From aggrieved to activist: group grievances, personal resources, and participation repertoires

Abstract

Abstract From voting to violence, politicized ethnicities shape many aspects of politics. Yet, within-group variation in how individuals respond to ethnic inequalities remains understudied. This article examines how perceived group grievance and personal resources combine to shape political participation repertoires. We argue that perceived group grievance can facilitate both conventional and contentious participation, but that individuals' repertoires are conditioned by socioeconomic status: Only the poorest and least educated should be willing to join contentious activities when protests entail risk of repression. Using 2016 survey data from Nepal collected during a period of high contention, we show that while middle class group members respond to perceived group grievance primarily with conventional political activities, such as party work and contacting politicians, individuals from the lowest socioeconomic strata are more likely to respond by supplementing or replacing conventional participation with protests and strikes. Additional analyses suggest that variation in civic skills, measured as literacy, basic political knowledge, and proficiency in the official language, provides the most likely explanation for these differences. The combination of within- and between-group inequalities is commonly seen to increase the risk of recruitment to armed groups. Our findings suggest that they can also serve as a catalyst for nonviolent contentious action. Moreover, the socioeconomic composition of identity groups could help condition the mode of their political struggle.