According to Tajfel and Turner (1979), social identity emphasizes on intergroup social comparisons which seek to establish intergroup favouring evaluation between in-group and out-group which were motivated by an underlying need for self-esteem.
Social Identity Theory
Social identity theory refers to a social category (e.g work group, organization) within which one falls and feel belong to, provides a definition of the characteristics of the category (McLeod, 2008) . This self-definition is part of the self-concept. Each category membership is represented by individual members’ perception on how one ought to behave as part of the member of that group (Hogg & Terry, 2012).
When social identity becomes an important aspect for self-regulation,
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When an individual is a proud member of a group, they would prefer to interact with people who confirmed their stereotype about their group, rather than interacting with people who contradicts the beliefs.
Members of the group may accept and apply these stereotypes to themselves and to other members of the groups, which most of the time are negative stereotypical qualities. For an example, a woman who has difficulty parking her car states that “I’m just a woman driver, I’m not an expert in driving.” Such negative in-group stereotyping serves as a protection against one’s self-worth (Forsyth, 2014).
Conclusion
Social identity theory addressed the importance of intergroup social comparison in order to fulfil our self-esteem where in-group favouritism/biases boost our self-esteem. In reality, people would discriminate, compare and bring out the negative characteristics of out-group while they exaggerate successes and positive characteristics of their in-group. Hence, this would led to competitions to be better than the other group in order to fulfil the need for one’s
social groups. Whenever someone is placed in a situation where a certain stereotype can be
“Two dangers arise when in-group members have little exposure to out-groups members or knowledge of out-group history” (Ramirez-Berg pg. 18). One is that history can be replaced by other group’s experience. Two is the stereotypical image can be taken as normal or even natural. The five functions of stereotyping that are developed and passed on to others. The first two are focused on a personal level. One is cognitive function of the environment. Two is motivational function protecting values. “The remaining three are at group level, where stereotypes contribute to the creation and maintenance of group beliefs which are then used…” (Ramirez-Berg pg. 28). Three is explaining in a large-scale social event. Four is to justify action. Five is to differentiate in and out
Immediately after reading the introduction to the article, the first word to come to mind was “out-group”. This term is referenced several times in our textbook, and in class. During chapter five (stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination), the term is consistently used. The out-group has a tendency to be subjected to stereotypes, discrimination, and prejudice by the in-group. A stereotype is defined as a belief based on attributing traits to a group of people, in a sense making a generalization about the individuals that consist of a group. Dehumanization could be a consequence of stereotyping. One does not see an individual when one is stereotyping a group of people. Therefore, it is easier to discriminate ag...
The social identity theory is a person’s sense of who they are based on their social
A stereotype can have multiple meanings, but one of the most prevailing definitions is that it assumes that groups are representable through a consolidated
In many circles of the world, various groups of people distinguish themselves from one another through religion, language, culture, and sometimes gender. People also develop stereotypes about a particular group of people in order to identify them. However, most of the time, these stereotypes hold true for only some members of a group. Sometimes, these stereotypes are just plain misconceptions that do not even apply to the group they claim to be. Stereotypes are placed on people because it is a way to easily identify what type of person or ethnicity an individual is.
Tajifel, H. a. (1986). The social identity theory of inter-group behavior. Psychology of Intergroup Relations. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/258189
Every group or culture in society has some type of stereotype directed towards it. These stereotypes make the public see gro0ups in one way when in reality they may be the exact opposite of the stereotypes. Because of this many individuals always judge a group based on solely the stereotypes heard about the groups. Also because of this many confuse people as been part of a group only because the individuals either fit the stereotypes of appearance or personality of people who should be part of that certain group. So due to this many may be mistaken as been part of a group when that individual in reality may not be part of the group. These stereotypes also lead to many misunderstandings been formed about the actual individuals who are a part of the groups. Th...
... M. & Terry, D. (2000). Social identity and self-categorization processes in organizational contexts. Academy of Management Review, 25, 121-140.
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.
Social comparison and positive distinctiveness. Our social identity contributes to our self-image so we look for positive social identities to keep a high self-esteem. Comparing in groups and out groups allows us to enhance superiority of a group. The Social identity theory explains that the in group will discriminate against the out group to en...
Social identity theory can be applied to many different problems and real life situations. It demonstrates the role of categorization in behaviors, and explores how being part of a group affects social interaction in everyday life.
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
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).
Burke, P.J. & Stets, J.E. (2000). Identity Theory and Social Identity Theory. Social Psychology Quarterly 63(3), 224-237