Scuzzarello, Sarah (2015) Narratives and social identity formation among Somalis and post-enlargement Poles. Political Psychology, 36 (2). pp. 181-198. ISSN 0162-895X

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Abstract

The article examines the narratives of collective belonging among two migrant groups, Somalis and post-enlargement Poles, who live in the London borough of Ealing (United Kingdom). In order to gain a better understanding of the processes of social identity formation, the article proposes a synthesis of a social identity approach, in particular the recent discursive developments in the field, with a political opportunity structure approach. Drawing upon these bodies of research, the article analyzes the understandings of collective identity among Somalis and post-enlargement Poles according to three sets of social relationships: the group's relationship with the political environment; its relationship with other groups; and its relationship with people who share the same ascribed identity. The findings of the study confirm that social identity is shaped by not only intra- and intergroup cognitive elements but also by the political environment in which a group operates.

Item Type:	Article
Schools and Departments:	School of Global Studies > International Development
Research Centres and Groups:	Sussex Centre for Migration Research
Subjects:	H Social Sciences J Political Science
Depositing User:	Sarah Scuzzarello
Date Deposited:	22 Feb 2017 09:58
Last Modified:	24 May 2018 14:09
URI:	http://sro.sussex.ac.uk/id/eprint/66847

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