Simonchuk, E. (2010). Class consciousness: experience of a comparative empirical research [In Russian]. Sociology: theory, methods, marketing, 4, 56–84.
Симончук, Е. (2010). Классовое сознание: опыт сравнительного эмпирического изучения. Социология: теория, методы, маркетинг, 4, 56-84.
Abstract
The article presents the results of a comparative study of class consciousness in Ukrainian and developed Western societies. The data from different waves of the project ‘Social Inequality’ under the International Social Survey Programme (ISSP) were taken as an empirical database. Conceptualization of the class consciousness, methodology and history of studies of this subject matter in large-scale international projects are reviewed. The empirical part examines two aspects of class consciousness — class identity and the awareness of the class interests. The study indicates that, in all the countries under comparison, the class identities are sufficiently formed because the majority of the representatives of objective class positions (selected according to the EGP-scheme) have corresponding class identities, while the class interests are not adequately understood by all classes (the strength of association between the objective class positions and attitudes towards social inequality in all the countries is quite low). In the conclusion the author discusses the methodological limitations of this project which could affect the findings and makes the case for the need to monitor the level of class consciousness in the Ukrainian society.
