Weaponized whiteness : the causes and consequences of white identity politics at the extremes
Abstract/Contents
- Abstract
- This dissertation delves into the profound role of whiteness in the United States, with a specific focus on the impact of racial identity "at the extremes" in the American sociopolitical landscape. Across all three papers, I posit that whiteness transcends being a benign facet of one's self; rather, it can represent a driving force behind political ideology, perception, and behavior. This research extends the existing political science literature, which highlights the influential role of group membership and emotional connections in shaping individual political attitudes and actions. The first paper breaks new ground by focusing on the extreme and exceptional expressions of white identity, particularly white nationalism, delving into its definition, causes, and consequences. This research forms a foundational understanding of how extreme manifestations of white identity, as epitomized by white nationalism, can be leveraged in the political sphere. Furthermore, this paper identifies a robust connection between white nationalism and concerns about white erasure, which are rooted in fears of losing social status and hierarchy. This notion of "racial status threat" plays a pivotal role in comprehending the politics of white Americans, driving the exploration of how concerns about demographic replacement affect white American politics in the second and third papers. The second paper delves into the trajectory of the "great replacement" theory and its influence on contemporary political discourse. Through a multi-disciplinary approach, incorporating computer science and large language modeling, I explore the mainstreaming of the "great replacement," tracking the adoption of replacement rhetoric by influential media outlets and political figures. Notably, the research reveals that elites play a substantial role in amplifying this divisive messaging. The third paper extends this work by illustrating how this elite mainstreaming genuinely influences the politics of white Americans. It employs a pre-registered survey experiment involving white American participants and exposes that elite discourse on the "great replacement" significantly influences white Republican participants, leading to changes in their perceptions of whites being "erased," support for the politics of white solidarity, and fears of a changing American demographic landscape. Collectively, these three papers aim to illuminate the intricate relationship between extreme racial identity and its profound consequences on contemporary American politics. The dissertation fills critical gaps in existing literature, offering valuable insights into the political weaponization of racial identity and narratives. In highlighting how extreme theories rooted in demographic fears can infiltrate and shape political discourse, scholars can develop new understandings of white identity politics -- particularly at the extremes.
Description
| Type of resource | text |
|---|---|
| Form | electronic resource; remote; computer; online resource |
| Extent | 1 online resource. |
| Place | California |
| Place | [Stanford, California] |
| Publisher | [Stanford University] |
| Copyright date | 2023; ©2023 |
| Publication date | 2023; 2023 |
| Issuance | monographic |
| Language | English |
Creators/Contributors
| Author | Chapin, Ellen |
|---|---|
| Degree supervisor | Davenport, Lauren, 1983- |
| Thesis advisor | Davenport, Lauren, 1983- |
| Thesis advisor | Jefferson, Hakeem |
| Thesis advisor | Willer, Robert Bartley |
| Degree committee member | Jefferson, Hakeem |
| Degree committee member | Willer, Robert Bartley |
| Associated with | Stanford University, School of Humanities and Sciences |
| Associated with | Stanford University, Department of Political Science |
Subjects
| Genre | Theses |
|---|---|
| Genre | Text |
Bibliographic information
| Statement of responsibility | Ellen Chapin. |
|---|---|
| Note | Submitted to the Department of Political Science. |
| Thesis | Thesis Ph.D. Stanford University 2023. |
| Location | https://purl.stanford.edu/fj647dr2118 |
Access conditions
- Copyright
- © 2023 by Ellen Jean Chapin
- License
- This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial 3.0 Unported license (CC BY-NC).
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