Gandhi

The book is based on a survey of political and trade union behaviour of French « cadres » or executives, an original and unparalleled survey of this sociological category which involved interviews of nearly 1500 executives from the world of industry and the service sector. The data are interpreted in the light of the main currents of contemporary analysis. Three main conceptions of their social rôle are proposed. Are « cadres » (1) members of the middle class, (2) members of the working class ever closer to other salaried staff, or (3) a potential new ruling class ? Actually « cadres » themselves are unsure of their identity. Trade union activities involve them in a spécifie way and their électoral behaviour is undergoing slow change from support of the moderate right to leanings to vote for the Socialist Party. The analysis of thèse transformations is hindered by the extraordinary diversity of « cadres », although many interprétations emphasise unity. A typology is hère suggested to underline the inadequacy of a view of « cadres » as a unified body. Four major types are proposed : legitimists, allies, individualists and solidarists. The complexity of the social reality of cadres is approached from two standpoints, objective work conditions and their interprétation.