Work

Narratives of Backlash? Perceptions of Changing Status Hierarchies in Open-Ended Survey Responses

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: It is widely accepted in political science - and remarkably established in public discourse - that status anxieties fuel a far right backlash against progressive politics. This narrative suggests that right-wing conservatives perceive the status of women, racial, or sexual minorities as threatening. Using open-ended survey questions fielded in Germany, we show that women and minorities indeed figure in people's perceptions of status hierarchies, but in very specific ways: First, overall, people still perceive status as largely socioeconomically determined. Second, sociocultural groups figure in perceptions of who is gaining/losing status, less so in perceptions of the top/bottom of society. Third, more than conservative voters, it is social progressives who mention women and minorities as "winners". While on race/ethnicity, we find evidence for a backlash, on gender and sexuality we find more evidence for a progressive momentum. This matters for progressive politics today and for how we empirically study status concerns.

Source: Comparative Political Studies

DOI: 10.1177/00104140251392533

Authors: Magdalena Breyer, Tabea Palmtag, Delia Zollinger

Institutions: University of Basel, University of Zurich

Language: English

Topic: Populism, Right-Wing Movements

Subfield: Political Science and International Relations

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Reduced inequalities, Gender equality

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,900