CRC/TRR 190/1: Competition Between States and the Historical Roots of Identity (SP B08)

In recent years, the political discourse has moved away from cleavages based on class and mass party membership, to tribes based on constructs of identity (ethnic, sexual, or religious identity; “Remainers” vs. “Leavers”; etc.). “Identity politics” is the fitting keyword for this development. The goal of this project B08 is to provide a historical, empirical foundation to the study of “identity politics”. We aim to understand the emergence of modern identities from a historical and political economy perspective. We conceptualise identities as non-standard preferences, which are interdependent, can change due to the intervention by rational political actors, and matter for individual decision-making.