The “Activist Identity” and Activism across Domains: A Multiple Identities Analysis

Louis, Winnifred R.; Amiot, Catherine E.; Thomas, Emma F.; Blackwood, Leda

doi:10.1111/josi.12165

Cited by 70 publications

(89 citation statements)

References 46 publications

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“…This finding also lends support for system justification to be an underlying ideological alignment of activism across various causes on the right (Louis, Amiot, Thomas, & Blackwood, 2016). In both studies, with different samples, and different indicators of identity and system-justifying beliefs, those without marginalized identities, who held beliefs that justified their social position, were particularly likely to engage in status quo maintaining political action (RWA).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 66%

Privilege and Marginality: How Group Identification and Personality Predict Right‐ and Left‐Wing Political Activism

Blankenship

Frederick

Savaş

et al. 2017

Anal Soc Iss & Public Policy

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In two studies, we examine how different processes might underlie the political mobilization of individuals with marginalized versus privileged identities for leftwing activism (LWA) versus right-wing activism (RWA). In the first study, with a sample of 244 midlife women, we tested the hypotheses that endorsement of system justification beliefs and social identities were direct predictors of political activism, and that system justification beliefs moderated the mobilization of social identities for activism on both the left and the right. We found that system justification predicted RWA only among those who felt close to privileged groups; the parallel reverse effect did not hold for LWA, though rejection of system-justifying beliefs was an important direct predictor. In Study 2, we replicated many of these findings with a sample of 113 college students. In addition, we tested and confirmed the hypothesis that LWA is predicted by openness to experience and is unrelated to RWA, but not that openness plays a stronger role among those with marginalized identities. These two studies together support our overall hypothesis that different personality processes are involved with

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 66%

Privilege and Marginality: How Group Identification and Personality Predict Right‐ and Left‐Wing Political Activism

Blankenship

Frederick

Savaş

et al. 2017

Anal Soc Iss & Public Policy

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“…Finally, current theorizing recognizes that, in order for people to take effective action to achieve joint (group) goals, they must experience a shared social self‐definition as a supporter of the cause (McGarty, Bliuc, Thomas, & Bongiorno, ). Collective action often involves a broad range of socio‐political actions, some of which are highly visible to bystanders (e.g., Louis, Amiot, Thomas, & Blackwood, ). We therefore expect social identification to be relatively more important for explaining collective action, compared to collective giving.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Giving versus acting: Using latent profile analysis to distinguish between benevolent and activist support for global poverty reduction

Thomas

McGarty

2017

British J Social Psychol

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There are a variety of ways that people can respond to inequality. This article considers the distinction between collective giving and collective acting, but also adopts a focus on the people who engage in those behaviours. Benevolent supporters engage in efforts to alleviate suffering through the transfer of money or provision of goods (‘giving’), while activist supporters engage in actions that aim to challenging an underlying injustice or exploitation (‘acting’). Using samples obtained through anti‐poverty non‐governmental organizations (N = 2,340), latent profile analysis suggested two qualitatively different forms of support for global poverty reduction: a benevolent supporter profile (defined by moderate levels of charitable support) and an activist supporter profile (defined by engagement in a suite of socio‐political actions). The two forms of support are predicted by different appraisals for, emotional reactions to (outrage v sympathy), and social change beliefs about, global injustice. Results highlight the theoretical and practical importance of considering subgroup differences in how social justice is pursued.

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“…However, the literature does not often specifically consider how membership of different groups might fit together within a whole 'self' or, conversely, fail to integrate (but see Baray, Postmes, & Jetten, 2009;Louis, Amiot, Thomas, & Blackwood, 2016;. For instance, while individuals might identify with a group of people who they share grievances with, this does not necessarily lead to an easy transition into identification with a specific social movement organisation or a crowd at a demonstration (Neville & Reicher, in press;Stuart et al, 2013).…”

Section: Social Identity Non-integration Social Disincentives and Imentioning

confidence: 99%

“I don't really want to be associated with the self-righteous left extreme”: Disincentives to participation in collective action

Stuart

Thomas

Donaghue

2018

J. Soc. Polit. Psych.

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This paper considers collective action non-participation by people sympathetic but not committed to participating in actions for social change ('sympathisers'). We conducted a thematic analysis of open-ended written accounts of the barriers to participating in sustained collective action (N = 112), finding that people can be reluctant to engage in some types of collective action. Participants wrote about the potential for detrimental consequences resulting from association with 'protesters', concern that they may be undermined by 'extreme' fringes of a movement, ambivalence about the visible performance of group normative behaviours (specifically, protesting), and trepidation about 'loss of self' within a group. We discuss the findings in relation to theory on social (dis)identification, social (dis)incentives, and identity performances, arguing that inaction does not necessarily stem from apathy. Rather, people may engage in motivated inaction -that is, active avoidance of some types of actions, or from affiliations with particular groups, as a response to negative inferences about the legitimacy or efficacy of some forms of collective action. Practical strategies are suggested for groups and individuals, including the potential for people to take actions for social change independently of a formally organised movement.Keywords: collective action, inaction, social incentives, social identity, identity performance, autonomy, participative efficacy, protest, activist stigma Non-Technical Summary BackgroundIn order to maintain a healthy democracy, people need to be invested in the functioning of their society and mindful of their impact on other people and the environment. One of the main forms of democratic participation (other than voting) is the engagement in protest -public coordinated actions that are usually organised by a group of people who share grievances. Yet most of the people who say they care about the social issues do not usually participate in these protests or take other collective actions.

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The “Activist Identity” and Activism across Domains: A Multiple Identities Analysis

Cited by 70 publications

References 46 publications

Privilege and Marginality: How Group Identification and Personality Predict Right‐ and Left‐Wing Political Activism

Privilege and Marginality: How Group Identification and Personality Predict Right‐ and Left‐Wing Political Activism

Giving versus acting: Using latent profile analysis to distinguish between benevolent and activist support for global poverty reduction

“I don't really want to be associated with the self-righteous left extreme”: Disincentives to participation in collective action

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