1. (c) Peter Weinreich, June 2010 1 Symposium: Accessing the “political” in socio-historical context Convenor: Peter Weinreich Emeritus Professor of Psychology, University of Ulster Director, Identity Exploration Ltd, www.identityexploration.com www.identityexploration.com Conference: Tearing Down the Walls: Rethinking the Political in Political Psychology Centre for Research in Political Psychology, Queen's University Belfast Thursday 15 April 2010

2. (c) Peter Weinreich, June 2010 2 Symposium: Accessing the “political” in socio-historical context Outline: Socio-historical contexts vary hugely from country to country and from era to era, such that what constitutes the ‘political’ is a matter of time and place. ‘Political processes’ differ in myriad ways across nations and in time. In contexts of major migrations, cultural heritages constitute one of the dominant political themes that exercise both the migrant and the receiving communities.

3. (c) Peter Weinreich, June 2010 3 Symposium: Accessing the “political” in socio-historical context Outline: Other major themes are the forms of the political infrastructure (western democratic, Chinese communist, military dictatorship, etc.) and the civic organisation of the mainstream community (nature of local services, judiciary, etc). Further, political and military engagements locally and worldwide activate citizens’ political sensibilities. In all of these aspects of the ‘political’ in socio-historical contexts, the individual’s sense of identity predominates as being the locus for people’s appraisal of the political arena.

4. (c) Peter Weinreich, June 2010 4 Symposium: Accessing the “political” in socio-historical context Outline: Ultimately, political processes cannot be divorced from the identity processes of individuals, whether they be members of the (amorphous) ‘mainstream’, or various alternative cultural and subcultural groups. The challenge to conceptual and methodological issues is to take into account the immense variety of individual identity processes in socio- historical context, while anchoring the individual within the nexus of other people and institutions in the community.

5. (c) Peter Weinreich, June 2010 5 Symposium: Accessing the “political” in socio-historical context Outline: The symposium introduces Identity Structure Analysis (ISA) as an interdisciplinary conceptual framework to investigate such complex processes of identity, using ethnographic work in order to generate customised identity instruments. The papers in the symposium illustrate the use of ISA and the computer software Ipseus in a variety of socio-historical contexts.

6. (c) Peter Weinreich, June 2010 6 Symposium: Accessing the “political” in socio-historical context Peter Weinreich, University of Ulster, UK Introducing the use of ISA/ipseus to Political Psychology Fiona Bloomer, Trademark, UK Illustrating the use of ISA for exploring the impact of anti-racist and anti-sectarian work in Northern Ireland Stephen Ewart, Identity Exploration Ltd, UK Primordialist and situationalist perspectives on nationality in Beijing students Sunyoung Lee, Queen’s University Belfast, UK ISA within a multi-method approach: Chinese children’s identities in Northern Ireland

7. (c) Peter Weinreich, June 20107 Symposium: Accessing the “political” in socio-historical context Presentation 1 Introducing the use of ISA/ipseus to Political Psychology Peter Weinreich, University of Ulster, UK

8. (c) Peter Weinreich, June 20108 Identity Structure Analysis What is Identity Structure Analysis (ISA)?   ISA’s substantive arena of discourse: Self and Identity   It is an open-ended conceptual framework of (a) psychological concepts and (b) process postulates   that represents an integration of key theoretical formulations from the academic disciplines of Psychology, Sociology and Social Anthropology.

9. (c) Peter Weinreich, June 20109 Key theoretical formulations   Psychodynamic approach …identity over the lifespan through identifications (Erikson, Marcia, Laing, Berne)   Symbolic interactionism …identity through communication (Mead, Cooley, Sullivan, Stryker, Weigert, Goffman, Shotter & Gergen)   Self-concept, social identity and self-esteem …identity through society (Rosenberg, Coopersmith, Harter, Tajfel, Turner, Hogg & Abrams)   Construal and appraisal …identity by way of idiosyncratic personal constructions (G.A.Kelly, Arnold, Lazarus, Schweder)   Cognitive-affective consistency theory …identity subject to emotional and cognitive pressures (Heider, Osgood & Tannenbaum, Rosenberg & Abelson, Festinger, Wickland & Brehm, Aronson)   Social anthropology and indigenous psychologies …identity located in cultural context (Schweder, Pasternack, Ember & Ember, Valsiner)  The fundamental issue of ‘agency’ : Rom Harré – the agentic self

10. (c) Peter Weinreich, June 201010 Key theoretical formulations  References  The theoretical perspectives that underpin ISA, together with the definitions of psychological concepts and statements of process postulates are to be found in:  Weinreich, P. (2003) Identity structure Analysis. In Weinreich, P., & Saunderson, W. (Eds.) Analysing Identity: Cross Cultural, Societal and Clinical Contexts. London: Routledge & Psychology Press. Chapter 1.  The operationalisation of ISA for empirical projects is by way of:  Weinreich, P., & Ewart, S. (2008) Ipseus computer software. Belfast: Identity Exploration Ltd. www.identityexploration.com www.identityexploration.com

11. (c) Peter Weinreich, June 201011 The processes of identification…   People identify with elements of significant others who have influence over their personal well-being, either for good or ill.   They form aspirational identifications with others when they wish to   emulate their prized features or   dissociate from their unpalatable aspects.

12. (c) Peter Weinreich, June 201012 Aspirational identification in two aspects…   They form idealistic-identifications with others when they wish to emulate their prized features.   They form contra-identifications with others when they wish to dissociate from their unpalatable aspects.

13. (c) Peter Weinreich, June 201013 The processes of identification…   a different mode in the here and now …   People empathetically identify with others when they recognise in the others features of themselves, whether good or bad.   … a person’s empathetic identification with another modulates according to situations, contexts and mood states

14. (c) Peter Weinreich, June 201014 Conflicted identifications…   When self empathetically identifies with another person while simultaneously contra-identifying with that person, self’s identification with the other is conflicted.   I.e., Self is as the other in several respects, while wishing to dissociate from some of the characteristics of the other - “to be as the other, while not wishing to be”   … Since people’s empathetic identification with others modulate according to situations, contexts and mood states, so will their conflicted identifications alter accordingly

15. (c) Peter Weinreich, June 201015 Identity diffusion …   People’s conflicted identifications with others may be dispersed across several persons.   A state of high identity diffusion is manifest when self’s conflicted identifications with others are both substantial and dispersed across many others.   … extent of identity diffusion may also modulate according to situations, contexts and mood states.

16. (c) Peter Weinreich, June 201016 How is the ISA conceptual framework operationalised? Psychological definitions Algorithms Computer software (Ipseus) Identity instrument editor Instrument display and data capture Data analysis and output

17. (c) Peter Weinreich, June 201017 Identity Structure Analysis is operationalised through…  … the ‘ipseus’ computer software … … in these modes …  Idiographic  Idiographic – for individual analyses  Phase  Phase – for longitudinal analyses  Nomothetic  Nomothetic – for group analyses  Nomothetic-phase  Nomothetic-phase – for group longitudinal analyses

18. (c) Peter Weinreich, June 201018 Customised identity instrument : themes and constructs  Preliminary investigative and ethnographic work establishes salient themes to be represented in the identity instrument as Bipolar constructs, consisting of contrasting discourses about, or representations of, experiences and expectations, beliefs and values, attributes, etc.   Their role as core or conflicted dimensions of identity for each person is ascertained using the ipseus software

19. (c) Peter Weinreich, June 201019 Customised identity instrument: domains and entities  Continuing investigative and ethnographic work establishes the domains of most relevance to the delineated themes to be the represented in the identity instrument as Entities: self in various contexts; other agents, such as people, groups, institutions, emblems, icons, images, events, abstractions, material objects, etc   Their significance in terms of themes and appraisal in terms of the bipolar constructs is assessed for each person using the ipseus software

20. (c) Peter Weinreich, June 201020 The operationalisation of Identity Structure Analysis   References   The isomorphic translations of ISA psychological concepts into algorithms and their practical operationalisation:   Weinreich, P. (2003) Identity exploration: Theory into practice. In: Weinreich, P., & Saunderson, W. (Eds.) Analysing Identity: Clinical, Societal and Cross-Cultural Contexts London: Routledge & Psychology Press. Chapter 2.   Dedicated computer software for facilitating ISA: Weinreich, P., & Ewart, S. (2008) Ipseus. ww.identityexploration.comww.identityexploration.com

21. (c) Peter Weinreich, June 201021 Study of Islamist propensities in disaffected young Muslims in Manchester   Referral of disaffected young Muslims in Manchester to a dedicated Muslim charitable agency specialising in:   Mentoring   Concentration on a segment of the population is a controversial activity:   Comparative study is essential  imposed by the investigators  Appraisals of self, other people and agents in the community should be from the participants’ perspectives, not ones imposed by the investigators

22. (c) Peter Weinreich, June 201022 Four themes to be investigated  Theme 1: Civics  Subthemes:   1.1 Sharia law: Radical tendency – favour Sharia over British law   1.2 Human rights: Radical tendency – favour Islamic code over ‘universal’ (western) Human Rights   1.3 Free-speech: Radical tendency – less than wholesale endorsement   1.4 Fighting and dying for a cause: Radical tendency – preference for this rather than national army

23. (c) Peter Weinreich, June 201023 Four themes to be investigated  Theme 2: British Muslims in the context of British society  Subthemes:  2.1 Racism: Radical tendency – habitual experience of racism  2.2 Societal consequence of identity in Britain: Radical tendency – victimisation because of one’s identity  2.3 Morality of the British: Radical tendency – British immoral  2.4 Impact of British foreign policy on Muslims in Britain: Radical tendency – British foreign policy desecrates Muslims  2.5 Trustworthiness: Radical tendency – distrust of Government, police and media

24. (c) Peter Weinreich, June 201024 Four themes to be investigated   Theme 3: Sensibility of Islamic culture   Subthemes:   3.1 Muslim belongingness as local or global: Radical tendency – global   3.2 Continuity of Islamic culture: Radical tendency - contradicts key aspects of Islam   3.3 Respect for Islam: Radical tendency – makes Islam respected   3.4 Respect of others by Muslims: Radical tendency – disrespect of British ethnicities and institutions   3.5 Alternative expressions of Islamic faith: Radical tendency – adoption of alternative militant expressions

25. (c) Peter Weinreich, June 201025 Four themes to be investigated   Theme 4: The individual living in the social world: civil society (4 bipolar constructs)   Subthemes:   4.1 Meaningfulness of existence: Potential for radicalisation – self having no centre   4.2 Being noticed or not: Potential for radicalisation – self not being noticed   4.3 Ability to influence others: Potential for radicalisation – self not having any influence  : radical tendency – susceptible  4.4 Susceptibility to radical influence: radical tendency – susceptible

26. (c) Peter Weinreich, June 201026 ‘Anti-infidel’ radical-Islamist activist: Criteria in terms of –   A) Identification   Strong identification (idealistic & empathetic) with Islamic agents – both al Qaeda and martyr together with   Strong contra- identification with infidel agents – Government and British Christians and Jews   B) dimensions of identity   At least 9 of 10 ‘Islamist’ values and beliefs endorsed, of which at least 8 are core dimensions of identity

27. (c) Peter Weinreich, June 201027 ‘Myopic’ radical-Islamist activist: criteria in terms of –   A) identification   Strong identification (idealistic & empathetic) with Islamic agents – both al Qaeda and martyr together with   Strong contra- identification with only Government ignoring the wider community of British Christians and Jews  B  B) dimensions of identity   At least 9 of 10 ‘Islamist’ values and beliefs endorsed, of which at least 8 are core dimensions of identity

28. (c) Peter Weinreich, June 201028 ‘Anti-infidel’ strong, moderate, or weak radical- Islamist sympathiser: Criteria in terms of –  A) Identification  Strong identification (idealistic & empathetic) with one or other Islamic agent – either al Qaeda or martyr together with   Strong contra- identification with infidel agents – Government and British Christians and Jews  B) dimensions of identity  Strong sympathiser - at least 9 of 10 ‘Islamist’ values and beliefs endorsed, of which at least 8 are core dimensions of identity  Moderate sympathiser –at least 8 ‘Islamist’ values and beliefs endorsed, of which at least 2 are core dimensions of identity  Weak sympathiser - at least 7 ‘Islamist’ values and beliefs endorsed, of which at least 1 is a core dimension of identity

29. (c) Peter Weinreich, June 201029 ‘Myopic’ strong, moderate, or weak radical- Islamist sympathiser: Criteria in terms of –   A) Identification   Strong identification (idealistic & empathetic) with Islamic agents – both al Qaeda and martyr together with   Strong contra- identification with only Government ignoring the wider community of British Christians and Jews   B) dimensions of identity   Strong sympathiser - at least 9 of 10 ‘Islamist’ values and beliefs endorsed, of which at least 8 are core dimensions of identity   Moderate sympathiser – at least 8 ‘Islamist’ values and beliefs endorsed, of which at least 2 are core dimensions of identity   Weak sympathiser - at least 7 ‘Islamist’ values and beliefs endorsed, of which at least 1 is a core dimension of identity

30. (c) Peter Weinreich, June 201030 ‘Symbolic adherent’ Islamist sympathiser: Criteria in terms of –   A) Identification   Strong identification (idealistic & empathetic) with one or other Islamic agent – either al Qaeda or martyr but   No strong contra- identification with Government and the wider community of British Christians and Jews   B) dimensions of identity   General absence of endorsement of ‘Islamist’ values and beliefs

31. (c) Peter Weinreich, June 201031 ‘Civil anti-infidel’ Muslim: Criteria in terms of –   A) Identification   No strong identification (idealistic & empathetic) with Islamic agents – either al Qaeda or martyr but   Strong contra- identification with infidel agents – Government and British Christians and Jews   B) dimensions of identity   At least 6 of the 10 ‘Islamist’ construct texts to be endorsed but none as core dimensions   At least 3 of the 4 ‘civil’ construct texts to be endorsed as core dimensions

32. (c) Peter Weinreich, June 201032 Strongly anti radical-Islamist: Criteria in terms of –   A) Identification   Strong contra- identification with both Islamic agents – al Qaeda and martyr and   Weak empathetic identification with both Islamic agents – al Qaeda and martyr   B) Dimensions of identity   At least 3 of the 4 ‘British’ construct texts to be endorsed, at least 2 of which to be core dimensions

33. (c) Peter Weinreich, June 201033 Moderately and partially anti radical-Islamist: Criteria in terms of –   A) Identification   Strong contra- identification with one or other Islamic agent – either al Qaeda or martyr and   Weak empathetic identification with one or other Islamic agent – either al Qaeda or martyr   B) Dimensions of identity   Moderately anti - At least 2 of the 4 ‘British’ construct texts to be endorsed, at least 1 of which to be a core dimension   Partially anti - At least 2 of the 4 ‘British’ construct texts to be endorsed, but none as core

34. (c) Peter Weinreich, June 201034 Within-community encapsulation: Criteria in terms of –   Ego-involvement   Within own community: High with oneself when being with one’s own community and high with members of one’s own community, such as parents, closest friend and influential community leader   Beyond own community: Low with oneself when with the broader society and low with the broader society of Government, local decision makers, British Christians and British Jews

35. (c) Peter Weinreich, June 201035 Pilot findings to date   ‘Anti-infidel’ radical-Islamist activist: 0   ‘Myopic’ radical-Islamist activist: 0   Strong ‘anti-infidel’ radical-Islamist sympathiser: 0   Moderate ‘anti-infidel’ radical-Islamist sympathiser: 0   Weak ‘anti-infidel’ radical-Islamist sympathiser: 1

36. (c) Peter Weinreich, June 201036 Pilot findings to date   Strong ‘myopic’ radical-Islamist sympathiser:1   Moderate ‘myopic’ radical-Islamist sympathiser:1   Weak ‘myopic’ radical-Islamist sympathiser:0   ‘Symbolic adherent’ Islamist sympathiser:2

37. (c) Peter Weinreich, June 201037 Pilot findings to date   ‘Civil anti-infidel’ Muslim: 1   Strongly anti radical-Islamist: 3   Moderately anti radical-Islamist: 1   Partially anti radical-Islamist: : 2   Within-community encapsulation: 1

38. (c) Peter Weinreich, June 201038 Resources   See: www.identityexploration.com