Social Identity

Social identity theory proposed by Tajfel & Turner (2004) is a theory of group membership and behaviour which has made significant contributions in explaining in-group favouritism, out-group denigration, competition and other interactions of an individual among social groups (Korte, 2007; Brown, 2000; Tajfel & Turner, 2004). Social identity theory can be defined as an individual’s sense of who they are based on the group that they belong to through a process of self-categorisation and depersonalisation (Tajfel & Turner, 2004). In this essay, I will define social identity theory through its three mental processes involved in group evaluation which are: social identification which is a process whereby we are placed into certain

A person’s social identity may be difficult to identify but will include the following aspects to shape their identity and is based upon their group memberships. Social class, gender, ethnicity, ability / disability, nationality, and sexuality shape social identity. Their social identity affects their life chances in the ability to access education, employment, and prosperity.

The social identity theory is based on four main concepts; social categorization, which is the tendency to divide and categorize people into in-groups and out-group; category accentuation effect,

In his often cited essay, “The Formation of In-Groups,” Gordon Allport offers his theory on how the groups with which one identifies directly influence the development of one’s individual identity. An “in-group” is a group where members share common traits such as societal status, religion, values or sexual orientation. All the members are alike in some way and that similarity unites them as a group. Allport suggests that one belongs to many in-groups throughout his or her lifetime. Individuals are born into some in-groups, such as one’s family, race or socio-economic level; this Allport terms as an “ascribed status”. People also obtain “achieved status” in a group such as one’s circle

Explain how individuals identify themselves as belonging to a number of different groups. Give 3 examples:

“Build your character thoughtfully and painstakingly upon these precepts, and by and by, when you have got it built, you will be surprised and gratified to see how nicely and sharply it resembles everybody else’s” (639). One’s character or identity determines where you fit into society. Identity is who a person or thing is, or is classified as. Most people judge their social identity by comparing themselves to others. They accomplish this by comparing what they have in common, and by what they have accomplished in their lives so far. People try to find their identity by evaluating all their different types of roles they acquire on a daily basis.

The process of Social Identity Theory consists of in-group members who will communicate the positive aspects

Social structure and social interaction are integral in evaluating a person’s identity. Identities are the sets of meanings people hold for themselves that define “what it means” to be who they are as persons, as role occupants and as group members (PJB article) People are generally influenced by the norms and beliefs of society. A person’s identity is formed through a combination of factors derived from social structure (macrosociology) and social interaction (microsociology). The self influences society through the actions

known societies, but they are a significant selection of the main sources of identity in

The social identities label people and separate them into groups during the social contact. People tend to contact with people who have similar identities. In fact, the various identities are not equally weighed. It is common that someone also makes friends with those who have quite different characteristics because he or she may consider the distinct identities less important than the ones attract him or her. Personally, the ethnicity, religion and social class are the identities that play a great role in social connection. Those factors usually represent or reflect somehow the culture, background, world view, living view and worth view. By comparison, some social identities are not that critical such as gender, race and age. Those factors

Referring to the Social identity theory we assume that the differentiation between the ingroup and outgroups is motivated by the members’ desire to improve the evaluation of the ingroup and of their social identity. So, in other words in order to create a social identity a ingroup usually derogates the outgroup, especially in contexts where the groups are interwoven in a conflict

A self-concept or self-schema, the mental image or perception that one has of oneself, is made up of three types of identities, role identities, person identities, and social identities. Role identity refers to the roles we occupy, such as sister, friend, lawyer, etc. These can influence our behavior by establishing roles, therefore rules as to what type of behavior is expected from us in certain situations. This could be demonstrated as it relates to gender. We might notice more women behaving prosocially because they are mothers and sisters, who are typically expected to be more caring, and so to fulfill their role as “mother” or “sister” they will behave as a prosocial more often. A person identity is a characteristic that effects the way an individual acts. These are typically characteristics such as funny, kind, or nurtuting. Someone who holds any kind of characteristic that relates to helping will be more likely to display prosocial tendencies. Finally, social identities are characteristics about ourselves that we use to associate with classifications. This could be race, gender, or even religion. We can expect that someone who holds a social identity that they are religious would feel more inclined to behave prosocially because they feel as if they need to prove their religious identity. Overall, social identity explains that people will behave in certain ways to uphold or

This in turn is affected by social context and cultural mores. Some aspects of our identities are determined at birth, such as sex and aspects of our physical appearance. Others, such as class or faith, we might inherit or adopt from family and culture. In other respects, our identities have a legal basis, like nationality or immigration status. We also have choices. We can actively decide to reassign things like faith, nationality and even gender later in life, depending on changes in circumstance or personal preference. As we grow older and interact with a wider range of people, cultures and institutions, we become aware that we have a number of Identities. Identities are able to combine or emphasise these depending on what seems to be expected of us and how we are treated. The balance of power in society is reflected in our identities, just as we can use identity to influence the behaviour of others. By understanding the strategic nature of identities, we can recognise how individuals come together in communities and use connections to protect and promote their shared interests and help bond

The nature, construction and role of identity in society has always been useful in understanding and solving social issues. Identification has been described as a fundamental mechanism

Social identity theory is the idea that we, as humans, have the need to categorize ourselves into in-groups ‘us’ and out-groups ‘them’ in order to give ourselves a positive social identity to protect and enhance our self-esteem.