Replication Data for: A Modern American Dilemma: How American Identity Shapes Support for the Black Lives Matter Movement

This paper explores support for Black Lives Matter through the lens of intergroup conflict and solidarity–concepts at the core of Paula D. McClain’s research. We examine the extent to which expressions of “American identity” amplify support for, or opposition to, the Black Lives Matter movement. The merits of protest are perceived differently across racial groups in the U.S., but theories of superordinate identity suggest attitudes could be unified through common expressions of a shared identity. Using 2016 Collaborative Multiracial Post-Election Survey data (N=3,711), we employ multivariate regression analysis to show that although Black and White respondents express similarly strong levels of a superordinate “American identity,” American identity moderates Black and White support for Black Lives Matter inconsistently, and at times in opposing directions. These findings provide additional context for understanding how American identity relates to support for protest activity, suggesting American identity can assume distinct meanings for different groups of Americans.

本研究以群体间冲突与团结为分析视角，探讨民众对“黑人的命也是命（Black Lives Matter）”运动的支持状况——这两大概念正是宝拉·D·麦克莱恩（Paula D. McClain）研究的核心议题。本研究旨在考察“美国身份认同”的表述，在多大程度上会强化或弱化民众对“黑人的命也是命”运动的支持与反对态度。美国不同种族群体对抗议活动的正当性评判存在显著分歧，但上位身份认同（superordinate identity）理论提出，通过共享身份的共同表述，群体间的态度或可达成统一。本研究采用2016年协作性多种族选举后调查（Collaborative Multiracial Post-Election Survey）的数据（样本量N=3,711），通过多元回归分析发现：尽管黑人和白人受访者所表现出的上位“美国身份认同”强度相近，但美国身份认同对黑人和白人支持“黑人的命也是命”运动的调节效应并不一致，有时甚至呈现相反方向。本研究结果为理解美国身份认同与抗议活动支持度之间的关联提供了新的研究语境，表明美国身份认同对不同美国人群体可以具有截然不同的内涵。