Cultural inertia, identity, and intergroup dynamics in a changing context

Abstract Identity is a central component of social behavior. The theory of cultural inertia is used to address current research on identity in a changing context. The changing context provides new insights on identity and consequently new challenges for researchers in social psychology. The theory of cultural inertia borrows from the laws of motion and hypothesizes that stable groups resist change, whereas groups in motion continue changing at a steady rate. There are multiple psychological anchors and propellers that either produce further resistance to change or move cultures toward more change. Change produces conflicts that result in intergroup tensions. The cultural inertia model is used to organize data, to make new predictions, and to understand current social and political phenomena.