Inclusive Identity Research Articles

The role of social identity in institutional work for sociotechnical transitions: The case of transport infrastructure in Berlin

Generally, sociotechnical change requires that agency is exercised across multiple, connected levels or contexts. Yet there is very little work in the sociotechnical sustainability transitions literature that theorises these connections in ways that acknowledge the individual-level processes involved. Here we show how identity theory can connect macro- and micro-levels of analysis, with identity construction being a social psychological process that is also involved in institutional work. For empirical illustration we use the case of emerging mobility transitions in Berlin, Germany, in particular aspects of institutional work for infrastructural change in favor of cycling. The study shows how the construction of a common identity among varied actor groups has been key to a citizen campaign for safe cycling infrastructure. The construction of a socially inclusive identity relating to cycling has been made possible by prioritizing the development of a campaign network comprised of weak ties among stakeholders, rather than a closer-knit network based on a more exclusive group of sporty cyclists. The findings are discussed in the light of both social psychological models and sociotechnical transitions theory. The implications for scaling niche practices for sustainability are considered.

Intergroup contact fosters more inclusive social identities

We examined how people construct their social identities from multiple group memberships—and whether intergroup contact can reduce prejudice by fostering more inclusive social identities. South Indian participants ( N = 351) from diverse caste backgrounds viewed 24 identity cards, each representing a person with whom participants shared none, one, two, or all of three group memberships (caste, religion, nationality). Participants judged each person as “us” or “not us,” showing whom they included in their ingroup, and whom they excluded. Participants tended to exclude caste and religious minorities, replicating persistent social divides. Bridging these divides, cross-group friendship was associated with more inclusive identities which, in turn, were associated with more positive relations between an advantaged, an intermediate, and a disadvantaged caste group. Negative contact was associated with less inclusive identities. Contact and identity processes, however, did not affect entrenched opposition to (or undermine support for) affirmative action in advantaged and disadvantaged groups.

“I Want to Reclaim Christianity”: Boundary Work among Inclusive Christians

ABSTRACT Members of religious groups in the United States engage in boundary work to maintain distinct identities, but we know little about how inclusive Christians navigate the exclusionary aspects of boundary work. Drawing on one year of participant observation at a liberal congregation and twenty-six interviews, I find that congregants develop three strategies for boundary work that reflect their inclusive identity. I argue that this boundary work reflects the congregation’s high social class, thus reinforcing the underlying social boundary of class. This research extends our understanding of boundary work in congregations and further elucidates how churches may contribute to inequality.

“Policing Borders”: Extermination and Relocation of Insects in Three South African Texts

Summary Borders between states are spaces of aggression and anxiety about ownership, inclusion, exclusion and group identity, and they are often reinforced by shows of force that can yield to violence. Apartheid in South Africa was primarily and explicitly an attempt at controlling who could occupy space. The erection and maintenance of borders within the country, between spaces, became more aggressive and rigid as the era progressed and it became apparent that the Nationalist dream of racially pure spaces was not going to be feasible. Since the transition to democracy in 1994, borders have remained contested since different areas have continued to be apportioned, albeit informally, for different racial groups. Confident assertions of white supremacy yield to anxiety and even paranoia when owners feel that their borders are not secure. In this article, I explore the use of monstrous insect imagery in three post- transitional South African texts − The Ugly NooNoo (Buckland & Kani, 1994); District 9 (dir. Blomkamp, 2009) and Nineveh (Rose-Innes, 2011). In each of these texts, insects serve as metaphors for aggressive border-crossing by racial others, who are figured as undesirable and myriad.

An analysis of the link between individual identity traits and radical party choice

ABSTRACT While recent trends in the study of radical party voting have tended to focus on egalitarian attitudes and individual personality traits in their endeavour to explain radical party choice, the present study pits individual identity traits in the spotlight of ballot box behaviour, using data from the World Values Survey and European Values Survey. We analyse the link between exclusive and inclusive identity (identifying with a more restricted ‘in-group’ versus identifying with a larger community) and the propensity to vote for radical right and radical left parties, using differences in individual identification with respondents’ home nation and as European citizens. The results show that exclusive individual identity is a good predictor of radical right party choice, even in the presence of redistributive and egalitarian values usually associated with left-wing voting. The results also speak to the literature on welfare chauvinism. While the presence of strong egalitarian and redistributive attitudes does indeed normally predict radical left party preference in line with previous findings, this relationship is complicated by the presence of exclusive individual identity, which moderates the former’s effect and can induce egalitarian voters to prefer radical right parties. In conclusion, the paper explores the interaction of identity and social class.

Inclusive identities: re-imaging the future of the retail brand?

Purposeto examine consumers' perceptions of retail brand representations of gender-oriented and/or sexuality-oriented identities. The authors explore the value of developing more progressive, inclusive brand values to support more effective retail brand communications and imagery.Design/methodology/approachPhoto elicitation, utilising LGBTQIA+/sexuo-gendered imagery from retail brand marketing communications, facilitated discussion within focus groups representing various genders, age generations and sexualities.FindingsYounger generations indicate a preference for fluid gender and sexuality and endorse retail brands that represent this progressive understanding. Gender and age moderate preferences for representative imagery, with older males more resistant to sexuo-gendered messages and females of all ages more accepting.Research limitations/implicationsThe research is limited in generalisability, geography and demographics. The focussed approach did, however, enable collection of rich, insightful data to underpin evaluations of communicative brand values.Practical implicationsThe inclusion of diverse and fluid sexuo-gendered identities within the brand values of retailers would enable effective targeting of consumers across a range of more traditional cohorts.Social implicationsThe evolving ideology towards inclusiveness, identified within the generational cohorts, demonstrates social change through progressive acceptance of more fluid gendered and sexual identities.Originality/valueThe research adopts a novel approach to examining diverse, sexuo-gendered imagery within gendered and generational cohorts, offering qualitative examples of a progressive social ideology.

Diaries and Oral Histories as Ego-Documents in the Representations of the Taiwanese Nation

Abstract This article positions published personal or ego-documents—with a focus on diaries and oral histories—within the framework of Taiwan historical studies. It specifically deals with the complexities involved in defining the literary generic of historical narratives against the background of the transition of Taiwanese society from the Japanese colonial period onwards. In tandem with this thematic issue, it offers a close-up on how the collection and analysis of data in resonance with general changes in history writing over the past decades raises research questions about the nature of an inclusive Taiwanese identity.

The Islamic Factor in the Development of Modern Scotland: Political and Socio-Cultural Aspects

The subject field of this article, devoted to the manifestation of the Islamic factor in the socio- political life of the Great Britain, is localized within the borders of Scotland. The authors emphasize the special (different from other regions of the UK) nature of the interaction of the Muslim ethno- confessional minority with the indigenous population of Scotland. Most attention is paid to the identity of Scottish Muslims. The article highlights that Scotland demonstrates its winning position for Muslims through the development of an inclusive identity. The authors make a prognostic conclusion that Scotland will maintain a policy of affirming common civic values that ensure the pluralism of various socio- cultural communities. According to the authors, the future of Scotland is a post-ethnic, transcultural socio- political state- organized space in which British-wide tensions between Muslims and non- Muslims will gradually decrease, and the Scottish tradition of equality and social justice will be strengthened.

European Identity Politics

Social and political sciences use the term ‘identity’ in describing a wide range of phenomena, whether these be personal explanations of self-understanding, descriptions of common interests or the shared experiences of a larger group. It has been used in the recent analyses of countries or larger communities, but also in the historical studies of very different societies in developing or industrialized countries. To make the concept more operational and open to empirical research, we dichotomize it into an inclusive versus an exclusive type. This enables us to carve out the different policy conclusions associated with each type. We then apply the concepts for analysing the emergence of European identity over the past decades, as well as its limits and recent headwinds. We present survey data on national and supranational identity and country differences concerning trust in national and European institutions. As a counterstrategy to populism and the exclusive type of identity, political observers, from scientists to members of the media, are split into suggesting either a "cordon sanitaire” to discourage voting for such ideas versus an embracement strategy by including their representatives into government, thereby controlling them or revealing their incompetence. This paper, in contrast, ventures a proactive strategy of four steps to localize the root causes of the success of populism, offering an inclusive vision for the long run, policy instruments for economic improvements and a new narrative. These concepts are linked to the strategy of the European Commission of a Green Deal and a Social Europe "striving for more”, which acts as a program to strengthen the inclusive European identity and pre-empt the renationalization requested by the exclusive type. It is much too early to analyse the COVID-19 crisis under the proposed dichotomization and the new narrative. However, the differences in the initial reactions of countries to the emerging pandemic, bashing foreign sources for its creation and misusing the crisis for a restoration of autocratic leadership on the one hand and looking for solidarity on the national as well as international level on the other, may later be attributed to the concepts of exclusion versus inclusion.

Managing cultural diversity for collective identity: A case study of an ELT department in Omani higher education

This paper employs a social identity approach to explore the management of a collective organizational culture in a culturally diverse context. Literature suggests that cultural diversity can be an asset for organizations if managed effectively. This study employs a qualitative case-study design, drawn on data generated for a larger project that utilized 16 interviews, eight team meetings’ observations, document analysis and field notes. It instrumentally uses a Department of English as its site due to the prevalence of cultural diversity in such context. The paper explores whether leadership is perceived as effective towards establishing a collective identity in an Omani higher education (HE) domain. The findings suggest that leadership impact is restricted by the central management of the system that translates largely into transactional leadership and hierarchical approaches at the level of the group and largely fails to establish such an inclusive identity. The paper argues that in a globalizing era, Omani HE can only view cultural diversity as an asset that aids its intellectual capital establishment. Hence, it should cater for such a composition and engineer it effectively to achieve better alignment with the requirements of the current market. These findings can be of value to policy makers, researchers and professionals in HE.

Teaching bystander action: forming identities that promote opposition to prejudice towards Muslim people

Prejudice towards Muslim people in Western countries is common and increasing. This paper describes an educational intervention aimed at increasing positive attitudes and actions to support Muslim Australians. University students participated in a 12-week educational programme that drew on prejudice reduction principles and a pedagogical approach that emphasised active discussion. Results (N = 94) showed an increase in positivity towards Muslim people, increased intention to take bystander action to confront prejudice, and social identification (as a supporter of positive relations between Muslim and non-Muslim Australians). Boosts in positivity towards Muslim people and intention to confront prejudice were mediated by increases in social identity, although changes in social identification only explained increased commitment to confront prejudice in a low risk scenario. Results suggest that educational interventions such as these can foster new, inclusive identities that provide a basis for action to support Muslim people.

Gdy różnice istnieją jedna obok drugiej. Wychowywanie do różnorodności jako wyzwanie szkolnej polonistyki

Celem artykułu jest prześledzenie warunków koniecznego dziś otwarcia procesów edukacyjnych na integrację z zewnątrz, która modyfikuje znaczenie poczucia tożsamości wspólnotowej. Procesy te dotyczą zachowań społecznych w określonych przestrzeniach symbolicznych świata wielokulturowego i obejmują: postawę szacunku dla wartości społeczno-politycznych, akceptację praw i obowiązków jednostki wobec państwa oraz organizacji międzynarodowych oraz zasad odpowiedzialnego współżycia społecznego. Potrzeba nauki życia w świecie pełnym różnic sprawia, że wychowanie międzykulturowe na każdym etapie kształcenia musi zająć miejsce ważne pośród zadań edukacyjnych szkoły, także szkoły wyższej. Argumentacja wpisana została w dyskurs nad istotą tożsamości inkluzywnej, zorientowanej w najnowszych badaniach regionalistycznych i podkreśla zagadnienia tolerancji, akceptacji Innego, dialogu międzykulturowego. Formułuje się również warunki wprowadzenia różnicy kulturowej do „własnego myślenia”. Autorka artykułu przedstawia praktyczne możliwości wykorzystywania na lejcach w szkole podstawowej i średniej literatury z kręgu kulturowych zderzeń. Ukierunkowanie na komparacje – porównywanie tekstów literackich (i zjawisk) z różnych obszarów kulturowych, dotyczą możliwych na lekcja polskiego przykładów malarstwa, rzeźby, architektury czy muzyki, Taka nauka prowadzi uczniów przez różne obszary graniczne czy sfery „pomiędzy” i dzięki temu może służyć kreatywnemu myśleniu o kulturze swojej i innych. Idee międzykulturowe jako integralny składnik wychowania kulturowego współczesnego ucznia każdego poziomu edukacji nie ma bowiem dzisiaj alternatywy.

Negotiating alternative femininities? Gender identity construction in female Basque pelota players

ABSTRACT The aim of this paper is to explore how female players of Basque pelota (pelotaris) construct their gender identity in a traditionally masculine sport. The theory of performativity is used to understand how females negotiate, resist or challenge the dominant gender discourse. Data were collected through 10 in-depth interviews with players. Through inductive analysis we found that the sociocultural context surrounding Basque pelota reinforces the binary system of gender embodiment, which includes hegemonic masculinities and idealised femininities. However, our findings also suggest that whilst some players adhere to this dominant discourse, others actively resist and transgress it through the embodiment of alternative identities. In doing this, these players create new and inclusive identities, therefore escaping a simplistic binary and embracing a multiplicity of gender identities. As a result, they can become active agents in the promotion of equity in sport.

Local history and identity building: a case study in the field of active citizenship education.

The case study, carried out in a primary school, examined whether and how inquiring into local history can support identity building in pupils and promote active citizenship. The research was part of a broader Erasmus Plus project that assumes citizenship education to require participatory experience in the students’ local territory and activities based on interaction between the environment, heritage and communities, with both local and global dimensions. The investigators’ choice of method, namely Teacher Professional Development Research, was guided by the awareness that analyzing teaching practices and promoting a reflective posture in teachers demands a solid alliance between researchers and teachers. The data was collected via questionnaires, interviews with teachers and conversations with the children and analysed using a coding system that was both data- and theory-driven. It was found that the more children have the freedom to engage in independent inquiry, discuss and share with others the discoveries they made and the knowledge they acquired, the more their learning became meaningful to them. Supporting the building of an inclusive identity fosters their appreciation of local heritage, encouraging them to take responsibility for preserving and communicating it. The results also showed that the impact of the project did not extend beyond the walls of the classroom, eliciting little involvement on the part of the wider school and town community.

Whose Dharma Is It Anyway? Identity and Belonging in American Buddhist (Post)Modernities

This study engages some aspects of the conversations, implicit and explicit, between American(ized) Buddhism in non-heritage/convert communities and religious nationalism in the U.S. Specifically, how does a Buddhist understanding of emptiness and interdependence call into question some of the fundamental assumptions behind conflations of divine and political order, as expressed through ideologies of “God and Country”, or ideas about American providence or exceptionalism? What does belonging to a nation or transnational community mean when all individual and collective formations of identity are understood to be nonessential, contingent and impermanent? Finally, how can some of the discourses within American Buddhism contribute to a more inclusive national identity and a reconfigured understanding of the intersection of spiritual and national belonging? The focus here will be on exploring how an understanding of identity and lineage in Buddhist contexts offers a counter-narrative to the way national and spiritual belonging is expressed through tribalist formations of family genealogy, nationalism and transnational religious affiliation in the dominant Judeo-Christian context, and how this understanding has been, and is being, expressed in non-heritage American(ized) Buddhist communities.

Weak pluralism and shallow democracy: the rise of identity politics in Bulgaria and Romania

ABSTRACT The rise of identity politics has been surprising in two countries that have benefitted extensively from EU membership. To address the puzzle, the paper suggests that the EU vision of common and inclusive identity, grounded in a formal set of rules, had its strongest effect before and immediately after accession. Yet, its intensity was short-lived and mistaken for a popular embrace of multiculturalism. To understand this dynamic, the paper traces the interactions between citizens and elites, as well as the tradeoffs and complementarities between democracy and legitimacy in the two countries.

Sport, Class and Identity at Swansea, 1870–1914

This article discusses the growth of rugby as the most popular pastime in Swansea for most of the period 1870–1914. It examines how the game shaped an inclusive civic identity from the 1890s and how this was layered alongside other identities. It also examines how social class and gender were negotiated during the game's rise. Swansea's middle class stamped its authority on local government and voluntary institutions and the town's rugby club was among the foremost of these institutions by the end of the 1870s. It is argued that sport offered a unique opportunity for new civic alliances.

When a Sense of “We” Is Lost: Investigating the Consequences of a Lost Common Identity Among Druze in Israel

Research shows that inclusive identities are effective for improving intergroup relations. Little work, however, asked what happens once a sense of common identity is formed, but then lost. Given increasing diversity and integration attempts that might fail, this question is realistic and timely. We studied a religious minority in Israel, Arab-Druze (N = 178), constituting 1.6% of the population. Druze have always had strong common ties with the Jewish majority, particularly younger Druze who serve in the Israeli army. We surveyed Druze in the aftermath of the nationality bill, which was considered by many to be highly exclusionary toward non-Jews. Drawing on research on minority exclusion, we expected that for younger Druze, a sense of common identity loss will predict radical forms of action. This was supported by our cross-sectional data and remained stable after controlling for more classic predictors of violent and nonviolent action.

So, what’s your story? – The role of storytelling in nurturing inclusive congregational identity

South African churches are struggling to form cohesive communities and strategies are needed to bring people together. Because of a deficiency in trust, people are reluctant to get to know each other, impacting on the quality of relationships and a positive sense of belonging and community. Congregations need to find ways to nurture an inclusive identity instead of the current norm of all-white or all-black churches, which can be perceived as being inaccessible or exclusive. Innovative strategies like storytelling can unlock the power to understand each other breaking down prejudice, racism and xenophobia. Because intercultural socialisation is found wanting in congregations, sharing different perspectives and experiences can deepen engagements overcoming superficial interactions. This article expands on how storytelling can be used to facilitate an inclusive and intercultural congregational identity through identity formation, liberative practices of reconciliation, community building and as an educational resource.

So, what’s your story? – The role of storytelling in nurturing inclusive congregational identity

South African churches are struggling to form cohesive communities and strategies are needed to bring people together. Because of a deficiency in trust, people are reluctant to get to know each other, impacting on the quality of relationships and a positive sense of belonging and community. Congregations need to find ways to nurture an inclusive identity instead of the current norm of all-white or all-black churches, which can be perceived as being inaccessible or exclusive. Innovative strategies like storytelling can unlock the power to understand each other breaking down prejudice, racism and xenophobia. Because intercultural socialisation is found wanting in congregations, sharing different perspectives and experiences can deepen engagements overcoming superficial interactions. This article expands on how storytelling can be used to facilitate an inclusive and intercultural congregational identity through identity formation, liberative practices of reconciliation, community building and as an educational resource.