The political is personal: Evidence that self‐other “multiculturalism” normative misalignment affects individual wellbeing

Abstract There is much debate about how best to approach ethnocultural diversity in increasingly plural societies. Sustainable co‐existence of different group interests presents an ongoing challenge. In Australia, for example, discussion continues about the merits of multiculturalism (promotion of diversity and recognition of minority rights) versus assimilation (dampening of diversity through conformity to the dominant ethnoculture). The current research examines the impact of these political forces on both minority and majority group members. Can these debates and ideologies get under the skin, so to speak, and affect people's sense of place in society and consequently their wellbeing? A key concept in this research is the degree of (mis)alignment between personal ideology on the one hand and the social normative ideology on the other. Limited research to date has explored the impact of ideological differences on individual functioning. We explore the impact of ideological misalignment in two separate studies using different methodologies (i.e., cross‐sectional N = 195 and experimental N = 96). The results suggest that, for both ethnic minority and majority group members, misalignment reduces sense of belonging in mainstream society, which in turn hinders wellbeing. This was only part of the picture, however, as we find that misalignment can also indirectly lead to positive wellbeing. We argue that this occurs when misaligned individuals are able to find an alternative context for subgroup belonging. Altogether, this research highlights how social normative factors can powerfully impact individual functioning. As a theoretical framework, the social identity perspective provides valuable insights into why and how this occurs. This research is the first to investigate the wellbeing consequence of political misalignment with a focus on cultural diversity. We conclude by discussing the broader implications of the findings, acknowledging research limitations, and providing directions for future research.