External political conflict can politicize a broad group identity into predicting collective action.

Evidence

However, this longitudinal research also demonstrated that collective identity at the level of the broader recruitment category, which was ineffective as a unique predictor of collective action in prior research, can politicize under the appropriate conditions to such an extent that it also reliably predicts collective action (Stürmer & Simon, 2001). More specifically, gay respondents’ identification with gay people in general did not predict (self-reported) participation in collective action organized by the German gay and lesbian movement in the following year. Interestingly, more than 2 years after the identification measurement, the German gay and lesbian movement started an initiative requesting legislation to allow same-sex marriage. As this initiative encountered fierce opposition from the conservative political parties in Germany, the movement launched a public campaign in support of same-sex marriage. Stürmer and Simon (2001) reasoned that this climate would promote a general politicization of gay identity and therefore conducted follow-up telephone interviews with former respondents and recorded their (selfreported) participation in collective action organized in support of the campaign for same-sex marriage. As expected, identification with gay people measured almost 3 years before the telephone interviews now reliably predicted movement participation. — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 4451

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to social identity theory and politicized collective identity literature discussed in earlier chapters of this same volume, and to the general theme of identity politicization under threat. — connects to: Cross-national friendships in immigration detention can grow into collective political action against state power. — Luke de Noronha, The conviviality of the overpoliced,…, 53; Recognition from peer groups converts a local fight into valued public citizenship — Nina Eliasoph, Avoiding politics: how Americans…, 1475; Opinion-based groups convert broad ideologies into collective action — Nyla R. Branscombe and Bertjan Doosje (eds.), Collective Guilt: International…, 842