My symbols or our symbols? The effect of inclusive narratives on the acceptability of out-group symbols

There are intense debates worldwide about cultural representations, including statues, flags, symbols, street names and history textbooks. They highlight the need to understand the political implications of how cultural entities are framed. Previous researchers have found that it matters whether framing narratives are inclusive or exclusive. Here, we hypothesise that inclusive narratives around the political symbols of ostensible out-groups will increase positive attitudes towards the symbols and increase support for their official adoption. Using data from (pre-registered) experiments in Ireland, North and South, we found asymmetric effects. When inclusively framed, ‘British’ symbols are more positively viewed by Southerners from the Republic of Ireland and Catholics from Northern Ireland and attract greater support as official features of a potential united Ireland. But no similar effects are observed on the views of Protestants from Northern Ireland about ‘Irish’ symbols. Antagonistic historical narratives over political symbols certainly matter, but the mutability of attitudes may vary across groups.