Thinking, Feeling and Doing collective identities in antagonism: Anti-gender Mobilizations in Belgium

This paper provides a conceptual exploration of ‘us’ vs. ‘them’ collective identity building within anti-gender movements. Situated within a broader consortium studying affective polarization and perceptions of differentness in Belgium, this research aims to uncover the sources of renewed political conflict in the contentious nature of social movements. The first section addresses the concept of collective identity. The paper then develops a research agenda that integrates materialist critiques with constructivist approaches and the affective turn in social sciences. It explores collective identity in terms of antagonism, focusing on how it influences thinking, doing, and feeling. Further, this paper reflects on the empirical importance of antagonism for anti-gender movements. The second section outlines the abductive methodological approach, relying on ethnography and focus group data. The final section, rather exploratory at this stage, applies the conceptual framework to field observations, drawing on ethnographic notes from a conference on surrogacy and demonstrations against abortion and euthanasia. The findings suggest that, while anti-gender movements may not overtly depict an adversarial “enemy,” implicit notions of a differentiated "them" still emerge.