Identity Dynamics Among Left-Leaning, Politically Active Kurds in Germany: The Role of Perceived Injustice, Collective Efficacy, and Online/Offline Participation

Authors

  • Özen Odağ Touro College Berlin
  • Özden Melis Uluğ Clark University Department of Psychology University of Sussex School of Psychology
  • Helin Ünal Clark University Department of Psychology

Keywords:

Kurdish identity, Kurdish diaspora, perceived injustice, collective efficacy, online collective action, offline collective action, ethnic identity, diaspora identity, politicized identity, national identity

Abstract

The current study highlights the multiplicity of Kurdish diasporic identity construction in relation to distant conflict, the Afrin conflict in particular. It first distinguishes between different reference points for identity construction: national Kurdish identity, ethnic Kurdish identity, and politicized Kurdish identity. Second, it explains diasporic identity construction by means of collective action variables: perceived injustice, perceived efficacy, and past online/offline participation. By means of a quantitative survey of members of the Kurdish diaspora in Germany (N = 94) and subsequent regression analyses, the findings show that past online/offline political participation represents a vital factor in the construction of a politicized Kurdish identity, while perceived injustice and perceived collective efficacy represent key predictors of identifying with a Kurdish national identity. Identifying with an ethnic Kurdish identity is not meaningfully explained by the chosen collective action predictors in this study. The study aims to connect diaspora communication and social psychology literatures by using the above-mentioned identity and collective action variables.

Author Biographies

Özen Odağ, Touro College Berlin

Associate Professor,Psychology, Touro College Berlin 

Özden Melis Uluğ, Clark University Department of Psychology University of Sussex School of Psychology

Assistant Professor at Clark University at the time of conducting the studyCurrently Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Sussex 

Helin Ünal, Clark University Department of Psychology

Graduate Student

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Published

2021-10-28

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Section

Articles