With few exceptions (post-1990s Italy and Canada being two cases in point) the traditional parties, heirs of old social cleavages, have kept their dominant position.

The problem we intend to investigate in the session regards the salience of class and religion in shaping contemporary party politics.

The papers should follow two streams of analysis. On one side they should concentrate on the relevance of class and/or religion in determining the electoral behaviour of voters in contemporary democracies. On the other side, they should explore the emphasis parties attribute to class and religious issues in their discourse and in presenting themselves to the voters.

Venue of RC18 sessions:

Edifici Rambla de la Universitat Pompeu Fabra
La Rambla 32
08002 Barcelona, Spain, map

Session 1: The enduring impact of class and religion in contemporary party politics. Part 1

Saturday, September 6, 2008, 09:00-11:00
Chair: Tim Bale, University of Sussex, UK, t.p.bale@sussex.ac.uk

Session 2: The enduring impact of class and religion in contemporary party politics. Part 2

Saturday, September 6, 2008, 11:30-13:30
Chair: Paolo Bellucci, University of Siena, Italy, paolo.bellucci@unisi.it

Session 3: The enduring impact of class and religion in contemporary party politics. Part 3

Saturday, September 6, 2008, 15:30-17:30
Chair: Dick Houtman, University of Rotterdam, Netherlands, houtman@soc.fsw.eur.nl

Session 4: The enduring impact of class and religion in contemporary party politics. Part 4

Sunday, September 7, 2008, 09:00-11:00
Chair: J. Ramon Montera, University Autonoma, Madrid, Spain, joseramon.montero@uam.es

Session 5: The enduring impact of class and religion in contemporary party politics. Part 5

Sunday, September 7, 2008, 11:30-13:30
Chair: Pierro Ignazi, University Bologna, Italy, piero.ignazi@unibo.it

Session 6: The enduring impact of class and religion in contemporary party politics. Part 6

Sunday, September 7, 2008, 15:30-17:30
Chair: Susanna Luengo, University of Salamanca, Spain, susanaluengo@hotmail.com

Session 7: The enduring impact of class and religion in contemporary party politics. Part 7

Saturday, September 6, 2008, 09:00-11:00
Chair: Hermann Schmitt, University of Mannheim, Germany, hermann.schmitt@mzes.uni-mannheim.de

Session 8: The enduring impact of class and religion in contemporary party politics. Part 8

Saturday, September 6, 2008, 11:30-13:30
Chair: Martin Elff, University of Mannheim, Germany, elff@sowi.uni-mannheim.de

Session 9: The enduring impact of class and religion in contemporary party politics. Part 9

Saturday, September 6, 2008, 15:30-17:30
Chair: Fabian Virchow, University of Marburg, Germany, virchow@staff.uni-marburg.de