Allies, Identifiers, and Enemies: How and When Identity Informs Political Action

• In Event: Social and Political Identities and Culture War Issues

Abstract

It’s often said that “All politics is identity politics”. Political scientists and pundits often invoke group membership as an explanation for political behavior. Often, however, these group attachments are undefined or poorly conceptualized. Consequently, they overlook the fact that group memberships are consequential for politics to different degrees, at different times, for different people. When are group memberships consequential for politics? Building on research in identity theory, and social identity theory in particular, I develop a theory of when individuals with different types of psychological group attachments are likely to become involved in politics and how those attachments translate into opinion and action, and support and opposition to candidates, parties, and policies.

Author

• Benjamin Bishin, University of California, Riverside