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The Politics of the Middle Class and the Left in Uruguay: Feelings of Insecurityinsecurity,, Solidaritysolidarity,, and Support for Redistribution

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The Politics of the Middle Class and the Left in Uruguay: Feelings of Insecurityinsecurity,, Solidaritysolidarity,, and Support for Redistribution The Politics of the Middle Class and the Left in Uruguay: Feelings of InsecurityInsecurity,, SolidaritySolidarity,, and Support for Redistribution by Jennifer Fender A thesis submitted in conformity with the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Department of Political Science University of Toronto © Copyright by Jennifer Fender 2020 The Politics of the Middle Class and the Left in Uruguay: Feelings of InsecurityInsecurity,, SolidaritySolidarity,, and Support for Redistribution Jennifer Fender Doctor of Philosophy Department of Political Science University of Toronto 2020 Abstract This dissertation explores the relationships between the middle class and the Left with a specific focus on attitudes towards redistributive policies. The work is based on an examination of the social attitudes and political propensities of the Uruguayan middle class during the Left governments of the Frente Amplio (FA) (2005-2014) including the lead up to their re-election in 2014. In investigating the attitudes and political proclivities of members of the Uruguayan middle class, I incorporate a consideration of the significant political and economic changes that occurred from the middle of the twentieth century onward. The work combines historical analysis and analysis of in-depth interviews conducted by the author. I argue that the presence of two sets of factors that shape individual’s senses of insecurity and solidarity help to explain middle class support for, or opposition to, redistributive policies. One set involves the presence or absence of a complex of insecurity mitigating factors; the second involves socialization processes that inculcate support for the social norms of equality and collective responsibility. I argue that a combination of insecurity mitigating factors and exposure to socialization processes that inculcate norms of equality and collective responsibility, producing social solidarity, tends to contribute to middle class support for the Left and the redistributive measures it stands for. On the other hand, the absence of these two sets of factors increases feelings of insecurity and erodes social solidarity. Particularly when combined with economic and political uncertainly, this tends to result in middle class resistance to redistributive measures. This complex of factors is therefore important in contributing to the necessary cross-class coalition of support required for the election of Left governments and ensuing redistributive measures. ii Acknowledgements It is said of raising children that it takes a village. As I come to the end of the journey that this PhD has been, I believe that this sentiment similarly applies. I owe a great debt of gratitude to the many people that have supported, guided and challenged me along the way. I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to my committee members Drs. Judith Teichman, Richard Sandbrook, Kanta Murali, Paul Kingston and Ana-Maria Bejarano, for their time, wisdom, inspiration and kindness. I would also like to express my sincere thanks to my external examiner, Dr. David Parker, for his careful consideration of my work and important insights. None of this would have been the same without the support of the many colleagues that became friends and were always there to offer support and ideas. I will be ever grateful for going through this process with all of them, particularly, Shelly Bajaj and Nico Sald ías. My appreciation also goes to the Department of Political Science at the University of Toronto and particularly, Carolynn Branton and Louis Tentsos, for their assistance in navigating the PhD program. Reliant as this research is on field work, I cannot thank those that participated in the study enough. The many discussions with Uruguayan researchers and the research assistance of Mauro and Florencia were also invaluable. To my family that travelled this winding road with me, words are not enough. Completing this work would have been simply impossible without them. My parents and in-laws offered not only emotional support and inspiration, but the time I needed to work by caring for and creating memories with my children. My husband, Aaron, endlessly discussed and reviewed my work and lifted me up when I could no long see the forest or the trees. My girls, Rosalyn, Amelia and Iris, continually brought love, joy and perspective. It is to my family that this work is dedicated. Table of Contents Abstract .......................................................................................................................................................... i Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................................................ i Table of Contents .......................................................................................................................................... ii List of Tables ................................................................................................................................................. v List of Figures .............................................................................................................................................. vii List of Appendices ...................................................................................................................................... viii Abbreviations ............................................................................................................................................... ix Chapter 1 – Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 1 The Politics of the Middle Class, Inequality and the Left .......................................................................... 6 The Case of Uruguay in Detail ................................................................................................................. 16 Argument ................................................................................................................................................ 20 Research Design and Methods ............................................................................................................... 29 Chapter Outlines ..................................................................................................................................... 33 Chapter 2 – Defining the Middle Class ........................................................................................................ 37 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 37 Defining the Middle Class and Being Middle Class in Latin America ...................................................... 38 Analytical Class Definition ....................................................................................................................... 49 Chapter 3 – The Central Political Role of the Uruguayan Middle Class Historically ................................... 55 The Central Historical and Political Role of the Uruguayan Middle Class .............................................. 55 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................................... 82 Chapter 4 – The Evolution of Insecurity and Social Segregation: Implications for Middle Class Solidarity, Redistribution and the Left ......................................................................................................................... 84 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 84 Increasing Middle Class Insecurity and Decreasing Socialization: Economic Realities and Political Implications ............................................................................................................................................. 85 The Roots of Social Segregation .......................................................................................................... 86 Re-democratization, The 2002 Economic Crisis and the Rise of the FA ........................................... 104 Insecurity, Solidarity and Context – The FA in Government ................................................................. 109 Conclusions ........................................................................................................................................... 115 Chapter 5 – The Demographics of Support and Opposition for the Left: The Presence and Absence of Insecurity Mitigating Factors and Socialization in Norms of Equality and Collective Responsibility........ 117 Political Support for and Opposition to the Left ................................................................................... 117 Analytical Approach .............................................................................................................................. 120 ii Voting Intention, Political Identities, Middle Class Segment, Insecurity Mitigating Factors and Processes of Socialization ..................................................................................................................... 122 Highlighted Insecurity Mitigating Factors and Socialization Processes ................................................ 138 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................................
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