The politics of identity change and conflict: An agenda for research

Abstract

The rise of identity politics has magnified the interest in and importance of identity in contemporary politics. Yet identity politics disguises intense contest and change behind its strong and simple identity claims. The concept of identity change is key to its analysis, giving analytic leverage into the identity-coalitions mobilized by elites, and the different reasons they are successful. This article argues for a new broad research agenda on identity change. The agenda builds on recent works on ethnic identity and boundary change while broadening the methodology and scope of analysis beyond changing identity categories to changing identity content and meaning, and emphasizing the intersecting processes of contestation and consensus, continuity and change. This mainstreams analysis of identity change in the wider political science analysis of social and political change.