Henri Tajfel’s social identity theory has made significant contributions to psychology and social work for its attempts to better understand human behavior. This paper discusses the theory’s main concepts and principals, its contributions to understanding human behavior, its strengths and weaknesses, how it addresses diversity and how it addresses social and economic justice.
Social Identity Theory’s Main Concepts and Principles
Henri Tajfel presented social identity theory (SIT), which plays a vital part in social psychology and understanding societal behaviors. SIT is a “theory of socialization that articulates the process by which we come to identify with some social groups and develop a sense of difference from others” (Hutchinson, 2017, p.107). The groups that we become a part of are considered the “in-groups” and they provide us with a sense of belonging.
SIT
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SIT states that humans are social by virtue of their relationships with others, and all individuals are members of a variety of social groups that are influenced by ethnicity, gender, nationality, religion, socioeconomic class, and other categories (Tapper, 2013). This gives way for SIT to explain diverse human behavior as the individuals who make up these groups are all going to be dissimilar. As Hutchinson (2017, p. 107) explains “social identity can be exclusionary however it can also give rise to prejudice and oppression.” Someone may believe that their race is more intelligent than other races or that their political beliefs are correct and those of others are wrong, or perhaps that their religion is the one true religion which could cause conflicts among a group of diverse individuals. SIT theorizes that individuals favor “their own” as in individuals from their in-groups, often at the expense of “the others” or the out-group (Tapper,
Although the concept of identity is recurrent in our daily lives, it has interpreted in various ways.
Kwame Appiah, author of Racial Identities, explores the complexity between individual and collective identity. Throughout the text, Appiah attempts to define these complicated notions, noting their similarities and differences. He calls upon the ideas of other philosophers and authors to help formulate his own. Essentially, individual and collective identity are very much intertwined. Appiah argues that collective identities are very much related to behavior. There is not one particular way a certain ethnic group acts, but instead “modes of behavior (Appiah 127).” These behavioral acts provide loose norms or models. However, Appiah also notes that it is how individuals essentially make or allow these collective identities to become central
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 first way our world parallels the Brave New World is our desire to stay young. In Huxley’s macrocosm, the people are made to live without any change in aesthetics; they’re meant to look the same since day 1. But you can void your youngness by taking too much of the drug, soma. They have nothing to combat their aging unlike us. In many cultures today, it seems that the youth are worshiped and admired. As people age, they might believe they will be treated differently because they’re "too old" or maybe they’re looking to have a relationship and believe that looking younger will make them look more attractive. In earlier generations, older people were treated with a little more respect, but the culture today seems to prefer a youthful appearance; this makes some old people feel they need to use anti-aging products or have plastic surgery done so that they will not seem out-of-date. This is evident in today’s markets; market research firm Global Industry Analysts projects that the boomer-fueled consumer base striving to keep signs of aging at bay, will push...
Tajifel, H. a. (1986). The social identity theory of inter-group behavior. Psychology of Intergroup Relations. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/258189
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
Chicago Harry Okeke Psych 236-02: Psychology of Women Prof. Edna Pressler, Ph.D. Report 1 October 6, 2016. “Get involved 2.4 “Media Advertisement and Double Standard of Aging” Ageing is something that everyone will eventually experience if they are fortunate to live a long life. The process of ageing comes with various negative and positive outlooks. In western culture, ageing for both genders is particularly condemned. In the media in particular, the process of ageing for men and women varies greatly.
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
Being able to identify with a certain group has been an issue that individuals hesitate with daily. Am I Black, are you a girl, what religion do you practice? These are all common questions that society has forced individuals to concentrate on. Should an individual have to pick a side or is it relevant to the human race to identify with any group? One may believe not, but for others having and knowing one’s own identity is important, because it is something that they have been developing their entire life. Along with how their identity influenced their life chances and their self-esteem. This can also affect how society interact with whatever identity an individual chooses to live. Which is why it was important to recognize how identifying
Burke, P.J. & Stets, J.E. (2000). Identity Theory and Social Identity Theory. Social Psychology Quarterly 63(3), 224-237
Social identity theory proposed by Henri Tajfel and later developed by Tajfel and Turner in 1971. The theory is to understand intergroup relations and group processes. Social identity theory suggests that the self-concept is based on knowledge of our membership to one or more social groups; people enhance their self-esteem, which can also be boosted by personal achievement and affiliation with successful groups, in attempt to improve their self-image, which is based on personal identity or various social identities.
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.