SOCIAL IDENTITY

SOCIAL IDENTITYSOCIAL IDENTIFICATION is the process by which we dene ourselves in terms and categories that we share with other people. In contrast to characterizations of personal identity, which may be highly individual, social identities assume some commonalities with others

What is it? Social identity is that part of an individuals self-concept which derives from his knowledge of his membership of a social group (or groups) together with the value and emotional significance attached to that membership (Tajfel, 1978).Social Identity Theory focuses on the relationship between self-concept and group behavior

Tajfelproposed that the groups (e.g. social class, family, football team etc.) which people belonged to were an important source of pride and self-esteem.Groups give us a sense of social identity: a sense of belonging to the social world.Thereforewe divided the world into them and usbased through a process of social categorization (i.e. we put people into social groups).This is known as in-group (us) and out-group (them).

SOCIAL IDENTITYSocial identity relates to how we identify ourselves in relation to others according to what we have in common. For example, we can identify ourselves according to religion or where we're from (Asian American, Southerner, New Yorker), political affiliation (Democrat, Environmentalist), vocation (writer, artist, neurosurgeon), or relationship (mother, father, great-aunt). In addition, some identities are stigmatized (person withAIDS, homeless person, alcoholic) and many social identities can be multiple (an Asian American Democrat who works as a writer). Together, the different roles a person plays can help him realize his overall identity.

Social identity theory focuses on the social structural factors that will predict which end of the spectrum will most influence an individuals behavior, along with the forms that behavior may take.

Our sense of self can be defined by:individuality (personal identity me, I)group membership (i.e., in terms of social identity we, us)There is a qualitative difference between behaviour that is based on personal identity (I) and that based on social identity (we).The social identity approach *Motivated by individual self-interest & personal gain

Guided by personal values and standardsMotivated by collective interest & collective gain

Guided by shared values and standards

The social identity approach *

The social identity approach *personal identitySelf-esteem derived from personal achievementsSelf-actualization via comparison and competition with othersMotivation to cooperate low

The social identity approach *

The social identity approach *subgroup identitypersonal identitySelf-esteem derived from group achievementsSelf-actualization via comparison and competition other groupsMotivation to cooperate within group highMotivation to cooperate across groups low

The social identity approach *

The social identity approach *subgroup identitypersonal identitySelf-esteem derived from collective achievementsSelf-actualization via pursuit of shared goalsMotivation to cooperate within group high

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Tafjel and Turner decided that Social Identity can be considered in three waysCategorisationIdentificationComparison

This looks at the way in which people put others (and ourselves) into categories. We label one another based on interest, ethnicity, gender, occupation and other factors.

Calling someone a Sikh, footballer, student, mother, for example, are ways in which we do this.

IMPORTANT this is not always negative and is different to stereotyping.

Once a social identity has been identified, people will choose to associate with certain groups.

Your collective identity becomes your in-group. This could be your family, a friendship group even your class. This closeness functions to boost our self esteem and to create a sense of belonging.

A group or individual that poses as a threat to your in-group is called the out-group.

Examples of this would be an outside family member, a new member to class, someone from a different ethnic background, or more close to home, somebody from the other side of the social area!

People compare themselves and their groups with other groups, seeing a favourable bias towards the group in which they belong.

Nowadays we see younger people dividing themselves into social groups or subcultures based on clothing, the music they listen to or other interests. Examples of this are emos, goths and hoodies.

Types of Social Identity

Ethnicity and religionAsian AmericanJewishSouthernerWest IndianPolitical afliationFeministRepublicanEnvironmentalistStigmatized identitiesPerson with AIDSHomeless personFat personAlcoholic

Vocations and avocationsPsychologistArtistAthleteMilitary veteranRelationshipsMotherParentTeenagerWidowGENDER IDENTITYManWoman

Influence of social environmentAlthough a social identity is rarely totally dependent on a particular physical/ social setting, it is easy to think of examples in which identity and location are linked, such as occupational identities or athletic identities.When a person relocates, for example when a student moves from home to university, it becomes important that social supports be developed in the new location to replace those supports that are no longer part of the immediate environment. This process of grounding an identity in a new social environment has been termed remooring.As an example, when people who hold a strong ethnic identity change their environment, as in the case of immigration, they will often establish connections with neighborhoods, stores, and organizations in the new country that reect and promote the ethnic identity of origin.

ImpactSocial identity can provide people with a sense of self-esteem and a framework for socializing, and it can influence their behaviorIn addition to how you view yourself, social identity also influences how other people treat you.Experimenting with body piercing, new hairstyles, music preferences, tattoos, and different forms of dress are ways in which teens try to fit in with a group or decide which group is right for them. While you want your teenagers to be able to fit in with friends (if they're a good group of kids), you want them to maintain their individuality and have the self-esteem to resist doing anything that violates their own values or those of their family.

It is important in relation to issues of social inclusion and social exclusion in schools and classrooms to ensure there is also a focus on the fixing mechanisms that limit the fluidity of identities and mitigate against individuals overcoming disadvantage. The most obvious of these are the inequalities that arise from differences of race, ethnicity, sexuality, dis/ability, social class and genderSchool norms, practices and expectations provide key symbolic materials that students draw on to make sense of their experiences and define themselves

People's behaviour in groups is fascinating and frequently disturbing. As soon as humans are bunched together in groups we start to do odd things: copy other members of our group, favour members of own group over others, look for a leader to worship and fight other groups.Social identity theory states that our identities are formed through the groups to which we belong. As a result we are motivated to improve the image and status of our own group in comparison with others.Tajfel and colleagues' experiment shows that group membership is so important to us that we join the most ephemeral of groups with only the slightest prompting. We will then go out of our way to make our own group look better compared to others.

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