Group membership and radicalization: A cross-national investigation of collective self-esteem underlying extremism

TY - JOUR

T1 - Group membership and radicalization

T2 - A cross-national investigation of collective self-esteem underlying extremism

AU - Ozer, Simon

AU - Obaidi, Milan

AU - Pfattheicher, Stefan

PY - 2020/12

Y1 - 2020/12

N2 - Uncertainty, perceived threats, and a generally insecure life attachment have been associated with endorsement of extremism. Furthermore, salient identification with a group can influence radicalized ways of addressing insecure life attachment through an established and sometimes extreme worldview and ideology. In the present study, we replicated the finding that an insecure life attachment is associated with a higher degree of extremism endorsement. Furthermore, we found similarities and differences in how this association was influenced by various aspects of group membership across dissimilar contexts and among majority and minority groups (e.g., Muslims and non-Muslims) from Denmark (n = 223), India (n = 147), and the United Kingdom (n = 225). Consequently, our results indicate that general social psychological processes underlie radicalization and that different aspects of collective self-esteem can be central promoting or mitigating factors. Overall, our findings suggest an important interplay among life attachment, collective self-esteem, and extremism across Western and non-Western majority and minority groups.

AB - Uncertainty, perceived threats, and a generally insecure life attachment have been associated with endorsement of extremism. Furthermore, salient identification with a group can influence radicalized ways of addressing insecure life attachment through an established and sometimes extreme worldview and ideology. In the present study, we replicated the finding that an insecure life attachment is associated with a higher degree of extremism endorsement. Furthermore, we found similarities and differences in how this association was influenced by various aspects of group membership across dissimilar contexts and among majority and minority groups (e.g., Muslims and non-Muslims) from Denmark (n = 223), India (n = 147), and the United Kingdom (n = 225). Consequently, our results indicate that general social psychological processes underlie radicalization and that different aspects of collective self-esteem can be central promoting or mitigating factors. Overall, our findings suggest an important interplay among life attachment, collective self-esteem, and extremism across Western and non-Western majority and minority groups.

KW - extremism

KW - radicalization

KW - social identity

KW - threat

KW - uncertainty

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85097058373&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1177/1368430220922901

DO - 10.1177/1368430220922901

M3 - Journal article

SN - 1368-4302

VL - 23

SP - 1230

EP - 1248

JO - Group Processes & Intergroup Relations

JF - Group Processes & Intergroup Relations

IS - 8

ER -