Young Adults in Turbulent Times: Findings from the Arizona Youth Identity Project

Based on photovoice and interview data from 144 Arizona young adults collected as part of the Arizona Youth Identity Project, this article builds on the concept of collective effervescence and symbolic violence through an analysis of U.S. flag images submitted by our respondents during the 2020 presidential election. Drawing on the literature on identity, belonging, and national symbols, this article highlights three main themes. First, our data revealed the conflicted feelings of belonging and exclusion that the U.S. flag evoked in these young adults. According to some participants, the flag became a divisive symbol as it became associated with the Make America Great Again movement. Second, we highlight how the U.S. flag came to embody a form of symbolic violence, particularly after the attack on the Capitol on January 6. Finally, we show how the meaning attached to the U.S. flag is situational and fluid, and how its value as a unifying national symbol can be restored. This narrative was supported by young adults’ images of the flag with artistic modifications that reflected elements of their culture and history.

Symbolic Appropriation of the U.S. Flag: Findings from a Photovoice Study

Estrada,

Vera-Phillips,

Flores-Gonzalez

et al. 2024

“I’m Going to Vote for the First Time in My Life this Year”: Native American Political Engagement in the Trump Era

Hrabik,

Horsting,

Ignacio

et al. 2024

During the 2020 election, Arizona voted Democratic for the first time in decades and contributed to Joe Biden’s presidential win. Native Americans, predominantly young adults, turned out in record numbers and were credited as one of the key demographic groups that “flipped” Arizona blue. What drove young Native voters to engage during this election cycle? Using data from the Arizona Youth Identity Project, a multi-wave mixed-methods study, we analyzed interviews with 38 self-identified Native American participants ages 18–29 to understand the factors motivating their political engagement in the 2020 Presidential election. Findings reveal that young Native adults in Arizona were motivated by (1) targeted political organizing, outreach, and advocacy efforts, (2) increased positive attitudes toward voting, and (3) a desire for political and social change. These findings enhance our collective understanding of the motivations behind Native American voter engagement.

Arizona Mormon Youths’ Religious Socialization and 2020 Voting Choices

Romanello,

Baker,

Estrada

et al. 2024

In Arizona, Mormonism has a historical presence as a conservative and globalized faith. Though the Mormon Church officially maintains political neutrality, it also encourages civic engagement. Through an analysis of interview data collected from 38 Mormon youth as part of the Arizona Youth Identity Project, this paper explores the enactment of political agency in reaction to complex socialization processes. Mormon youths’ voting choices in the 2020 election season were shaped by religious socialization and Mormonism as an “ethnoreligious” identity. While religious upbringing was important in political decision-making, our study found that most youth were politically unaffiliated and voted across party lines instead. Further, we analyze how intersectional identities such as gender, race, and sexual orientation contributed to this generation’s political values and voting outcomes, even creating external tensions with peers and older Mormon leadership. As Arizona Mormon youth participated in a historic election season, this study highlights the nuances of religious socialization and voting choices.