Exploring Relational Turning Points Between Family Members of Differing Political Identities

Abstract

Much research has been done into the creation and maintenance of social identities, including political identities. WIth a perceived exacerbation of political polarization, there may be a greater concern for how a person's political identity and their expression of that identity impacts relationships with those who are societally considered closest to them. This research focuses on how closeness between members of the same family is impacted based on the experience of the participants. After interviewing studetns who described their experiences, I found that students felt a decrease in closeness and a greater sense of apprehension to engage in communication with family members who do not share their political identity, but also learned how to mitigate these interactions to maintain the relationship.