Social and political attitudes – quantitative approaches

Mentus, Vladimir and Todosijević, Bojan (2025) Social and political attitudes – quantitative approaches. Sociologija, 67 (4). pp. 471-474. ISSN 0038-0318

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Abstract

The study of social and political attitudes has become one of the central areas of contemporary sociology. In a period in which European societies are affected by multiple crises – the economic downturn, rising inequalities, labour-market insecurities, and the rise of the far right – analyses of this kind allow us to understand how individuals and groups respond and, in turn, how they actively reshape subsequent changes in the political, economic, and cultural fields. This dynamic operates through several mechanisms, and addressing them constitutes our central motivation in editing this special issue of Sociologija. The primary importance of public attitudes lies in their ability to mirror structural transformations, serving as key indicators of perceptions of inequality or feelings of economic and existential security. Second, social and political attitudes mediate between economic conditions and political behaviour, as already indicated in much previous research. Ideological polarization may explain how rising inequalities and insecurities, stagnation of real incomes, and frustration among the lower and middle classes directly affect political action. Third, public attitudes are at the very core of social cohesion or its erosion. The widening gaps are strongly manifested in declining generalized and institutional trust, rising support for authoritarian and populist parties, ideological polarization, and reduced solidarity within and between groups. Fourth, social and political attitudes are crucial for understanding cultural conflicts that often unfold beneath the surface of political processes. They are thus at the core of the dynamics of Inglehart’s “silent revolution in reverse” – the flipped shift from postmaterialist to materialist values, in which authoritarian and traditionalist attitudes return in the context of economic insecurities. Finally, public attitudes about migration, social protection, family policy, taxation, or the environment shape institutional responses, which is why research on such attitudes provides an empirical basis for decision-making.

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