Symbolic Appropriation of the U.S. Flag: Findings from a Photovoice Study

Abstract

Based on photovoice and interview data from 144 Arizona young adults collected as part of the Arizona Youth Identity Project, this article builds on the concept of collective effervescence and symbolic violence through an analysis of U.S. flag images submitted by our respondents during the 2020 presidential election. Drawing on the literature on identity, belonging, and national symbols, this article highlights three main themes. First, our data revealed the conflicted feelings of belonging and exclusion that the U.S. flag evoked in these young adults. According to some participants, the flag became a divisive symbol as it became associated with the Make America Great Again movement. Second, we highlight how the U.S. flag came to embody a form of symbolic violence, particularly after the attack on the Capitol on January 6. Finally, we show how the meaning attached to the U.S. flag is situational and fluid, and how its value as a unifying national symbol can be restored. This narrative was supported by young adults’ images of the flag with artistic modifications that reflected elements of their culture and history.