Development of political identities

The last EU elections in 2024, as well as state elections in Thuringia and Saxony in 2024, have made it clear that more and more citizens are voting for anti-democratic and nativist parties. Even young voters, who are normally considered to be progressive and left-wing, are increasingly voting for the far right. This is accompanied not only by support for anti-democratic and nativist tendencies, but also by increased intolerance and populist attitudes. 

There are various ways to counteract this trend: one is to promote an identity that fosters civil society values and behaviors. In Germany, such an identity could be European on the one hand and, on the other, a civic identity defined by citizenship

But when and over what period of time do such identities develop? How can they be assessed in a way that is tailored to the target group? In what contexts and social situations do these identities even become relevant for adolescents and young adults?

In this research focus, we examine the identity development of adolescents and young adults with a focus on political and inclusive identities, as well as factors that promote or inhibit their formation. We focus in particular on different time periods in which such identities can develop. 

Contact: Dr. Anna-Maria Mayer

Related projects: jurop.uni-jena.de 

Publications

Mayer, A.-M., Crocetti, E., Eckstein, K., Noack, P., & Jugert, P. (2024). Becoming European. Mid- and short-term development of European identity formation. Identity. https://doi.org/10.1080/15283488.2024.2394874

Mayer, A.-M., Körner, A., & Jugert, P. (2024). What does it mean to be European? How identity content shapes adolescent’s views towards immigrants and support for the EU. Political Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1111/pops.13041

Mayer, A.-M., Neubauer, A. B., & Jugert, P. (2023). What is in the news today? How media-related affect shapes adolescents' stance towards the EU. Journal of Adolescence. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1002/jad.12225

Mayer, A.-M., Helmert, C., Körner, A., Dieckmann, J., Eckstein, K., Jugert, P., & Noack, P. (2023). Europa und Schule: Auswirkungen des Lernorts Schule auf die Einstellungen von Jugendlichen gegenüber EU und Europa. Zeitschrift für Soziologie der Erziehung und Sozialisation, 43(3), 277-294. https://content-select.com/de/portal/media/view/64c3e007-7420-419a-9d92-0047ac1b0007

Conference contributions

Mayer, A.-M. (2023, August). What does it mean to be European? How identity content shapes adolescents’ views. Symposium Contribution at the European Conference of Developmental Psychology, Turku.

Mayer, A.-M. (2022, November). How media content shapes affect towards political institutions via populistic attitudes. A daily diary study. Symposium Contribution at the Workshop on Aggression, Jena.

Mayer, A.-M. (2022, August). What it means to be European for adolescents living in Germany. Conference of the European Association of Research on Adolescence, Dublin.

Mayer, A.-M. (2022, April). German Saviorism? Talk at the International Week Against Racism, Duisburg.