Engaging multiple identity frames in political discussion

Abstract

ABSTRACT Many partisans identify with social groups more typically associated with the opposing party. When both social and partisan identities are made salient in a political environment, this can complicate how people discuss politics and form opinions, as they confront multiple, often competing frames for interpreting political issues and events. This study examines how individuals negotiate cross-cutting frames from partisan and LGBT groups when communicating about political events that make both identities salient. Using a quantitative text analysis of tweets following major political events, the study compares communications from accounts associated with LGBT Republican groups to those from accounts related to other LGBT, Democratic, and Republican groups. The results show that after events that make LGBT and partisan identity salient, users associated with LGBT Republican groups depart from other Republican-associated users in their communications and are uniquely likely to adopt frames in their communication that are associated with both LGBT and Republican interests. The findings have implications for theories of framing effects, cross pressure, and the boundaries of partisanship's influence on behavior.