“You are either with us, or against us”: The association between dichotomous thinking and political extremism among Israeli voters

Abstract

Community identity is understood as a multilevel systemic construct formed as a result of a person’s awareness of belonging to a certain community and subjective attitude to this belonging based on a strong emotional connection, as well as inclusion in one’s inner world and perception of the norms and values of the community as one’s own, which is manifested in the behavioural practices of representatives of certain communities (a citizen of the state, a resident of a certain territorial community, a representative of a certain property or linguistic and cultural community, etc.) A community is defined on the basis of common interests of its members, common actions, place, territory, common practices and circumstances. The key feature of defining a community and distinguishing it from a social group is the subjective significance of belonging to it for the community members. In the context of emergency situations and social transformations, such as the Russian-Ukrainian war, there is a reconstruction, a special way and unique configurations of interaction between community identities, including territorial ones: local, regional, national, global; linguistic, cultural, ethnic, civic, religious, etc. Interaction between these identities occurs in such a way that some become more dominant, manifested, actualised, and they, in turn, can suppress others, enter into competitive interaction with them, or, conversely, highlight, emphasise others, or at least coexist harmoniously. A shared identity can be spontaneously actualised or de-actualised during emergencies. However, it is often based on pre-existing identities and values in society. In times of war, there is a tendency for society to consolidate around a common, clearly defined enemy, a common problem, a common misfortune, a common future, a leader, a territory, etc. through the actualisation of certain community identities. At the same time, this creates threats of internal confrontation, which makes Ukrainian society to a certain extent vulnerable and susceptible to the actions of hostile propaganda. The formulated provisions can serve as a basis for developing practical recommendations for local and state authorities, which will help to strengthen the consolidation of society and overcome the consequences of polarisation and socio-political confrontation. This will ultimately have a positive impact on the national security of the country