The influence of perceived threat and political mistrust on politicized identity and normative and violent nonnormative collective action

Abstract

<p>The present research examined the interplay of social threat and political mistrust on collective action intentions in the context of Hong Kong social unrest. We investigated perceived social threat from a dominant outgroup and mistrust in the political system as two antecedents of politicized identity, and as indirect predictors of intentions to participate in normative and violent nonnormative collective action. Across two studies (Study 1: N = 398; Study 2: N = 200), we found that perceived social threat, political mistrust, and their interaction had positive significant associations with action intentions (Study 1) and an interactive association (Study 2) with politicized identity. Both studies indicated indirect effects of social threat and political mistrust on both normative and violent collective action intentions through politicized identity. Politicized identity and a broader Hong Kong identity were both directly associated with normative collective action intentions. However, only politicized identity was associated with violent collective action intentions.</p><p><em>Keywords: </em>collective action, violent nonnormative collective action, politicized identity, social threat, political mistrust</p>

本研究以香港近年的政治狀況作背景, 調查外來威脅和對當權者的不信任如何影響人參與集體行動的意圖。 我們提出當人感受到的外來的威脅而且亦對當權者不信任, 他們的集體身分認同會有所影響, 繼而左右他們參與合法或暴力的社會運動的意圖。 研究一 (N = 398) 發現外來威脅、 對當權者的不信任和此兩因素的交互作用與參與社會運動中的集體行動的意圖有正面關係。 研究二 (N = 200) 此兩因素的交互作用與社會運動的身分認同亦有正面關係。 兩項研究皆指出外來威脅和對當權者不信任導致身分認同上的分別, 從而影響參與集體行動的意圖。 社會運動的身分認同和香港人身分認同與參與合法社會運動的意圖有直接關係。 反之, 各種因素中只有社會運動的身分認同與參與不合法甚至暴力 抗爭的意圖有直接關係。

關鍵詞: 集體行動/社會運動, 暴力抗爭, 政治化身份, 被威脅感, 政治不信任