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Psychology of Politics: Conventional views of left and right wing don't work for India

Psychology of Politics: Conventional views of left and right wing don't work for India

Social media is replete with polarisation, whether it be through accounts of contentious name-calling and social tensions, or through explicit threats translated to real-life behaviors such as lynching. One channel for polarisation is through partisanship (i.e., affiliation to political parties), another through political ideology (i.e., explicit and non-explicit political beliefs). Traditionally, we have understood ideology as differing across social and economic aspects. In other words, we may identify as lying along the left (liberal) or right (conservative) positions on social issues, such as acceptance and practice of dowry or economic issues, such as acceptable degree of taxation. However, in India, such an understanding falls short.