CEU Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020
| Author | Gable, Madison Elizabeth |
|---|---|
| Title | Politicized White Identity in the U.S. Today: Applied Understandings from Social Psychology |
| Summary | This thesis will attempt to develop increased understanding of the politicization of white racial identity in the context of the modern U.S. political system by applying branches of social identity theory from the field of social psychology to political science research regarding white identity politics. The U.S. context presents both a unique history of intergroup racial relations, as well as a current political environment in which identity politics are becoming increasingly salient for all racial groups. This thesis also seeks to distinguish identity politics practiced by dominant societal groups, such as white Americans, from identity politics practiced by non-dominant groups, such as black Americans, and argues that mitigating the negative ramifications of white identity politics does not necessitate a repudiation of identity politics as a paradigm and means of organizing collective political action for non-dominant groups in society. Ultimately, this thesis finds that social identity theories, and system justification theory in particular, serve as a useful lens for political science to analyze white identity politics through, and that social psychology as a discipline provides insight and potential remedies for abating white identity politics without negating the importance that identity politics, or the politics of recognition, can have in the process of creating racial progress for non-dominant racial groups in liberal democracies. |
| Supervisor | Bogaards, Matthijs |
| Department | Political Science MA |
| Full text | https://www.etd.ceu.edu/2020/gable_madison.pdf |
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