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This paper presents an analysis of identity leadership (Haslam et al., The new psychology of leadership: Identity, influence and power, Routledge, 2020) in the 1988 'Candlelight Demonstration' in Bratislava which was a precursor to the 1989 Velvet Revolution. The analysis is based on interviews with the five remaining leaders of the demonstration and addresses three core issues. First, how leaders use performative means (identity impresarioship) as well as limited rhetorical means (identity entrepreneurship) to assemble protestors and create a sense of shared identity amongst them. Second, how these strategies of mobilization are linked to the highly repressive context in which the demonstration took place. Third, we analyse the extent to which these strategies are rooted in a psychological understanding of the processes of mobilization. We conclude by addressing the implications for our general understanding of leadership and the mobilization of collective action and the need for more research into these processes under conditions of repression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social psychologists have typically examined leadership and risk‐taking behaviours through a social identity lens. However, the rhetorical/ideological aspects of such processes as well as leaders' accountability management practices have not been adequately studied. We address this gap by focusing on leaders of the Church of Greece (CoG), who, at the onset of the COVID‐19 pandemic, insisted that their congregation should keep receiving the Holy Communion, which typically involves the practice of spoon‐sharing. We present a discursive analysis of 17 interviews with leaders of the CoG given in Greek media channels, exploring how they construct participation in the ritual. When Church leaders urged their audiences to engage in risky practices, they assumed various social identity positions (e.g. scientifically informed; civic minded), implicating competing ideological frameworks. They also managed their personal and institutional accountability for potential viral transmissions by placing responsibility for adverse effects on their followers. Implications for social psychological theory are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Siblings of disabled or chronically ill children are often hidden family members and their needs for support might not be met. Current research however is limited in its understanding of siblings' lived experiences. This study uses semi‐structured interviews to explore the lived experiences of 16 individuals (referred to as siblings) who grew up with a disabled or chronically ill brother or sister. Participants reflected on their childhood and adolescent experiences as siblings, focusing on their social interactions and relationships, social support, and wellbeing. Using thematic analysis, we identified four distinct but theoretically related themes; participants experienced (a) feelings of invisibility during social interactions, (b) psychological difficulties due to the internalisation of family roles or life conditions, and (c) feelings of guilt and self‐blame. Finally, (d) social support was central as siblings were sometimes unable to understand their own needs, and support from family and peer groups helped them have their negative experiences validated. Our findings suggest greater support for siblings is required with a focus on addressing negative feelings and the availability of social support from people with similar experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mutual aid groups have flourished during the Covid‐19 pandemic. However, a major challenge is sustaining such groups, which tend to decline following the initial upsurge immediately after emergencies. The present study investigates one possible motivation for continued participation: the well‐being benefits associated with psychological membership of groups, as suggested by the "social cure" approach. Interviews were conducted with 11 volunteers in a mutual aid group organized by ACORN, a community union and anti‐poverty campaigning organization. Through qualitative analysis, we show that participation provided well‐being in different ways: positive emotional experiences, increased engagement in life, improved social relationships, and greater sense of control. Participants also reported some negative emotional experiences. While all interviewees experienced benefits from participation, those who viewed their participation through a political lens were able to experience additional benefits such as feelings of empowerment. Moreover, the benefits conferred by a shared political identity appeared to be qualitatively different from the benefits conferred by other forms of shared identity. The interview data is used to hypothesize an overall process by which participants may come to attain a political identity via mutual aid. These findings have implications for how such groups retain their members and how authorities support these groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social psychological research on activism typically focuses on individuals' social identifications. We complement such research through exploring how activists frame an issue as a social problem. Specifically, we explore anti‐abortion activists' representation of abortion and the abortion debate's protagonists so as to recruit support for the anti‐abortion cause. Using interview data obtained with UK‐based anti‐abortion activists (N = 15), we consider how activists characterized women having abortions, pro‐abortion campaigners, and anti‐abortion campaigners. In particular, we consider the varied ways in which emotion featured in the representation of these social actors. Emotion featured in different ways. Sometimes, it was depicted as constituting embodied testament to the nature of reality. Sometimes, it was depicted as blocking the rational appraisal of reality. Our analysis considers how such varied meanings of emotion shaped the characterization of abortion and the abortion debate's protagonists such that anti‐abortion activists were construed as speaking for women and their interests. We discuss how our analysis of the framing of issues as social problems complements and extends social psychological analyses of activism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Although the mobilization of pre‐existing networks is crucial in psychosocial resilience in disasters, shared identities can also emerge in the absence of such previous bonds, due to survivors sharing a sense of common fate. Common fate seems to operate in sudden‐impact disasters (e.g., bombings), but to our knowledge, no research has explored social identity processes in “rising‐tide” incidents. We interviewed an opportunity sample of 17 residents of York, United Kingdom, who were involved in the 2015–2016 floods. Using thematic and discourse analysis, we investigated residents' experiences of the floods and the strategic function that invocations of community identities perform. We show how shared community identities emerged (e.g., because of shared problems, shared goals, perceptions of vulnerability, and collapse of previous group boundaries) and show how they acted as a basis of social support (both given and expected). The findings serve to further develop the social identity model of collective psychosocial resilience in rising‐tide disasters. Implications for policy and practice are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]