The Two Wings of Protection Representations: A Comparative Study of Social Representations of Protection Between Right-Wing and Left-Wing Supporters from 11 Countries

Social representations refer to collective meanings or understandings that merge knowledge, opinions, and beliefs about a given social object, which have an affective dimension. They can help explain the positions and behaviours of individuals regarding several aspects of social life, including politics. Thus, understanding the emotional dimension of social representations of protection can help to understand the public’s interpretation (e.g., judgements on legitimacy), demand for, and reactions (support or opposition) to protective policies, which aim to address the public’s protection needs and reportedly offer security. Deriving from the communication established in social interactions, social representations are shared and constructed by members of a group, social category, or culture. Thus, the shared meanings of protection differ among groups. Moreover, existing social representations and their associated emotions can be used as anchors, allowing the understanding and definition of novel issues in light of familiar meanings and their correspondence with emotions. Therefore, social representations are used to understand present realities and inform the understanding of future realities, for example, regarding protection issues. In this study, we will analyse differences in social representations of protection and the associated emotional dynamics of individuals supporting right and left political views. This study comprises the analysis, using the software EVOC and IRAMUTEQ, of social representations of protection from 1000 individuals residing in 11 countries, obtained using the free evocation technique. Moreover, the emotional valence of the social representation of protection will be analysed, pointing to the associated emotional dynamics. We expect social representations of protection to vary among individuals with right-wing and left-wing political positions. By uncovering the collective meanings of protection and their associated emotional dynamics across opposing political positions, the results can deepen the knowledge on the protection needs of individuals and help to explain the interplay of political identity, affect, and social representations.