Loncaric, Nicole
(2024)
The Contours and Implications of the Development of Place-Based Identities in American Politics.
Doctoral Dissertation, University of Pittsburgh.
(Unpublished)
Abstract
In this work, I seek to understand the political relevance of place-based identities. I argue that place-based identities are social identities that develop due to perceived belonging to rural, suburban, or urban communities. These identities can create solidarity among individuals across similar communities rather than solely within a particular local community. My conceptualization of place-based identity differs from other work, which focuses on out-group resentment and intergroup relations, as well as from work on attachment to local, regional, or national identities. The place-based identity strength scale I construct is reliable, and the scale items are not strongly related to other politically relevant factors of concern. I find that rural identity strength is uniquely strong in the Midwest, but that the Midwest is an anomaly: in the South, the Northeast, and the West, rural and urban identity strength are strong, on par with each other, and significantly distinguishable from suburban identity strength.
Bivariate estimations suggest place-based identity strength is strongly correlated with political behaviors such as participation, vote choice, and political involvement, but the correlations are not significant when controlling for other standard political covariates. However, a significant, positive relationship exists between suburban identity strength and political trust, even when controlling for standard political covariates. There is also a significant, positive relationship between place-based identity strength across the rural-urban spectrum and the strength of one’s partisan identity attachment. I explore this relationship experimentally, but my findings are null. Mean place-based identity attachment among respondents exposed to an in-group place-based identity attachment manipulation is significantly higher than that of the control group, which suggests that the treatment effectively manipulated the intended variable. Still, no causal relationship is uncovered between place-based and partisan identity attachment.
This dissertation provides an important contribution to our understanding of how place operates as a social identity and shapes other key political identities, such as partisanship.
Share
| Citation/Export: |
|
| Social Networking: |
|
Details
| Item Type: |
University of Pittsburgh ETD
|
| Status: |
Unpublished |
| Creators/Authors: |
|
| ETD Committee: |
|
| Date: |
27 August 2024 |
| Date Type: |
Publication |
| Defense Date: |
27 June 2024 |
| Approval Date: |
27 August 2024 |
| Submission Date: |
8 August 2024 |
| Access Restriction: |
No restriction; Release the ETD for access worldwide immediately. |
| Number of Pages: |
248 |
| Institution: |
University of Pittsburgh |
| Schools and Programs: |
Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences > Political Science |
| Degree: |
PhD - Doctor of Philosophy |
| Thesis Type: |
Doctoral Dissertation |
| Refereed: |
Yes |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: |
Place-Based Identity, Rural-Urban Divide, Political Behavior, Political Attitudes, American Politics, Social Identity |
| Date Deposited: |
27 Aug 2024 11:35 |
| Last Modified: |
27 Mar 2025 16:12 |
| URI: |
http://d-scholarship.pitt.edu/id/eprint/46927 |
Metrics
Monthly Views for the past 3 years
Plum Analytics
Actions (login required)
 |
View Item |
![[feed]](/images/feed-icon-32x32.png){kind=icon}