Why Do Group Members Meet Face-To-Face For Social Identification To Occur?

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.

When I was asked to create a “Social Identity Wheel” during last week’s common hour, I expected the wheel to be just another icebreaker game. We’d each create a different social identity wheel; choosing not only which identities we resonate with, but then to measure the impact each identity has on what we think of ourselves. However, by the end of common hour I had realized that a social identity wheel is more of a personal project. Its purpose was not to teach myself about the identities of my peers, but to critically think of my own identities in relation to some core concepts about social identity.

The third phase of the Social identity theory is comparison. This involves comparing the in-groups that you are a part of with out-groups in order to raise self-esteem (Burke, Stets,2000). Social groups naturally strive to be positively differentiated from other groups (Mummenfey, Kessler, Link, Mielke, 1999). In order to achieve this positive differentiation and boost in self- esteem, the in-group and out-group are judged on factors that represent the in-group to be superior to the out-group (Burke, Stets,2000). To enhance the position and status of the in-group, discrimination and prejudice will be shown towards the out-group.

Augoustinos and Walker (1995) stated that social identity theory is based on the concept of social identity, the part of a person’s self-concept that derives from membership in-groups that are important to the person. Such groups can include one’s family, college, nation, and so forth. This theory can be applied when the brown-eyed students were established as the in-group instead of their usual out-group. As indicated in their attitude components, self-esteem of the brown-eyed students increased when the blue-eyed students were treated in a bad

Being identified with a group can shape one’s thoughts on theirself, and what is expected of them within their society. Some things that in one’s mind seem so normal and expected may be far from

a sense of group or collective identity based on one 's perception that he or she

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

In the field of social psychology, the debate on whether one can sustain their identity, despite anonymity, in a group remains unanswered. Questions such as, ‘Why do people suddenly become aggravated to fight in group even though they have different personality when they are alone?’ or ‘Are we more capable of doing bad things when we are left unchecked and anonymous?’ continue to puzzle psychologist up to this date. In the article titled The Role of Anonymity in Deindividuated Behaviour: A Comparison of Deindividuation Theory and the Social Identity Model of Deindividuation effects (SIDE), Jenna Chang, takes into account the two ground-breaking research in the field of social psychology, specifically, in the causes, effects, and outcome of

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,

Within any group, members will also belong to any number of additional groups. As we become a more globalized world with increasing international communication, trade, and migration, the heterogeneity of a community, whether we speak of a metropolitan area, a region, or a nation, also increases. Further, the complex number of roles assumed by any given person in a society increases heterogeneity of individuals within any particular group and as membership changes and members personally diversify, so too will the nature of the group’s identity. The ongoing process of constructing and reconstructing group identity is not without consequences, as every identity “implies and at the same time masks a particular relationship” (Gillis

Every person has groups of people who associate with them throughout their lives. They help by giving them a deeper understanding of who they are. These groups come from friendships, special interest groups, family, cultural groups and peers of the same age. Some might argue that it would be stupid to say that a person gains and develops their identity through the actions and opinions of others. However, it is evident that without the existence of other people, we won’t be able to form a complete sense of themselves. The person’s parents help by introducing them their culture and tradition, as well as help them in realising their own believes and values. For these reasons, there should be no hesitation we form our identity based on the many people and groups we interact with.

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

Social identity theory, it is a person’s sense that is based around the group they are in, either by their personal identity or with different kinds of social identities. That is, people will try to improve their own image of themselves. The theory was proposed by Henri Tajfel. People can increase their self-esteem by both their own achievement and interaction with a successful group of people. This shows the importance of social belonging. This theory is based around three mental processes, social categorization, social identification and social comparison.

In general we differentiate between two “kinds” of identity. On the one hand there is the so called social identity, which stresses self-interpretation as a member of a certain social group and on the other hand there is the personal identity, which puts it´s emphasis on individuality and distinctiveness. This distinction is widely known as “patchwork-identity”. Both identities are only a subgroup of many different subjectively interpreted identities that everyone of us has innate.

An individual’s identity is shaped and created by many factors such as family, culture, and friendship groups (Trepte, S. 2206). The individual’s personal identity of “self” may alter when interacting with any of these groups due to the influence and the characteristics these groups possess (Burke, PJ. Sets, JE. 2000). The human desire to feel a sense of belonging is the driving force for individuals to create themselves around particular groups (Trepte, S. 2206). When people find out that their experiences, thoughts and feelings are mirrored by other people, an immediately connection is formed due to the understanding that they are not isolated in their experiences (Rogers, W.S. 2011). The common ground individuals find in others, allows for the formation of groups (Trepte, S. 2206). The “commonality” amongst certain groups of people allow for Social Categorization (Burke, PJ. Sets, JE. 2000). Social