collective resistance
Definition
Collective resistance refers to coordinated cross-group opposition to societal injustice, particularly as pursued through coalitions formed among marginalized communities on the basis of shared experiences of stigmatization and discrimination. The viability of such resistance depends heavily on stigma-based solidarity, the expectation that groups facing societal marginalization will support one another against common threats such as ethno-nationalist political movements. When those expectations are violated, as when members of historically marginalized groups vote against candidates perceived to represent shared interests, the resulting sense of betrayal correlates with reduced trust and diminished willingness to engage in future solidarity behavior. In two studies examining White and Black women Harris voters following the 2024 U.S. presidential election, betrayal was associated with lower trust scores and lower individual solidarity intentions, and participants showed the least willingness to oppose mass deportations relative to other harmful policies despite expressing general solidarity endorsement toward Latino men. These findings indicate that stigma-based solidarity betrayal can erode the cross-group political alliances on which collective resistance to democratic backsliding depends.
Sources: Shackleford et al. (2026)
Related Terms
- intergroup relations (1 shared article)
- stigma-based solidarity (1 shared article)
- intergroup betrayal (1 shared article)
- political alliances (1 shared article)
Applications
Collective Resistance and Stigma-based Solidarity
Stigma-based solidarity, the coalitional orientation that arises from shared experiences of group-based discrimination, is presented as a foundational condition for effective collective resistance to ethno-nationalist and autocratic political movements. Historical examples cited include Black-led Civil Rights gains supported by Jewish Americans and Latino-led farm worker activism uplifted by Asian, Black, and low-income White supporters. When solidarity expectations among marginalized groups hold, the resulting alliances create the cross-group political infrastructure through which resistance can be mounted.
Sources: Shackleford et al. (2026)
Collective Resistance and Betrayal
Perceived betrayal by members of other marginalized groups directly compromises the solidarity networks that sustain collective resistance. In Study 2, Black women reported significantly greater betrayal by Latino men than by White men following Latino men's pro-Trump voting, and this betrayal pattern corresponded with reduced willingness to oppose mass deportations, a concrete resistance behavior. Betrayal thus operates as a mechanism by which cross-group alliances fracture precisely when coordinated opposition to harmful policies is most needed.
Sources: Shackleford et al. (2026)
Collective Resistance and Trust
Trust between marginalized groups functions as a precondition for the cooperative behavior that collective resistance requires. Across the two studies, feelings of betrayal correlated with lower trust toward the perceived betraying group, with Study 1 yielding a correlation of r = -.34 between betrayal and trust. Diminished trust following perceived solidarity violations therefore represents a direct pathway through which the capacity for sustained collective political action is undermined.
Sources: Shackleford et al. (2026)
