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The Social Psychology of Politics pp 193–214Cite as

The Psychology of Collective Political Protest

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Part of the book series: Social Psychological Applications to Social Issues ((SPAS))

Summary

Individuals act differently within the political process; behavior can range from passive acceptance of a situation to violent riots. This chapter outlines various theoretical explanations as to why these differences in behavior occur and what psychological processes mediate them. In the social psychological explanations of collective political protest the emphasis has changed in recent years. Traditional theories concerned individual decision making processes whereas more recent research has focused on the intergroup context of the political environment. This chapter concentrates on the three currently predominant approaches; expectancy-value theory ([e.g. Walker & Mann, 1987e.g. Klandermans, 1997), relative deprivation theory (e.g. Walker & Mann, 1987) and social identity theory (e.g. Tajfel & Turner, 1979). It considers recent research that attempts to integrate these approaches with each other (Simon, Loewy, Sturmer, Weber, Freytang, Habig, Kampmeier & Spahlinger, 1998; e.g. Kawakami & Dion, 1995), and we conclude by presenting a study that suggests collective efficacy is an important motivator of collective action, but that social identification moderates this relationship, thereby acting as a crucial psychological platform for collective action.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of Kent at Canterbury, CT2 7NP, Kent, England

    Dominic Abrams & Georgina Randsley de Moura

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  1. Dominic Abrams
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  2. Georgina Randsley de Moura
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Loyola University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA

    Victor C. Ottati , R. Scott Tindale , John Edwards , Fred B. Bryant , Linda Health , Daniel C. O’Connell , Yolanda Suarez-Balzacar  & Emil J. Posavac , , , , , ,  & 

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Abrams, D., de Moura, G.R. (2002). The Psychology of Collective Political Protest. In: Ottati, V.C., et al. The Social Psychology of Politics. Social Psychological Applications to Social Issues. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-0569-3_10

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-0569-3_10

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4613-5136-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4615-0569-3

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