Marry on a cross. Individualism, divorce, and radical self-placement: The Spanish case

This study investigates the relationship between marital status, specifically divorce and separation, and political radicalisation in Spain, focusing on sociodemographic profiles susceptible to radical ideological self-placement. Drawing on the theories of social and political value realignment and using quantitative data from the Centro de Investigaciones Sociológicas, the analysis reveals nuanced associations between life course events and political attitudes. Contrary to previous assumptions, the findings indicate that radical self-placement is not predominantly masculine, but rather feminine. This study has found that women are especially prone to positioning themselves as radical left. Moreover, separated and divorced individuals display a greater likelihood of radical identification, suggesting that marital dissolution may act as a catalyst for ideological shifts. The least radical group comprises married men aged 18–30, while a gender gap persists in the intensity and direction of radicalisation, offering novel insights into the intersection of personal trajectories and political behaviour in contemporary Spain.