7. Constricting boundaries: collective identity in the tea party movement

Abstract

In this chapter, we draw on interviews, participant observation, as well as archival and newspaper sources, to examine boundary shifts in the Florida Tea Party Movement (TPM). We find that the collective identity of the local TPM constricted with the cycle of contention. Specifically, we identify three “episodes of contention” (McAdam, Tarrow, and Tilly 2001) and highlight how electoral success and the emergence of the Occupy Wall Street Movement, which made overlapping claims, forced the TPM to renegotiate its collective identity boundaries in ways that limited its political appeal. We conclude the chapter with a discussion of the implications for the study of social movement dynamics and collective identity. Boundary