Abstract
Colin Kaepernick and the #takeaknee protest have been simultaneously criticized and praised. Critics argue that Kaepernick disrespects veterans and the country, while supporters suggest he is an advocate for social justice in the mistreatment of people of color, particularly by law enforcement. Beyond partisan politics, this paper shows that critics and supporters alike are evaluating Kaepernick's protest on the basis of perceived consistency between his identity and behavior. Drawing on Heider 's balance theory, we argue that individuals who focus on Kaepernick 's identity as a professional athlete will be critical of the protest because it is out of balance with the NFL's views on patriotism. Alternatively, individuals who focus on Kaepernick's identity as a Black man will support his protest because it is in balance with a long history of protest within the African American community. The implications of this argument suggest the importance of considering the intersectional identities of rhetors and expanding balance theory to consider a greater number of factors when making consistency judgments.
Journal Title
Iowa Journal of Communication
Volume
51
Issue
1
First Page
71
Last Page
110
Language
en
File Format
application/pdf
Recommended Citation
Edwards, Ashley A. Hanna and Thorpe, M. Elizabeth
(2019)
"The Dilemma of Being Colin Kaepernick: An Examination of the #takeaknee Protest Using Heider's Balance Theory,"
Iowa Journal of Communication: Vol. 51:
No.
1, Article 7.
Available at:
https://scholarworks.uni.edu/ijc/vol51/iss1/7
Copyright
©2019 Iowa Communication Association
