by Johanna Hornung and Nils C. Bandelow
How do people kind coverage preferences? In our latest article, printed in Coverage & Politics, we argue that people’ identification with social teams, and the feelings related to these teams, can clarify why folks assist sure insurance policies to deal with societal issues. Particularly, we examine this connection utilizing two examples from one of the advanced issues of our time: local weather change.
Local weather change places strain on governments around the globe. There are a number of public insurance policies that purpose to cut back dangerous carbon dioxide emissions, comparable to selling meatless diet or decreasing using particular person automobiles for transport. These insurance policies not solely want the approval of political elites however have to be supported by folks and their particular person preferences.
In public coverage analysis, insights from social psychology are drawn on, as a result of they provide useful insights into how people assume and behave. Explanations for preferences inside this area primarily give attention to cognitive facets, comparable to social group affiliations and feelings skilled. Constructing on this strand of analysis, we suggest that people’ coverage preferences are influenced by the social teams they determine with, and the feelings they affiliate with their very own teams and others. Extra particularly, people are more likely to assist insurance policies aligned with the values and norms of their social group, particularly in the event that they harbour sturdy unfavourable feelings towards opposing teams. For example, when contemplating preferences in direction of meatless diets, we anticipate people who determine as vegetarians to be extra supportive of such insurance policies, notably in the event that they really feel sturdy unfavourable feelings (comparable to anger) in direction of non-vegetarians. Equally, within the context of particular person automobile use, those that personal a automobile are anticipated to favour insurance policies selling particular person automobile use as a way of transport, particularly in the event that they really feel sturdy unfavourable feelings in direction of individuals who don’t drive automobiles.
To check our hypotheses, we performed a survey of roughly 2,000 people consultant of the German inhabitants. The questionnaire requested respondents which type of mobility or diet weight loss program, respectively, ought to be politically promoted, with particular person automobile use and meatless diet among the many choices. Moreover, we collected information on particular person traits comparable to age, gender, identification with political events and faith, and whether or not people determine themselves extra with metropolitan, regional, or provincial areas. Moreover, we requested how incessantly they really feel anger in direction of individuals who have completely different views and habits as regards their very own responses on these two points.
The outcomes assist the declare that particular person identification with social teams considerably influences the assist for insurance policies which can be in favour of the respective social group (vegetarian weight loss program or driving a person automobile use). Nevertheless, it is just in meals coverage that we discover, firstly, vegetarians to extra incessantly really feel anger in direction of folks with completely different dietary habits and, secondly, this expertise of anger influencing their desire for the political promotion of meatless diet.
On this method, our article fills a spot within the analysis on how particular person identification with social teams is linked to feelings associated to insurance policies and coverage preferences. Our outcomes have implications for the examine of social teams and feelings and for understanding and overcoming conflicts between folks with completely different identities and feelings.
You’ll be able to learn the unique analysis in Coverage & Politics at
Hornung, J., & Bandelow, N. C. (2024). Social identities, feelings and coverage preferences. Coverage & Politics (printed on-line forward of print 2024) from https://doi.org/10.1332/03055736Y2024D000000036
Should you loved this weblog publish, you may additionally have an interest to learn:
Durnová, A. (2022). Making interpretive coverage evaluation important and societally related: feelings, ethnography and language. Coverage & Politics, 50(1), 43-58 from https://doi.org/10.1332/030557321X16129850569011
Kuhlmann, J., & Starke, P. (2024). The politics of anger: emotional appraisal mechanisms and the French pension reform protests. Coverage & Politics (printed on-line forward of print 2024) from https://doi.org/10.1332/03055736Y2024D000000027
