My research interests focus on storytelling in American politics, particularly the implication of narratives on prevailing power structures and the policymaking process. In my work, I analyze narratives that emerge as a result of media exposure, elite communication, and the social identities and everyday lived experiences of ordinary Americans. I explore how storytelling is used to either maintain the existing power structure, or alternatively, support and facilitate more equitable and inclusive political discourse and/or institutions. I am especially interested in how people use narrative strategies to bridge gaps of power, privilege, and difference in order to create a shared understanding of political issues and mobilize communities for social change, including within institutions of higher education.
Peer-Reviewed Scholarship
Harbin, M.B. firstview. "Narratives of Racial Duty: Competitive Reality Television Series as Sites for Studying Racialized Social Obligations and Black Political Decision Making" Journal of Race, Ethnicity, and Politics.
How do Black Americans practice a politics of racial group uplift while balancing their individual material interests? Traditionally, scholars have drawn on linked fate theory. However, more recent work argues that Black Americans remain politically unified because they feel race-based social pressure to conform more than a sense of linked fate. Employing a novel research design, I use the competitive reality television series, Survivor, to observe and analyze Black political decision-making. Through an inductive thematic content analysis of 13 Survivor episodes, I identified five themes in Black players’ discussions of racialized social obligations when playing the game—what I call narratives of racial duty. Claims that emerged in this storytelling suggested that similar to the political world, Black Survivor contestants were keenly aware of the racialized social obligations for them as contestants in the game. For some, this reality felt like a burden. For others, it presented an opportunity. These reactions led some Black players to work together and others to construct a rationale for defecting from race-based alliances. I conclude by making the case that analyzing entertainment programs offers race and politics scholars a new site for identifying common scripts used to adhere to (and sidestep) racialized social norms.
Harbin, M.B. 2023. "Don’t Make My Entertainment Political! Social Media Responses to Narratives of Racial Duty on Competitive Reality Television Series" Political Communications 40(4): 464-483.
To what extent should scholars view competitive reality television series as a politically relevant medium for transmitting messages about race, racial identity, and politics in the United States? Cultivation theory argues that the depiction of social issues and groups on television influences how individuals perceive the world around them. Drawing on this theory, I argue that the increasingly diverse casts of American competitive reality series are a heretofore underexplored site for studying the transmission of narratives related to race and racial justice to ostensibly unsuspecting American television audiences. In this article, I analyze viewers’ reactions to Black contestants discussing their feelings of racialized social obligations when playing the game—what I refer to as narratives of racial duty. Employing a sentiment analysis as well as an inductive thematic content analysis of tweets reacting to four episodes from the 41st season of Survivor, I found that audience members overwhelmingly reacted negatively to embedding narratives of racial duty into the series. Specifically, they described the season as too political—the worst in the show’s history—and even vowed to stop watching. These findings suggest that broadcasting exemplars who challenge prevailing narratives of racial progress may stoke feelings of racial backlash that could ultimately prompt individuals to tune out of these entertainment programs in the same way that researchers have found individuals often opt out of traditional news sources. Thus, I conclude that bringing race to the center of communication research offers scholars in both traditions a new vantage point for studying trends in American racial attitudes.
Harbin, M.B. 2023. “Creating Commonality Through Storytelling? Social Media Responses to Identity Appeals in Thrifting Narratives” Journal of Women, Politics & Policy 44(1): 121-137.
This article examines reactions to government officials’ disclosures about buying secondhand clothing to manage the financial obligations associated with “looking the part” when holding office. I refer to these disclosures as “thrifting narratives.” This study adopts a novel approach to analyzing the political relevance of elected officials’ physical appearance by asking: to what extent does public officials sharing thrifting narratives make them appear more relatable and help forge political commonality with the public? To answer this question, I analyze Twitter responses to a thrifting narrative shared by newly elected Representative Cori Bush in November 2020. Results of the analysis reveal that Twitter users most frequently responded to the socioeconomic dimensions of Bush’s thrifting narrative and, in this context, perceived her as an authentic leader. These findings contribute to existing literature by showcasing how wardrobe choices can operate as social class markers and be used to foster rapport with ordinary citizens.
Harbin, M.B. & Greene, S. 2022. “Navigating the Discipline in this Moment: Considering What It Means to be Women of Color Political Scientists in our Political Climate” PS: Political Science and Politics 55(2): 376-379.
We find ourselves in the midst of a pandemic, a contentious election cycle, and a protest movement for racial justice in the face of police violence on Black lives. We cannot deny the disproportionate, negative impact on marginalized communities. For these communities, it is not only mental and physical health on the line, but also their lives and livelihoods. In this moment, many political scientists are considering the research implications of current events and universities are taking steps forward—and, for some, backward—in addressing racial issues on their campuses. As junior scholars, who identify as women of color, we ask the question: what role do we play in this moment? We consider what this means for how we hold space in the academy and within our communities. We draw from scholarship that has addressed this struggle in past moments of political turmoil and calls for racial justice. We also include our own narratives. We recognize that as junior scholars we are positioned to engage in university service, some wanted and some unwanted, but we also identify as part of the marginalized communities that are at stake. This has implications for the work we take up and how we choose to engage the academy and beyond.
Harbin, M.B. & Margolis, M.F. 2022. “Nobody’s Free Until Everybody’s Free: How Feminist Identification Influences White Americans’ Willingness to Recognize and Respond to Racial Discrimination” Politics, Groups, and Identities 10(4): 511-535.
While a long history of Black feminist thought grapples with the relationship between gender and racial oppression, both historical and present-day examples showcase how white feminists often struggle to make this connection. In this study, we examine the relationship between white Americans' feminist identification and perceiving discrimination toward other groups. Specifically, we investigate how identifying in feminist terms, together with the clarity of cues regarding racial bias in decision-making, influence white Americans' ability to see gender and racial discrimination as interconnected phenomena and react accordingly. Results of both correlational and experimental analyses suggest that white respondents who identify strongly as feminists are more likely than their non- and weak feminist counterparts to perceive racial discrimination both when racial bias is a clearly defined factor in decision-making as well as in cases where the influence of race is more ambiguous. These findings suggest that adopting subgroup identities may, in some cases, heighten awareness about the discrimination faced by racial and ethnic minorities among racially advantaged group members. Recognizing discrimination is a necessary precursor to forming broad, diverse coalitions around racial injustice and inequality. Our results suggest that some white feminists may be well-suited to join the coalition.
Harbin, M.B. 2021. “Who’s Able to Do Political Science Work? My Experience Exit Polling and What It Reveals about Issues of Race and Equity”. PS: Political Science & Politics 54 (1): 144-146.
How best to address issues of equity and inclusion is a recurring conversation in the political science discipline. In this essay, I contribute to these conversations by providing an account of my experiences as a Black woman administering exit polls in West Virginia, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania over the last year. This account sheds light on additional dimensions of this important work. As political scientists, we often focus on increasing access to graduate education and funding opportunities. Without a doubt, these are important factors in making research and academic spaces more inclusive. Yet, my experiences of feeling anxiety about my personal safety and having my civil rights violated by an election administrator while exit polling point to a more basic question: who is able to do political science work in the first place? Issues of bias can crop up at every stage of research production. My experiences suggest that disciplinary initiatives meant to address issues of racial bias and equity must also consider the larger, structural ways that racism and prejudice affect individuals’ ability to successfully conduct work even after they become part of the political science research community.
Harbin, M.B. firstview. "Narratives of Racial Duty: Competitive Reality Television Series as Sites for Studying Racialized Social Obligations and Black Political Decision Making" Journal of Race, Ethnicity, and Politics.
How do Black Americans practice a politics of racial group uplift while balancing their individual material interests? Traditionally, scholars have drawn on linked fate theory. However, more recent work argues that Black Americans remain politically unified because they feel race-based social pressure to conform more than a sense of linked fate. Employing a novel research design, I use the competitive reality television series, Survivor, to observe and analyze Black political decision-making. Through an inductive thematic content analysis of 13 Survivor episodes, I identified five themes in Black players’ discussions of racialized social obligations when playing the game—what I call narratives of racial duty. Claims that emerged in this storytelling suggested that similar to the political world, Black Survivor contestants were keenly aware of the racialized social obligations for them as contestants in the game. For some, this reality felt like a burden. For others, it presented an opportunity. These reactions led some Black players to work together and others to construct a rationale for defecting from race-based alliances. I conclude by making the case that analyzing entertainment programs offers race and politics scholars a new site for identifying common scripts used to adhere to (and sidestep) racialized social norms.
Harbin, M.B. 2023. "Don’t Make My Entertainment Political! Social Media Responses to Narratives of Racial Duty on Competitive Reality Television Series" Political Communications 40(4): 464-483.
To what extent should scholars view competitive reality television series as a politically relevant medium for transmitting messages about race, racial identity, and politics in the United States? Cultivation theory argues that the depiction of social issues and groups on television influences how individuals perceive the world around them. Drawing on this theory, I argue that the increasingly diverse casts of American competitive reality series are a heretofore underexplored site for studying the transmission of narratives related to race and racial justice to ostensibly unsuspecting American television audiences. In this article, I analyze viewers’ reactions to Black contestants discussing their feelings of racialized social obligations when playing the game—what I refer to as narratives of racial duty. Employing a sentiment analysis as well as an inductive thematic content analysis of tweets reacting to four episodes from the 41st season of Survivor, I found that audience members overwhelmingly reacted negatively to embedding narratives of racial duty into the series. Specifically, they described the season as too political—the worst in the show’s history—and even vowed to stop watching. These findings suggest that broadcasting exemplars who challenge prevailing narratives of racial progress may stoke feelings of racial backlash that could ultimately prompt individuals to tune out of these entertainment programs in the same way that researchers have found individuals often opt out of traditional news sources. Thus, I conclude that bringing race to the center of communication research offers scholars in both traditions a new vantage point for studying trends in American racial attitudes.
Harbin, M.B. 2023. “Creating Commonality Through Storytelling? Social Media Responses to Identity Appeals in Thrifting Narratives” Journal of Women, Politics & Policy 44(1): 121-137.
This article examines reactions to government officials’ disclosures about buying secondhand clothing to manage the financial obligations associated with “looking the part” when holding office. I refer to these disclosures as “thrifting narratives.” This study adopts a novel approach to analyzing the political relevance of elected officials’ physical appearance by asking: to what extent does public officials sharing thrifting narratives make them appear more relatable and help forge political commonality with the public? To answer this question, I analyze Twitter responses to a thrifting narrative shared by newly elected Representative Cori Bush in November 2020. Results of the analysis reveal that Twitter users most frequently responded to the socioeconomic dimensions of Bush’s thrifting narrative and, in this context, perceived her as an authentic leader. These findings contribute to existing literature by showcasing how wardrobe choices can operate as social class markers and be used to foster rapport with ordinary citizens.
Harbin, M.B. & Greene, S. 2022. “Navigating the Discipline in this Moment: Considering What It Means to be Women of Color Political Scientists in our Political Climate” PS: Political Science and Politics 55(2): 376-379.
We find ourselves in the midst of a pandemic, a contentious election cycle, and a protest movement for racial justice in the face of police violence on Black lives. We cannot deny the disproportionate, negative impact on marginalized communities. For these communities, it is not only mental and physical health on the line, but also their lives and livelihoods. In this moment, many political scientists are considering the research implications of current events and universities are taking steps forward—and, for some, backward—in addressing racial issues on their campuses. As junior scholars, who identify as women of color, we ask the question: what role do we play in this moment? We consider what this means for how we hold space in the academy and within our communities. We draw from scholarship that has addressed this struggle in past moments of political turmoil and calls for racial justice. We also include our own narratives. We recognize that as junior scholars we are positioned to engage in university service, some wanted and some unwanted, but we also identify as part of the marginalized communities that are at stake. This has implications for the work we take up and how we choose to engage the academy and beyond.
Harbin, M.B. & Margolis, M.F. 2022. “Nobody’s Free Until Everybody’s Free: How Feminist Identification Influences White Americans’ Willingness to Recognize and Respond to Racial Discrimination” Politics, Groups, and Identities 10(4): 511-535.
While a long history of Black feminist thought grapples with the relationship between gender and racial oppression, both historical and present-day examples showcase how white feminists often struggle to make this connection. In this study, we examine the relationship between white Americans' feminist identification and perceiving discrimination toward other groups. Specifically, we investigate how identifying in feminist terms, together with the clarity of cues regarding racial bias in decision-making, influence white Americans' ability to see gender and racial discrimination as interconnected phenomena and react accordingly. Results of both correlational and experimental analyses suggest that white respondents who identify strongly as feminists are more likely than their non- and weak feminist counterparts to perceive racial discrimination both when racial bias is a clearly defined factor in decision-making as well as in cases where the influence of race is more ambiguous. These findings suggest that adopting subgroup identities may, in some cases, heighten awareness about the discrimination faced by racial and ethnic minorities among racially advantaged group members. Recognizing discrimination is a necessary precursor to forming broad, diverse coalitions around racial injustice and inequality. Our results suggest that some white feminists may be well-suited to join the coalition.
Harbin, M.B. 2021. “Who’s Able to Do Political Science Work? My Experience Exit Polling and What It Reveals about Issues of Race and Equity”. PS: Political Science & Politics 54 (1): 144-146.
How best to address issues of equity and inclusion is a recurring conversation in the political science discipline. In this essay, I contribute to these conversations by providing an account of my experiences as a Black woman administering exit polls in West Virginia, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania over the last year. This account sheds light on additional dimensions of this important work. As political scientists, we often focus on increasing access to graduate education and funding opportunities. Without a doubt, these are important factors in making research and academic spaces more inclusive. Yet, my experiences of feeling anxiety about my personal safety and having my civil rights violated by an election administrator while exit polling point to a more basic question: who is able to do political science work in the first place? Issues of bias can crop up at every stage of research production. My experiences suggest that disciplinary initiatives meant to address issues of racial bias and equity must also consider the larger, structural ways that racism and prejudice affect individuals’ ability to successfully conduct work even after they become part of the political science research community.