Document Type
Article
Abstract
Through participant-observation and interviews, I explore the conservative social identity of College Republicans at a midsize, midtier public university in the United States. Using the concepts of repertoires and frames, I analyze how individuals make claims to political social identities. Specifically, I show that symbolic appeals to the free market were an essential aspect of the conservative repertoire at my field site. Furthermore, the shifting and contradictory frames used by the College Republicans in this study demonstrate that their discursive political practices were not primarily about policy preferences; they were about affirming a conservative social identity. Understanding how stated policy preferences and identity intertwine in everyday political talk has important implications for American democracy.
DOI
10.1177/0731121415583104
Publication Date
5-5-2015
Recommended Citation
Jeffrey Lowell Kidder; College Republicans and Conservative Social Identity; Sociological Perspectives 0731121415583104, first published on May 5, 2015 doi:10.1177/0731121415583104
Original Citation
Jeffrey Lowell Kidder; College Republicans and Conservative Social Identity; Sociological Perspectives 0731121415583104, first published on May 5, 2015 doi:10.1177/0731121415583104
Legacy Department
Department of Sociology
Language
eng
Publisher
Sociological Perspectives
