Social Identity Perspective on Resistance and Leadership: A Qualitative Study of Mass Protest against 16/12 Gang Rape, New Delhi

In inter disciplinary researches of social sciences, resistance as phenomena has not been explored much and conformity was considered something very natural and normal while resistance could not come to the fore. The study is a modest attempt to explore resistance following Delhi gang rape protest which is still fresh in our collective memory following social identity approach as well as sociological perspective. Semi structured interviews were conducted with 10 subjects (5 males and 5 females). Interpretive phenomenological approach was used to draw meaning out of the interview transcripts. Social identity approach outlines the following themes in understanding resistance: formation of oppositional identity, illegitimacy of the out group, affective involvement, cognitive alternatives, the role of third party etc. However, the protestors could not identify single out group to rally against which is so important in social identity, for some patriarchy as a system was out group, for some it was state machinery, political class etc. The notion of leadership was not in sync with social identity approach as the leaders were ―faceless‖ and it was ―shifting.‖ However, it was not pure resistance (Hollander & Einwohner, 2004) as there were many references to those structures by protestors against which protest was initially meant for.