Social identity theory is basically one’s own sense of who they are based on people in their community. Tajifel’s theory was that the groups humans belonged to was a very important and impacts a person very positively by raising traits such as self esteem and a sense of belonging in the world which is a necessity as a human. Because of the strong sense of pride we feel towards our group, we tend to discriminate others out of our nature and we divide the world into “them” and “us” through a process of social categorization; this being one of the four components. SIT has also made a great contribution in the explanation of how stereotypes and prejudices occur and why.
Social Identity theory involves the category accentuation effect; which
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The aim of this study demonstrates the social identity theory in terms of increasing self esteem as well as emphasizing the effects of discrimination on personal traits. This study includes participants of the primary school who were segregated according to their eye color, a factor that they cannot change within themselves. Blue eyed people were told they were smart and more successful whilst brown eyed people were told they were stupid and untruthful. Because being told this, they had separate effects on people depending on what they were told. This study is another example of how SIT affects intergroup behavior. Although, some ethical considerations to take into a count Is that it may cause stress for the participants and make them feel insecure. Also, discrimination was evident so this links with issues related to the SIT.
Despite the amount of studies that agree with the social identity theory, it suffers some weaknesses such as methodological considerations like having unrepresentative samples as well as the fact that this theory only favors situational factors. Also, stereotyping is a big factor that plays in the social identity theory as it is a big form of social categorization. This can also be known as schema
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Because SIT portrays stereotyping, it gives an explanation as to why this happens whilst social interaction. All three studies proved the social identity theory and can be a valid explanation for our natural need to make in groups and out groups and subconsciously form
Although the concept of identity is recurrent in our daily lives, it has interpreted in various ways.
The question ‘who am I?’ raises speculations about who we are as human beings and why we behave the way we do. This is of great interest to social psychologists. One particular theory about this social identity is that it is not fixed or innate but that it is something that changes over time and is constructed through our social interactions with other people. This essay will explicate the idea of socially constructed identities and consider the evidence for and against this view with examples of research studies from both social constructionism (Phoenix, 2007) and Social Identity Theory (SIT) (Turner and Brown, 1978).
The Social construction of racial formation classified racial groups based upon their skin color to construct their social identity which can include being part of a society, culture, family, groups, etc. Within the article
Tajifel, H. a. (1986). The social identity theory of inter-group behavior. Psychology of Intergroup Relations. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/258189
People go through many obstacles when they face their social identity. Some can overcome their differences, but others may not have they change to even face them due to the treatment that they get from society. Social identity is the one of many controversial and complex problems that many individuals deal with. Because, sometimes it used to be misunderstood making reference to racism and/or others complex matters. “On Being a Cripple” and “How It Feels to Be Colored” are two essays in which both characters suffer from some kind of discrimination. Indeed, in “How It Feels to Be Colored Me” by Zora Neale Hurston and “On Being a Cripple” by Nancy Mairs, each author shows different attitude, endures challenges, and change toward social identity.
In the Social Identity Theory(SIT), TT, looked at inter groups relations from an identity perspective. They claimed, layered on top, beside and underneath inter group conflict is identity issues. Therefore, group identity becomes a psychological engine that allows us to understand how group conflict emerges. In this essay I will focus on 3 concepts SIT suggests. The first social comparison and distinctiveness are concepts which give insights about person’s psychology in his group’s affect on it. For gay people, it is obvious that they are not in a helathy place with these 2 concepts. After I talk about instability which is a cognitive alternative that shows gays that their relative position in the society can be changed. Later, I talk about 5 stage model which incorporates macro and micro to explain intergroup relations. I
Social identities are identities we have as an individual and connect us to be a part of a larger group. These identities can be race, ethnicity, sex, gender, sexual orientation, age, religious/spiritual affiliation, national origin, first language or physical/ emotional/ developmental ability, to name a few. Social identities work to define each and every person in the way they identify themselves and how we describe ourselves to others. While there are many different identifiers I will only be mentioning a few as the identities I think about most frequently, identities I think about least frequently, my identities I want to learn more about, and the identities I most strongly identify with are examine.
Hogg, M., & van Knippenberg D. (2003). Social identity and leadership processes in groups. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, Volume 35, 1-52.
The social identity theory is a person’s sense of who they are based on their social
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.
In all aspects of their lives we associate with various groups, for example demographic, cultural or peer groups. Social Identity theory developed by Henri Tajfel in 1979 explains how people develop a sense of belonging and membership in particular groups. This theory explains behaviors in terms of social groups, we form social groups and create perceptions of others and ourselves that are influenced by the various groups to which we belong. A social group is a set of individuals who hold a common social identification or view themselves as members of the same social category (Chen & Li, 2009). Individuals can have multiple, co-occurring identities which could vary. This paper aims to explain how the Social Identity theory is used to explain violence and prejudice behavior and it also looks at the advantages and disadvantages of this theory compared to other theories in explaining the same behavior.
Identity is a person’s socially and historically constructed concept. We learn and determine our own identity through the interactions of family, peers, media and also other connections that we have encounter in our life. Gender, social class, age and experience of the world are the key concepts which plays a substantial role in shaping how we are by facing obstacles in our lives. According to Mead (1934) as cited in Thulin, Miller, Secher, and Colson (2009), identity theory determines
Burke, P.J. & Stets, J.E. (2000). Identity Theory and Social Identity Theory. Social Psychology Quarterly 63(3), 224-237
In conclusion, social identity theory suggests that intergroup members will discriminate the out-group to increase their own self-image. There are four main concepts in the theory and they are supported by studies such as Cialdini et al. and Tajfel. The theory has both strengths such as it is supported by large amount of research and it demonstrates the roles of social categorization in intergroup behaviours but also limitations such as aim of the theory to favour situational factors rather than dispositional factors is not supported by evidence and that self-esteem hypothesis is not longer central to social identity theory. Therefore, social identity theory can be used to explain how we from our individual and group identities in terms of “in” and “out” groups. It can also be used to explain why prejudice exists in all human societies.
In today’s society, there has been a greater emphasis on identity than in the past. The perception of identity has changed due to the growing human population, and being able to distinguish oneself from the general population. Identity is the uniqueness of a person. As people get older, their identity might change since they become more aware of the society and also are more independent. By creating and recognizing an identity, one can interact with others who have a similar identity. Identity can be formed socially. There are several factors that influence an identity.