The Prime Of Miss Jean Brodie

The Social Identity theory (SIT) was proposed by Henry Tajfel. It was then later developed by Tajfel and Turner in 1971 to help them understand inter group relations. The Social Identity theory assumes that individuals strive to improve their self-image by trying to enhance their self-esteem, through social (in and out groups) and personal identities. There are 4 main concepts within the social identity theory all of which will be discussed in the essay.

Miss Brodie fails to be a good teacher because she teaches on her own accord, gives her students wrong impressions, and displays unprofessional behavior towards her staff and pupils.

The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, written by Muriel Spark, focuses on the importance of morality while showing the manipulation that occurs at an all girls school in Edinburgh, Scotland, in the 1930s. Jean Brodie doesn’t agree with many things such as the school curriculum and it is shown through her teaching and personal beliefs that lead to the novel's major theme of betrayal amongst the Brodie set, which leads to the current job as a teacher for Miss Brodie to be taken from her. Miss Brodie attempts to influence the girls' ideas and beliefs; however, she is taking away their morals and beginning to control them instead. This leads to the constant theme of betrayal to be riddled throughout the whole novel.

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

Social identity is a theory which explains how people develop a sense of belong and membership to a group. Individual’s social identity is part of their self-concept which derives from their knowledge of their membership of a social group together with the emotional significance attached to that membership (Forsyth, 13). People are influenced on the group they belong to. Belonging to the in-group makes a person feel good because they belong somewhere in this group and allows them to feel important. The out-group is where people feel to be, they do not belong to a group and have feeling of exclusion and are often times treated more harshly than someone who belongs to the ingroup. This bias of favoring the ingroup relative to the outgroup leads to false impressions being made and stereotypes forming. Stereotypes help us navigate the world around us by providing a quick representation of what we think a person is like. This does not mean our perceptions are always correct and occasionally, this quick mental shortcut can get us into trouble. For example, the film 12 Angry Men stereotyping was rampant among the jury. When a stereotype is used it can cause a disruption of procedures. Instead, of inspecting all the evidence with an objective eye a bias can allow for systematic

The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie Spark uses characterization to depict the powerful influence an individual can have over multiple individuals, whether it be morally right or wrong.

The social identity theory is a theory developed by Henry Tajfel, in which Tajfel believes that who we are socially determines how many positive feelings we have towards ourselves. Basically, if we like where we stand socially, then we will like who we are and display happiness. In this theory, Tajfel labels the “in group” and the “out group” and says that we will always compare our “in group” to another’s “out group.” By comparing these groups, we develop a better personal view on ourselves (King, 2009). A big factor of the social identity theory is that the groups will tend to critique the differences of the groups, and overlook the similarities. A modern day example of the social identity theory would be your everyday high school cheerleaders versus band members. The cheerleaders think of themselves as the queen bees of the school,

98). Context, as emphasized by identity theory, is much more important than social identity researchers generally have acknowledged the existence of personal identity. Stets and Burke (2000) suggest that “being and doing are both central features of one’s identity” (p.234). Moreover, such a theory would address assistance and reflection as central aspects of the self, while providing a stronger integration of the concepts of the group, role and the person (Stets & Burke,

How is it that Miss Brodie is able to employ such feelings of fierce loyalty and love from her students? Much like the leader of a fascist regime, Miss Brodie points out her opposition in the school and how her methods are better than those of her opponent. At the beginning of the formation of the Brodie set, Miss Brodie identifies her direct opposition with the school‟s headmistress, Miss MacKay, and her devotion to Stanley Morgan‟s slogan “Safety First.” Miss Brodie tells the girls “But safety does not come first. Goodness, Truth, and Beauty come first” (7). Miss Brodie‟s blatant defiance against the rules and standards set by the school along with her departure from the normal academic curriculum provides a breath of fresh air for the girls,

We each have a unique personality that no one else can match perfectly but our social identity is a way to connect to other through our similar characteristics. King (2012) states “Social identity is the way individuals define themselves in terms of their group membership” (pg. 428). We all have titles we carry with us like being a mother or father, a daughter or son, and even a sister or brother the list can go on and on. Within these individualities we have a

Social Identity Theory has a considerable impact on social psychology. It is tested in a wide range of

Identity refers to the way people see themselves--the groups they feel a part of, the significant aspects of themselves that they use to describe themselves to others. Some theorists distinguish between collective identity, social identity, and personal identity. However, they are

The prime of Miss Jean Brodie tells the story of a middle aged teacher at a very orthodox school that has a very unorthodox way of teaching. The story unfolds with the introduction of the six girls; Sandy Stranger who is a small eyed member but famous for how she pronounces her vowels. Rose Stanley who Miss Brodie insists will be famous for sex. Mary Macgregor is considered the scapegoat who no one really likes. Monica Douglas was a prefect and famous for math and her anger. Jenny Gray, famous for her beauty and grace, later lands her in acting school. Then there is Eunice Gardiner who is known for gymnastics and swimming. Finally, there is Joyce Emily who came in the group last. She is a misfit that has come from other schools and is looking to fit in and lands in Miss Brodie 's group.  Ms. Brodie hand-picked these girls as her elite group later known as the “Brodie set.” Ms. Brodie not only teaches them during their junior high years but she continues to influence them through adulthood by manipulating them physically, mentally and spiritually. As readers we are aware of her manipulation as early as the first five pages of the book when she describes choosing these girls and telling them what they will be known for in life. Throughout the rest of the story one will see how she tells them how to walk, talk, act, and even who to have relationships with. This paper will show how Miss Jean Brodie’s fascist ways of teaching such as manipulation, uniformity, and loyalty has

'The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie unfolds several dimensions of the female role. Set in Edinburgh in the 1930s, we are presented with a protagonist whom is a striking female role model in her domineering, manipulating and sexual powers, powers which we see her use to obtain her desired plans for her 'Brodie set,' the 'creme de la creme.' We see Miss Brodie play a God like figure in the novel, leading, teaching and imposing her opinions on them in hopes they will become like her. She strongly echoes Mussolini the Italian fascist, and we also see several contridictions in her character in terms of believing education is 'to lead out' but actually carrying out actions to draw them in and never let them go. This literature subverts conventional

A common theme in the novel “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie” is control. In the novel, Miss Jean Brodie is an educator at the Marcia Blaine School for Girls. The school is very traditional and Miss Brodie teaches against those values, even being named a progressive spinster by other members of the staff. Miss Brodie oversees a specific group of girls named the Brodie set. In “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie”, Spark depicts the control and negative influence Miss Brodie has on the group of girls such as Mary McGregor’s academics, Rose’s potential love affair with Mr. Lloyd and Emily Joyce’s death..