6.1: Introduction to Political Identity

Learning Objectives

By the end of this section, you will be able to:

• Define political identity, political socialization, and political mobilization of identity.
• Identify the ways in which individuals undergo political socialization.
• Consider the connections between political identity and political mobilization.

Introduction

Identity, broadly considered, answers fundamental and personal questions: Who am I? How do I want to be perceived by others? How do I want to be seen in the future? A person’s identity develops from a combination of factors, including (but not limited to) personal experiences; interpersonal relationships; perceptions of the world; calculations of risks and threats; and observations of societal mores, morals, and values. Identity forms through a process of socialization, in which an individual discovers themselves and where they think they fit within the social order. Identity, and the calculation of one’s identity, has sweeping implications in society. Once formed, identity can section people into groups of "sameness" and "differentness," and sometimes conflict can follow as a result.

Political Identity

Not surprisingly, the term "political identity" shares almost all of the same traits as the term identity, except taken from a political perspective. Political identity is how a person, or group of persons, think of themselves in relation to the politics and government of a state. It refers to the labels and characteristics an individual chooses to associate with based on a multitude of factors. These factors include, but are not limited to, a person's perception of political ideologies, political parties, and platforms, as well as how a person views their identity from national, racial, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, and gender perspectives.

There are many political identities that political scientists consider because the mobilization of these identities has observable political consequences. Political identity may facilitate or hinder state formation, and political identity may serve as the basis for conflict. If a state’s population is fairly homogeneous, or similar in identity, it may prove easier to have laws and policies that align with the political identity of the people. If a population is heterogeneous, or different in identities, there may be more conflict and less ability to unite people under similar laws and norms. This does not mean that a diverse society cannot be a peaceful or efficient one, but when identities are different enough in terms of values and concerns, conflict is more likely to arise.

While some of these identities may be fixed and out of an individual's control (e.g., race, biological sex), many are instead the result of an individual's choice with roots in symbolism, religion, and/or patriotism. Often, the observable implications of these identities occur through "political mobilization." Political mobilization is a process of organizing and motivating individuals with shared identities to take action on a particular political issue. There are many examples of political identity serving as the basis for political mobilization.

Consider the Arab Spring, which was a series of protests and uprisings against oppressive governments in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) that started in Tunisia in December 2010. Protests occurred not only in Tunisia, but also in Bahrain, Egypt, Libya, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen, and many of the protests resulted in violence. Across the MENA region, large numbers of protesters tended to be from two political identity groups. The first political identity group was the youth; young people were dissatisfied with the existing non-democratic regimes and wanted to usher in democracy. The second political identity group comprised those belonging to unions; under the existing non-democratic regimes, unions had been under constant threat. In this example, the youth and union-members wanted recognition of their identities and the the ability to be represented politically, and they used that shared desire to mobilize to demand change.

A more recent example is the January 6, 2021 United States Capitol Attack, an event in which approximately 2,000-2,500 supporters of then President Donald Trump attacked the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. with the intent of overturning Joseph Biden's victory in the 2020 Presidential Election. These protests were planned and instigated by Trump supporters who identified with a faction within the Republican Party that believed there was widespread election fraud. Organizing through social media, and then attending a Trump speech on January 6, the protesters mobilized their shared political identity to march to the Capitol, attack and infiltrate the building, assault law enforcement officers, and vandalize property.

In the following sections of this chapter, we will discuss multiple types of political identities (e.g., culture, race, ethnicity, gender). First, though, we must understand how political identities form and solidify. 

Political Socialization

Individuals form their political identities through a process called "political socialization." Political socialization is the process by which an individual's political beliefs and values form, change, and solidify over time. Numerous actors and institutions influence this process.

One of the first places an individual begins their political socialization is with their family. The process can start out simply and implicitly. If a parent, guardian, or mentor shares their beliefs and perceptions about society or politics, a child may begin to adopt similar perceptions. In some ways, whether a child adopts the same views as their parents, guardians, or mentors will depend, at least partly, on whether the child recognizes these actors as legitimate. If the child recognizes these actors as legitimate sources of authority, they may be inclined to adopt similar perspectives; if a child does not see these actors as legitimate sources of authority, they may adopt opposing stances.

Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\): Families are one of the first places individuals begin to form their sense of political identity. (Source: American Family, by Wazzle via Wikimedia Commons is licensed under Public Domain).

A second place where political socialization occurs is in schools. Schools are institutions that provide students with information about the world around them. Teachers and those involved with the curricular, co-curricular, and extra-curricular activities of their students can influence how students perceive the societal and political organization around them. These actors can sometimes have an influence similar to a family member. A student may ask: Do I trust this teacher? Do I think this teacher knows what they are talking about? If a student does trust the teacher, that student may adopt similar views; conversely, if the student does not trust the teacher, they may adopt opposing views. Many times, students in primary grades are more likely to trust teachers; as adolescence arrives, students typically begin to ask questions more critically.

Figure \(\PageIndex{2}\): During a student’s high school years, the attitudes, beliefs, and values of their peer groups or teachers may influence their political identity. (Source: Hibbing High School, Hibbing, Minnesota, USA by McGhiever via Wikimedia Commons is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0)

A third place where political socialization occurs is through interactions with friends and peers. As children move into adolescence, research shows that adolescents are heavily influenced by their peers. This influence can be extreme, though it may not be representative or predictive of an individual's political identity later in life. Adolescent youths, in an attempt to fit in or please their friends, can be easily--though sometimes only temporarily--influenced by the thoughts, ideas, attitudes, and beliefs that are most popular among their peer group.

A fourth way in which individuals become politically socialized is through media. Over the last 40 years, the traditional media's influence has grown substantially, moving to a 24-hour news cycle with a proliferation of news outlets available in various modalities. Observers are able to access local, national, and global news at any time in their preferred format. Rather than coming from a position of complete objectivity, many of these news outlets offer judgments based on political ideological leanings (e.g., in the United States, news stations that are explicitly conservative- or liberal-leaning). In addition to traditional media, social media applications give individuals the ability to project their own thoughts, beliefs, and political judgments, while also absorbing the thoughts of others within their networks and observing stances taken by famous individuals with a wide reach. While opinions are readily available and amplified through social media, these opinions are generally not subject to editing, management, correction, or fact-checking by any overarching method of review to ensure accountability (e.g., a set of journalistic integrity principles, a process of academic peer review). Depending on the amount consumed by an individual, traditional and social media can be a strong force for political socialization.

There are many additional actors and institutions that can influence the process of political socialization. Religious institutions, for example, may take clear political stances on what they see as social and moral issues, such as the Catholic Church's opposition to abortion. Whether a religious institution influences an individual's political identity will depend on how central religion is to that individual's life. Moreover, an individual's political socialization will occur differently depending on their socio-economic status, ethnicity, race, gender, sexual orientation, and many other factors. An individual's experience on each dimension of their identity will provide a lens through which political socialization and political mobilization occurs.

In the following sections, we will consider the influence of four key identity groups as they relate to political mobilization and socialization: culture, race, ethnicity, and gender.