Politicized identity develops through a sequence of gradual steps

Evidence

Politicized collective identity is not an all-or-nothing or on-off phenomenon. Instead, politicization of collective identity and the underlying power struggle unfold as a sequence of politicizing events that gradually transform the group’s relationship to its social environment. Typically, this process begins with the awareness of shared grievances. Next, an external enemy is blamed for the group’s predicament, and claims for compensation are leveled against this enemy. Unless appropriate compensation is granted, the power struggle continues. — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 4420

Categorization

• XREF: Resonates with grievance-to-conflict escalations elsewhere in political psychology and with social movement literature on how mobilization cascades. — connects to: Contentious claims sort into identity, standing, and program, usually building in that order. — Charles Tilly, Regimes and Repertoires, 222; New partisan-identity scales can be built via a seven-step validation protocol. — Sabrina J. Mayer and Luana Russo, What one is not: a new scale to measure…, 35