Exchange on the quantitative measurement of ethnic and national identity*

Abstract

In recent decades, there has been a noticeable increase in the use of quantitative techniques in the study of ethnicity and nationalism, without, however, a sufficient amount of reflection on how these techniques have contributed to our understanding of ethnic and national identities. As such, in this exchange three sets of authors answer questions about the degree to which it is possible to use quantitative data to measure ethnic and national identities, which types of methods are most suitable in measuring these identities and what the major research findings of this quantitative research are that were not possible using qualitative approaches.

European by Action: How Voting Re-Shapes European and national identities

“…Unlike most previous studies on European and national identities (Hooghe andMarks, 2005, 2009), I have two dependent variables instead of one that regards European and national identity as a trade-off. These trade-off questions are often criticized for their implicit assumption that identities locate at either side of the pole, not allowing both identities to be salient (Bochsler et al, 2021;Guinjoan and Rodon, 2015).…”

Measuring Ethnic Inequality: An Assessment of Extant Cross-National Indices

“…In addition to well-known measurement constraints for interpersonal (or vertical) inequality, the measurement of ethnic inequality depends on comparable group classifications. This represents a significant challenge, as ethnic identities are not static, people hold multiple identities and data are often unavailable or incomplete (Bochsler et al 2021; Canelas and Gisselquist 2019, 161; Stewart, Brown and Mancini 2010, 10). Dataset creators have creatively addressed these challenges and collected data in three general ways: (1) surveys, which include information on both socio-economic well-being and ethnic group affiliations; (2) spatial datasets, which geographically match economic data with data on the geographical boundaries of ethnic settlements; and (3) expert coding.…”

“…are often unavailable or incomplete (Bochsler et al 2021;Canelas and Gisselquist 2019, 161;Stewart, Brown and Mancini 2010, 10). Dataset creators have creatively addressed these challenges and collected data in three general ways: (1) surveys, which include information on both socioeconomic well-being and ethnic group affiliations;…”

A Move Forward: Exploring National Identity Through Non-linear Principal Component Analysis in Germany

“…In recent years, a growing body of research on national identity has emerged (e.g. Hjerm 1998;Miller 2000;Li and Brewer 2004;Huddy and Khatib 2007;Kunovich 2009;Theiss-Morse 2009;Ariely 2011Ariely , 2019Ariely , 2020Wright et al 2012;Schildkraut 2014;Hanson and O'Dwyer 2018;Mader et al 2020;Gustavsson and Stendahl 2020;Bochsler et al 2021) that seeks to tap this ubiquitous yet complex concept. Put differently, the "glue" that presumably holds societies together in times of growing polarisation (e.g.…”

“…The only common denominator scholars seem to agree upon is its multidimensional nature and the challenge in properly approaching it (e.g. Abdelal et al 2006;Latcheva 2011;Helbling and Reeskens 2016;Ariely 2020;Filsinger et al 2020;Bochsler et al 2021).…”