SOCIAL IDENTITY

SOCIAL IDENTITY

SOCIAL IDENTIFICATION is the

process by which we dene
ourselves in terms and categories
that we share with other people.
In contrast to characterizations of
personal identity, which may be
highly individual, social identities
assume some commonalities with
others

What is it?

Social identity is that part of an

individuals self-concept which derives
from his knowledge of his membership
of a social group (or groups) together
with the value and emotional significance
attached to that membership (Tajfel,
1978).
Social Identity Theory focuses on the
relationship between self-concept and
group behavior

Tajfel proposed that the groups (e.g. social class,

family, football team etc.) which people belonged to
were an important source of pride and self-esteem.
Groupsgiveusasenseofsocialidentity: a sense
of belonging to the social world.
Therefore wedividedtheworldintothemand
us based through a process of social categorization
(i.e. we put people into social groups).
This is known as in-group (us) and out-group (them).

SOCIAL IDENTITY

Social identity relates to how we identify ourselves in

relation to others according to what we have in common.

For example, we can identify ourselves according to religion or

where we're from (Asian American, Southerner, New Yorker),
political affiliation (Democrat, Environmentalist), vocation (writer,
artist, neurosurgeon), or relationship (mother, father, great-aunt).
In addition, some identities are stigmatized (person with AIDS,
homeless person, alcoholic) and many social identities can be
multiple (an Asian American Democrat who works as a writer).
Together, the different roles a person plays can help him realize his
overall identity.

Social identity theory focuses on the

social structural factors that will
predict which end of the spectrum
will most influence an individuals
behavior, along with the forms that
behavior may take.

The social identity approach

Motivated by individual selfinterest & personal gain

Motivated by collective
interest & collective gain

Guided by personal values

and standards

Guided by shared values

and standards

personal identity

social identity

Our sense of self can be defined by:

individuality (personal identity me, I)

group membership (i.e., in terms of social identity we, us)

There is a qualitative difference between behaviour that is based

on personal identity (I) and that based on social identity (we).

The social identity approach

organizational
identity

subgroup
identity

personal
identity
8

The social identity approach

Self-esteem derived from personal achievements
organizational
Self-actualization via comparison and competition
with others
identity
Motivation to cooperate low

subgroup
identity

personal
identity
9

The social identity approach

organizational
identity

subgroup
identity

personal
identity
10

The social identity approach

Self-esteem derived from group achievements organizational
Self-actualization via comparison and competition
other groups
identity
Motivation to cooperate within group high
Motivation to cooperate across groups low

subgroup
identity

personal
identity
11

The social identity approach

organizational
identity

subgroup
identity

personal
identity
12

The social identity approach

Self-esteem derived from collective achievements
organizational
Self-actualization via pursuit of shared goals identity
Motivation to cooperate within group high

subgroup
identity

personal
identity
13

14

Tafjel and Turner

decided that
Social Identity
can be
considered in
three ways
Categorisation
Identification
Comparison

This looks at the way in which people put

others (and ourselves) into categories.
We label one another based on interest,
ethnicity, gender, occupation and other
factors.

Calling someone a Sikh, footballer,

student, mother, for example, are ways in
which we do this.

IMPORTANT this is not always negative

and is different to stereotyping.

Once a social identity has been identified, people

will choose to associate with certain groups.

Your collective identity becomes your in-group.

This could be your family, a friendship group even
your class. This closeness functions to boost our
self esteem and to create a sense of belonging.

A group or individual that poses as a threat to your

in-group is called the out-group.

Examples of this would be an outside family

member, a new member to class, someone from a
different ethnic background, or more close to
home, somebody from the other side of the social
area!

People compare themselves and their

groups with other groups, seeing a
favourable bias towards the group in
which they belong.

Nowadays we see younger people dividing

themselves into social groups or
subcultures based on clothing, the music
they listen to or other interests. Examples
of this are emos, goths and hoodies.

Types of Social Identity

Ethnicityandreligion
Asian American
Jewish
Southerner
West Indian
Politicalafliation
Feminist
Republican
Environmentalist
Stigmatizedidentities
Person with AIDS
Homeless person
Fat person
Alcoholic

Vocationsandavocations
Psychologist
Artist
Athlete
Military veteran
Relationships
Mother
Parent
Teenager
Widow
GENDERIDENTITY
Man
Woman

Influence of social environment

Although a social identity is rarely totally dependent on a particular

physical/ social setting, it is easy to think of examples in which
identity and location are linked, such as occupational identities or
athletic identities.
When a person relocates, for example when a student moves from
home to university, it becomes important that social supports be
developed in the new location to replace those supports that are no
longer part of the immediate environment. This process of grounding
an identity in a new social environment has been termed remooring.
As an example, when people who hold a strong ethnic identity change
their environment, as in the case of immigration, they will often
establish connections with neighborhoods, stores, and organizations in
the new country that reect and promote the ethnic identity of origin.

Impact

Social identity can provide people with a sense of self-esteem

and a framework for socializing, and it can influence their
behavior
In addition to how you view yourself, social identity also
influences how other people treat you.
Experimenting with body piercing, new hairstyles, music
preferences, tattoos, and different forms of dress are ways in
which teens try to fit in with a group or decide which group is
right for them.
While you want your teenagers to be able to fit in with friends (if
they're a good group of kids), you want them to maintain their
individuality and have the self-esteem to resist doing anything
that violates their own values or those of their family.

It is important in relation to issues of social inclusion and social

exclusion in schools and classrooms to ensure there is also a
focus on the fixing mechanisms that limit the fluidity of
identities and mitigate against individuals overcoming
disadvantage.
The most obvious of these are the inequalities that arise from
differences of race, ethnicity, sexuality, dis/ability, social class
and gender
School norms, practices and expectations provide key symbolic
materials that students draw on to make sense of their
experiences and define themselves

People's behaviour in groups is fascinating and frequently

disturbing. As soon as humans are bunched together in groups
we start to do odd things: copy other members of our group,
favour members of own group over others, look for a leader to
worship and fight other groups.
Social identity theory states that our identities are formed
through the groups to which we belong. As a result we are
motivated to improve the image and status of our own group in
comparison with others.
Tajfel and colleagues' experiment shows that group membership
is so important to us that we join the most ephemeral of groups
with only the slightest prompting. We will then go out of our way
to make our own group look better compared to others.