Politicized Collective ldentity A Social Psychological Analysis

This chapter provides a social psychological model of politicized collective identity that revolves around three conceptual triads. It shows that politicized collective identity has important and unique consequences that differentiate this form of collective identity from other forms. It argues that social groups are often involved in power struggles in that they try to establish, change, or defend a power structure. The chapter suggests that politicized collective identity can be understood as a form of collective identity that underlies group members&s; explicit motivations to engage in such a power struggle. It also suggests that collective identity is not fully politicized until after the last step that triangulates the power struggle by involving society at large, or repr esentatives thereof, as a third party. Moreover, in this last politicizing step, both groups of protagonists acknowledge that their specific collective identity is part of a more inclusive societal identity, which simultaneously allows and constrains the politicization of their more specific collective identity.