Violence and White Identity

• In Event: Violence, Extremism, and White Identity

Abstract

This project explores the connection between White in-group identification and support for political violence. I argue that White identity leads to support for violence, as it situates individuals within a form of social identity that is hierarchical and oppositional. I show this through a mixed-methods approach that combines quantitative survey data with in-depth interviews. My findings indicate that White identity consistently predicts support for interpersonal political violence, as well as state-sponsored institutions of violence, such as immigration and law enforcement. However, Whites also evaluate these institutions according to their potential to advance White interests, becoming skeptical of state-sponsored violence in favor of interpersonal violence when said institutions are seen as hostile to Whites. These findings create a problem for efforts to mitigate White political violence, suggesting that state efforts to combat it will be confronted by White resistance and hostility towards a state now deemed unfriendly.

Author

• Sean David Long, University of California, Riverside