Farm workers and the structural basis of climate change perceptions

Farm workers are particularly vulnerable to climate change, especially from extreme heat; however, little is known about how they perceive this risk. This study examines climate change perceptions (CCP) among 404 farm workers surveyed in-person in the Lower Rio Grande Valley, Texas from April-May 2024. Guided by Pierre Bourdieu’s theory of practice, we conducted a latent class analysis (LCA) of economic, cultural, social, and symbolic capital indicators to identify distinct class profiles. We then assessed CCP by latent class, using two primary outcome variables: 1) perceived temperature trends in the region (assessed alongside NOAA data) and 2) perceived seriousness of climate change as a personal threat. A third item, self-reported knowledge of climate change, was also included to assess general awareness and its potential influence on these perceptions. Results reveal a class structure that is significantly associated with variations in CCP. Workers with greater probabilities of the capital indicators were more likely to perceive the increasing number of very hot days discovered in the NOAA data and to view climate change as a serious threat, regardless of self-reported knowledge. Interpreted through Bourdieu, these findings suggest that CCP among farm workers is not merely informational, but structured by social position, and may function as a form of social reproduction.