How to Think About Social Identity

Introduction

• Social Identity: Integral to understanding various political phenomena like voting, redistribution, and conflict.
• Key Questions:
  • What does identifying with a social group mean?
  • Are group attachments tied to material or nonmaterial benefits?
  • When and how do identities impact behaviors?

Concepts and First Principles

• Social Identity Theory:
  • Developed by Henri Tajfel and associates.
  • Focuses on the psychological need for esteem and the role of social categorization.
  • Emphasizes that social identities can drive behaviors through both material and psychic rewards.

Rational Choice and Social Identity

• Rational Choice Models:
  • Incorporate social identity by expanding utility functions to include social norms and identity-driven behaviors.
  • Noteworthy works by Akerlof & Kranton and Shayo are highlighted.

Recent Literature and New Directions

• Voting and Political Behavior:

  • Dominated by questions of whether motivations are instrumental (material-driven) or expressive (identity-driven).
  • Studies show strategic use of identity in campaigns can impact voting behavior.

• Nationalism and Identity:

  • Multiple perspectives exist, including idealist, materialist, and ethno-symbolic.
  • National identity can be entrenched and impact political actions beyond material calculations.

Violence and Conflict

• Role of Identity in Conflict:
  • Ethnic and national identities often play a significant role in civil wars and other conflicts.
  • Instrumentalist vs. primordialist debate persists in explaining identity-driven conflict.

Social Identity and Public Goods

• Tax Compliance and Public Goods:
  • Social identity and norms influence behaviors like tax compliance and public goods provision.
  • Frequent emphasis on overcoming free-rider problems through community norms.

Conclusion

• Interdisciplinary Approach:
  • Need for integrated approaches combining strategic, cultural, and psychological insights.
  • Important to understand the role of elites, social norms, and group status in shaping identity-driven behaviors.

Implications for Policy and Research

• Policy Design:
  • Considerations of social identity crucial for effective policy making.
  • Examples from counterinsurgency strategies in Iraq and Afghanistan highlight the importance of identity considerations.

Acknowledgments

• Thanks to Guy Grossman and Dan Hopkins for feedback on drafts.

References

• Extensive list of works cited, indicating a broad engagement with the literature on social identity.