Symbolic Structuration and Populist Narratives

• In Event: Mobilization and Polarization in Central and Eastern Europe

Abstract

This paper explores the symbolic structuration of Czech lower middle-class society by comparing symbolic perception and narrative content from three populist ideologies. Using cultural class analysis, it examines how social actors conceptualize social differences within the socioeconomic hierarchy, focusing on downward and upward cultural, economic, and moral boundaries. This involves perception, categorization, and self-evaluation in relation to those below and above in the social hierarchy. This approach, proven insightful in understanding the success of Donald Trump's populist program, outlines mechanisms of social mobility, the framing of "the enemy," societal identity construction, perceived legitimacy of inequality, and willingness to engage in political or civil action.

Author

• Johana Chylíková, Institute of Sociology, Czech Academy of Sciences