Sociologický časopis / Czech Sociological Review 2013, 49(2): 191-220 | DOI: 10.13060/00380288.2013.49.2.01

Between Self-Identification and Expert Evaluation of Ideological Preferences: The Method of Latent Ideological Types

Vladimír Krivý, Miloslav Bahna

Sociologický ústav SAV, Bratislava

The aim of this article is to present the method of latent ideological types and its possible uses. Two dominant approaches to measuring the ideological orientations of the public are self-identification and expert evaluation of attitudes and value orientations. Both approaches are also a common ingredient in international comparative research. In this article the authors first focus on the strengths and methodological weaknesses of those approaches. They then introduce their method of latent ideological types as a different approach. They present the principles of the method, the necessary sequence of steps, and conclude with its concrete application using CSES Slovakia 2010 data. The method of latent ideological types is based on subjective placements on a given set of ideological orientations or scales. The non-manifest ideological inclinations of the respondents are then determined from their attitudes and opinions. Using attitude variables, definitional patterns and cluster analysis the authors proceed from manifest ideological types to latent ideological types. The resulting latent ideological positions of the respondents may differ from their manifest self-identifications. The advantages of knowing the latent positions are discussed.

Keywords: manifest ideological types, latent ideological types, left-right scale, cluster analysis

Published: April 1, 2013Show citation