Race and gender are linked to how Americans protest and campaign
When Americans get angry about the state of the country, their race and gender appear to shape whether they turn to the ballot box or the picket line. A new study reveals how overlapping identities influence political participation.
A recent study published in Public Opinion Quarterly reveals that race and gender play a significant role in how Americans express political anger through both formal campaigns and street protests. Researchers Sara Morell from The College of New Jersey and Marzia Oceno from Florida International University suspected that the existing racial divide in political engagement overlooked the impact of gender.
To test their hypothesis, they analyzed data from a large survey conducted in the aftermath of the 2020 presidential election, focusing on 6,661 adults who identified as white or Black and male or female.
The researchers measured anger levels among participants and tracked their involvement in various political activities, including campaigning, donating money, attending rallies, wearing political buttons, and casting their ballot. Surprisingly, while angry white men were more likely to engage in formal electoral activities, angry Black women showed the highest increase in campaign engagement, indicating their crucial role as active organizers in modern electoral politics.
White men's anger did not predict their actual voting behavior, as voting is typically expected from politically active individuals. However, white women demonstrated a broad range of formal political tools when feeling threatened or upset, whereas Black men displayed a delayed response in non-electoral participation, reporting increased engagement in activities like signing petitions and posting political messages online in the 2022 midterm elections.
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