Article Version of Record

“I don't really want to be associated with the self-righteous left extreme”: Disincentives to participation in collective action

Author(s) / Creator(s)

Stuart, Avelie
Thomas, Emma F.
Donaghue, Ngaire

Abstract / Description

This paper considers collective action non-participation by people sympathetic but not committed to participating in actions for social change (‘sympathisers’). We conducted a thematic analysis of open-ended written accounts of the barriers to participating in sustained collective action (N = 112), finding that people can be reluctant to engage in some types of collective action. Participants wrote about the potential for detrimental consequences resulting from association with ‘protesters’, concern that they may be undermined by ‘extreme’ fringes of a movement, ambivalence about the visible performance of group normative behaviours (specifically, protesting), and trepidation about ‘loss of self’ within a group. We discuss the findings in relation to theory on social (dis)identification, social (dis)incentives, and identity performances, arguing that inaction does not necessarily stem from apathy. Rather, people may engage in motivated inaction – that is, active avoidance of some types of actions, or from affiliations with particular groups, as a response to negative inferences about the legitimacy or efficacy of some forms of collective action. Practical strategies are suggested for groups and individuals, including the potential for people to take actions for social change independently of a formally organised movement.

Keyword(s)

collective action inaction social incentives social identity identity performance autonomy participative efficacy protest activist stigma

Persistent Identifier

Date of first publication

2018-06-28

Journal title

Journal of Social and Political Psychology

Volume

6

Issue

1

Page numbers

242–270

Publisher

PsychOpen GOLD

Publication status

publishedVersion

Review status

peerReviewed

Is version of

Citation

Stuart, A., Thomas, E. F., & Donaghue, N. (2018). “I don't really want to be associated with the self-righteous left extreme”: Disincentives to participation in collective action. Journal of Social and Political Psychology, 6(1), 242–270. https://doi.org/10.5964/jspp.v6i1.567
  • Author(s) / Creator(s)
    Stuart, Avelie
  • Author(s) / Creator(s)
    Thomas, Emma F.
  • Author(s) / Creator(s)
    Donaghue, Ngaire
  • PsychArchives acquisition timestamp
    2018-11-26T12:45:25Z
  • Made available on
    2018-11-26T12:45:25Z
  • Date of first publication
    2018-06-28
  • Abstract / Description
    This paper considers collective action non-participation by people sympathetic but not committed to participating in actions for social change (‘sympathisers’). We conducted a thematic analysis of open-ended written accounts of the barriers to participating in sustained collective action (N = 112), finding that people can be reluctant to engage in some types of collective action. Participants wrote about the potential for detrimental consequences resulting from association with ‘protesters’, concern that they may be undermined by ‘extreme’ fringes of a movement, ambivalence about the visible performance of group normative behaviours (specifically, protesting), and trepidation about ‘loss of self’ within a group. We discuss the findings in relation to theory on social (dis)identification, social (dis)incentives, and identity performances, arguing that inaction does not necessarily stem from apathy. Rather, people may engage in motivated inaction – that is, active avoidance of some types of actions, or from affiliations with particular groups, as a response to negative inferences about the legitimacy or efficacy of some forms of collective action. Practical strategies are suggested for groups and individuals, including the potential for people to take actions for social change independently of a formally organised movement.
    en_US
  • Publication status
    publishedVersion
  • Review status
    peerReviewed
  • Citation
    Stuart, A., Thomas, E. F., & Donaghue, N. (2018). “I don't really want to be associated with the self-righteous left extreme”: Disincentives to participation in collective action. Journal of Social and Political Psychology, 6(1), 242–270. https://doi.org/10.5964/jspp.v6i1.567
    en_US
  • ISSN
    2195-3325
  • Persistent Identifier
    https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12034/1457
  • Persistent Identifier
    https://doi.org/10.23668/psycharchives.1790
  • Language of content
    eng
  • Publisher
    PsychOpen GOLD
  • Is version of
    https://doi.org/10.5964/jspp.v6i1.567
  • Keyword(s)
    collective action
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    inaction
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    social incentives
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    social identity
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    identity performance
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    autonomy
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    participative efficacy
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    protest
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    activist stigma
    en_US
  • Dewey Decimal Classification number(s)
    150
  • Title
    “I don't really want to be associated with the self-righteous left extreme”: Disincentives to participation in collective action
    en_US
  • DRO type
    article
  • Issue
    1
  • Journal title
    Journal of Social and Political Psychology
  • Page numbers
    242–270
  • Volume
    6
  • Visible tag(s)
    Version of Record