Politics, Projection, and Fake News

Abstract

Abstract:Recent years have seen an increase in partisan politics and social conflict, marked by the emergence of “alternative media” and fake news. This essay argues that social change (e.g., demographic shifts, globalization, information technologies) can create widespread crises in identity, and many of the more sensational public issues (i.e., fake news, conspiracy theories, etc.) represent expressions of shared psychological defenses against dramatic disruptions in self-concept. This essay uses a structural perspective on interpersonal theory as well as concepts from group theory to understand how politics influences identity and, in particular, how the projections of identity become interwoven with the political process.