Description
Book SynopsisTrade ReviewIn this important book, Adam Harris develops a novel theory of how ethnic attributes shape attachments to identities with implications for political behavior. He rigorously scrutinizes his theory using a range of original experimental and observational approaches, which are ultimately compelling. In turn, Everyday Identity and Electoral Politics simultaneously contributes to scholarly literatures on comparative ethnic politics and to our understanding of racial politics in the important South African case. * Evan Lieberman, Total Professor of Political Science and Contemporary Africa, Massachusetts Institute of Technology *
Harris deftly moves us beyond binaries of 'co-ethnic' and 'non-coethnic', developing a nuanced concept of ethnic distance, to understand political behavior in diverse societies. Through a rich, multi-method study around the 2014 South African elections, as well as evidence from the United States and Uganda, Harris's must-read book elevates literatures on ethnic politics to new theoretical and empirical heights. * Gwyneth McClendon, Associate Professor in the Wilf Family Department of Politics, New York University *
In an exciting twist to the co-ethnic voting literature, Harris argues for the importance of 'everyday' interactions in shaping political behavior. Individuals who look different from the group norm vote against the group norm and do so because other group members treat them differently. Required reading for anyone interested in the microfoundations of ethnic voting. * Karen Ferree, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of California-San Diego *
Adam Harris has produced an impressive study that takes us beyond conventional wisdom in understanding how ethnic and racial identities shape political preferences. Based on insightful theorizing and original empirics, Harris provides a nuanced depiction of identity construction and how it differentially affects people's everyday life experiences. This book offers profound insights for anyone who seeks to understand the complex impact of race or ethnicity on political behavior in diverse societies around the world. * Leonardo R. Arriola, Director of the Center for African Studies, University of California, Berkeley *
