Social Identity Theory

Social Identity Theory
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. People who are in a group or belong
to and even assigned to the group, they would naturally think of the member within that group as the in–groups while others outside the group would
be the out–groups. This can be explained by social categorization. People would normally categorize other people into different categories, including
themselves. And bond between the in–groups would form. This however, would develop a discrimination between the in–group and out–group where
people would favor the in–group more. Social categorization can be seen in the study done by Cialdini et .al (1976). The main purpose of the study is
to find out whether people would favor their own "in–group" members more than the other people, the "out–groups". Researcher uses two methods.
First, researchers find fans from 7 different large United State prestigious football universities in a field experiment. Researchers then observed the
student's
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Outline Of Social Identity Theory
Outline social identity theory and with reference to recent research critically evaluate the strategies individuals or groups might use to achieve a
positive social identity.
Social Identity Theory (SIT) is a relational term, defining who we are as a function of our similarities and differences with others. It is shared with
others and provides a basis for shared social action and the meanings associated with any social identity are products of our collective history and
present. Therefore Social identity is something that links us to the social world. In other words it provides the pivot between the individual and
society and within its broad framework, social identity researchers have specified detailed processes that give practical insights into the ways that
groups work in society. These include the nature of influence and persuasion, how leadership works and the nature of group stereotypes. The strength
of the theory is in direct relationship to its diverse range of application however this is also the source of its weakness. This essay makes an appraisal
of SIT by weighing up the strengths and limitations of the social identity theory, with studies supported.
SIT is based on four main concepts , Social categorization in which there is a tendency to divide and therefore categorize individuals into ingroups (us)
and outgroups (them). The category accentuation effect involve an exaggeration of intergroup differences and intragroup similarities that
underestimates by

Personal And Social Identity Reflection Paper
Reflection My family shaped my personal and social identity at a micro level by being the first set of influencers the moment I was born. My
personal identity is significantly influenced by my family through the approach that my parents have taken to raise and nurture me. The results of
my parents raising me is shown through the behaviour and beliefs that I embody. For example, because of my family I have always been aware
that there is a God. In consequence, my compliant behaviour towards religion has already been constructed at a young age. Moreover, my social
identity's structure was shaped by my family through they way they have socially interacted with me. My micro level interactions with my family
throughout time has created a deeply rooted influence within me. The influence that my family has had on my social identity is demonstrated in the
way that I respond in certain social situations. For example, through behavioural observation as a child I have learned not to speak back to my
parents when they are lecturing me. Similar to my family's critical role in my personal and social identity's development, my ethnicity also
contributes some of the most noticeable modifications of a social agents affect on an individual's personal and social identity. Ethnicity provides a
sense of belonging to a group and or a place in a globalised society. As for myself, ethnicity on a micro, meso and macro scale has become a major
element in my personal and social identity's

Identity, Social Class, And Culture Essay
Each individual has multiple identity. Through all aspects of life, you identify objects and categorize them. Similarly, people are categorized as well.
By their; gender, religion, social class, and culture. At birth you're immediately identified or categorized by; gender and race. As you grow up, your
parents religion and social class are imposed on you. But identity is not a thing to be had, but an experience of the relationship between the different
experiences and feelings that make up identity over time. Each individual perceives the world through their own senses. How each individual; process,
understand and respond to experiences and feelings, differs greatly. However, each individual's senses are inured by their culture and communities. This
means although, each individual is capable of changing their identity, through experience and feelings. How they perceive the world, is through what
they unconsciously learned from their culture and communities. As a result, affects how they identify themselves and other individuals and
communities. The idea that each individual, has multiple ever changing identities in life. As a result of experience and feelings. An individual develops
particular identity in relation to other people and places. What happens when an individual's identity conflicts with a different identity of the
individual? The individual becomes dissociated from themselves. These ideas are expressed in Citizen: An American Lyric by, Claudia Rankine. When

The Importance Of Social Identity
As soon as a person enters the world, screaming, cold and helpless, they are assigned social identity markers, which, in most cases, will be used to
label and categorize them throughout their life (Harro 2000). Identity markers are constructed by society and include, but are not limited to:
assigned sex, race, and class. We have no choice in what identity markers are placed upon us and they will follow us in life, shaping who we
become and directing us to our designated place in society. Our reality, experiences, perceptions and beliefs will all be centered in these identities,
whether we like it or not. Since my first cultural autobiography, which was written in early September, my path in life has changed, as well as how I
view identity markers. Although I am passionate about certain ideas relating to education and the educational system, I no longer have an interest in
becoming a teacher. My major is now journalism, however, I have found the information in the class to be just as relevant and important to me. We
have talked a great deal about identity and how certain identities shape us more than others, as relating to intersectionality. I now believe that the most
important identities markers relating to education, but also a more general aspect of my life, are race and ability. Race can be one of the most visible
and outwardly identifiable identities. Throughout history race has often been used to discriminate, oppress and segregate people of the nation. I am
white,

The Importance Of Social Identity
"Some...memberships are more salient than others; and some may vary in salience in time and as a function of a variety of social situations" (Tajfel,
2–3) Salience of identity, in the way that we need to understand it in the case of perception and decision making, can be operationalized as the
likelihood that a particular identity will be invoked within a certain situation that the individual is being faced with (Hogg, Terry, & White, 257). As
mentioned previously, everyone holds various identities but salience is the process through which we subconsciously decide which we be used to
base our decision making or preferences on. "The salience of a particular social identity for an individual may vary from situation to situation and
indeed from...show more content...
In the courtroom, she is primed for her identity as a lawyer and at home she is primed for her identity as a mother. Certain locations or experiences
will prime us to be salient for one identity vs another which "demonstrates [the] sharp changes in social norms according to the situational salience of
people's different group memberships" (Tajfel, 19). Through identity salience, we come to understand another step in the effect that identity has upon
preferences and decision making. "There are several studies which make the point indirectly by manipulating the cognitive salience of group
membership as their independent variable" (Tajfel, 19). By directly priming an identity, can we alter one's preferences compared to their instinctual
preferences without said priming?
When considering salience of identity and its effect on individual preferences, we could conclude that this phenomenon may be classified as a
variation of transitivity. Transitivity is described as "the cornerstone of normative and descriptive decision theories" because it "underlies measurement
models of sensation and value" and is a "necessary condition for the existence of a utility scale" (Tversky, 31). If we were to create a utility scale for
each identity that an individual holds each scale would reflect the preferences of the primed identity, placing the same items at different places upon the
scale. "Observed inconsistencies

Essay On Social Identity
Social media is often praised for its ability to connect people worldwide, but in reality, it is forcing us further apart; we are no longer individuals but
are instead creating for ourselves a fake social identity. Nicholas Carr, author of "Is Google Making Us Stupid?" focuses on how reading on the Internet
has made it almost impossible for us to do "deep reading." In "Just Between You, Me, and My 622 BFF'S," Peggy Orenstein looks at how social media
has stolen younger girl's identities, and formed their sexual identity. Chuck Klosterman in his article "Electric Funeral" sees the Internet as a breeding
ground for "villains" who feed off our primitive impulses to draw attention and fame to ourselves. These three authors have powerful...show more
content...
When Google was first created, its goal was "to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful" ("How We Started
and Where We Are Today"). There is certainly nothing sinister in the mission statement, and undeniably Google has proved to be an essential and
convenient part of life. However, convenience is the dominant issue at play here. Research no longer need hours to uncover; in as few as five
minutes, one can have an answer, source, or image ready to absorb and spit out in whatever paper or conversation they might have. This is the type
of fast pace environment that is negatively affecting us; we are conditioned to find our answers quickly. How many of us have actually gone to
page 2 in an Internet search? If our answer is not given in the first few links, we rephrase the question in order to get the answer we need. We train
ourselves to work fast and efficiently, and while that might be helpful at the moment, overall it is hindering our ability to think deeply about issues.
This inability to think not only affects our research, but our day to day lives; we have trained ourselves to glance at an image or post, and
immediately draw assumptions from it. Social media is designed to be simple and usable to all age groups, which forces us to simplify our posts,

Social Psychology, The Social Identity
Within social psychology, the social identity tradition (Tajfel, Billig, Bundy, & Flament, 1971) argues that individuals possess more than their
characteristic personal identities, which are activated during interpersonal contact with others; in addition, people can engage in intergroup behavior as
informed by their social identities (Gudykunst & Bond, 1980). Such social identities comprise memberships in any psychologically relevant grouping
with which an individual identifies, including kin, peers, profession, nation, and cultural identity (Galang, QuiГ±ones, Adriano, Portillo, & Carvajal,
2015). The ingroup identification afforded by social identities then allows individuals to distinguish between people belonging to and excluded from
the ingroup (Brewer & Yuki, 2007), and to bolster one's self–concept through affiliation with high–status groups and individuals (Gudykunst & Bond,
1980). In addition, these social identities are created and manifested in different ways across cultures as a function of the values endorsed by society,
the ways in which society's members construe themselves, and the manners in which their interpersonal relationships are structured (Feitosa, Salas, &
Salazar, 2012).
Moreover, social identity theory (SIT) has been invoked as an explanation for a social psychological phenomenon introduced in Robert Cialdini and
his colleagues' (1976) research: basking in reflected glory (BIRG). As reflected in the opening quote, individuals are able to emphasize

Social Identity Paper
As shown in Appendixes 1 and 2, the individual identified as a white, heterosexual, bio man which was not something that I was surprised by. He also
identified as gender conforming and able–bodied, as well as being a middle–class, young adult. These were all identities that I had previously assumed
and was not surprised by any. There was some clarification going on at this time to ensure that the correct identity was being identified. He also
declined to answer his identity on religion at this time. He stated that he perceived his gender, class, sexual orientation, and ability as all being purely
agent status. Regarding his race, sex, and age, he felt that these identities were a mix of both target and agent statuses. Differences: Biases,...show more
content...
I think that in our society we place a great value on being a white man, and this was confirmed in some respects, but also disputed in some respects,
which will be examined further below. I think that I held the assumption that all white men would feel they were completely a part of the agent
status, but I was surprised to hear that his beliefs included being a part of both target and agent statuses. This was because being a man can be seen
as having the upper hand over others and society has certain expectations of you when you wield this privilege. This could have been a part of my
personal biases toward individuals of the agent status who believe that they are being disempowered. It was something that I thought of when reading
"At the Elite College", where they stated roughly 15% of individuals enrolled were not actually qualified to be there, they just had the means to get
there (2013, p. 175). I know that this stems from my feminist beliefs, where I believe that in general, and this is obviously not true for everyone, that
women must undergo greater struggles in their lives than men do to achieve the same

"Identity is a multifaceted concept" (Giddens, Appelbaum, Duneier & Carr, 2013). It is hard to define identity, as it is how people understand
themselves and what is important to them (Giddens, Appelbaum, Duneier & Carr, 2013). Identities are complex constructions, as people from different
backgrounds will hold different views on the idea of identity. There are two main types of identity: social identity and self–identity. Self–identity is
how people view themselves as individuals in relation to the world around them, as it focuses on a person's characteristics and personality, and social
identity refers to the idea of who an individual is, where they came from and their social status within the society. Gender is an important aspect of our
social identity as it helps people to conform into a contributing member of society. Unlike sex, which refers to people's biological differences of
being female or male, gender is socially constructed; it is a set of social expectations of how people should act based on their sex (O'shaughnessy &
Stadler, 2012, p370). Advertising plays an important role in constructing ideologies and social expectation in society, which has a large influences on
what people consider as their gender identity. Ideologies exist solely because the society chooses to believe it, as it is how we make sense of the
world (O'shaughnessy & Stadler, 2012, p371). This essay will focus on three advertisements and discuss how advertising influences and reflects
women's

What is social identity theory and how does it influence self–esteem in teens? Lexie Johnson Who are you? Who am I? These philosophical questions
often get brought up and debated over by most philosophers from the past and today. Teens go through this process of who am I and what is my
purpose in life? To find these purposes we affiliate ourselves with different groups such as our friend groups, extracurricular activities and peer
academics. I would identity myself as being a female. I'm a part of international club and I'm a cashier at the cafГ©. We identify ourselves with the
groups we choose to be a part of. Being a part of these groups help us feel like we belong and that we have some sort of place in this big world.
Since most people go through this identity issue, researches have researched how we identify ourselves socially. They came up with a theory called
social identity theory. In order to understand where social identity theory derived from we first have to take a look at where social identity came
from. Furthermore, when we look deeper into social Identity we can see that social identify came from the idea of group identification we means the
group that we associate ourselves with. Group identification is used often used interchangeably with social identity so in most cases they mean the
same thing (Ashforth & Mael, 1989). There are a lot key words to keep in mind when learning about what social identity theory is. Though it is highly
correlated with

Social Identity
The term "social identity" is very complex. It stems off of the term "personal identity". I believe that the most clear–cut way to explain social identity is
that it's the x in the phrase "I am an x". The stipulation to that phrase is that the x cannot change during the time in which you are changing, meaning it
must stay the same over time. When given the task to decide which social identity I feel most attached to, I was torn. There are thousands of different
identities in the pool for me to pick from, including white, brother, Christian, Catholic, middle–class, young–adult and male, but there was one in which
I had the strongest feelings for when contemplating. I am a grandson. There are many ways in which the social identification of grandson helps me.
The most important one is that it lets me have a special relationship with someone that I have known since birth. It also gives me someone who I
can confide in and know that they will always be there for me know matter what. When I was growing up, there was no one I would rather spend
time with than my grandfather. I would spend weeks at a time at his house in the summer never wanting to leave. He gave me my love of baseball,
hockey, singing and so much more. He is one of the reasons why I transferred to The Ohio State...show more content...
I felt like I had to lead the way for my brother since my mother and father never attended college. That stress, added to the workload of a pre–medical
student, caused a lot of anxiety. The firstperson I called was my grandfather when I felt stressed. He helped me calm down and realize I could only do
my best and to let the other things fall into place. He also helped me when I decided to switch majors and universities. If it was not for him, I
probably would still be miserable in the pre–medical program at the University of

Social Construction Of Social Identity
Society has a way of making assumptions based on one's physical characteristics. Often at times we categorize individuals to a particular social
group. In regard to society' perception of an individual this however, contributes to the development of social construction of racism. Most people
want to be identified as individuals rather than a member of specific social group. As a result, our social identity contains different categories or
components that were influenced or imposed. For example, I identify as a, Jamaican, Puerto Rican and a person of color. I identify racially as a
person of color and ethically as Jamaican and Puerto Rican. According to Miller and Garren it's a natural human response for people to make
assumptions solely...show more content...
There are moments in which a Hispanic person would ask me a question in their native language. Ironically, I don't speak or understand Spanish
due to a stronger influence of my Jamaican culture. I rarely identity with my Hispanic culture, nor felt the importance of learning its native
language. Social identity significantly, changes within different context. For example, in this particular class it become noticeable that three
other classmates and I are the only student of color, but do not necessarily mean we identify with the same social group. Further, my experience in
life has influence my interaction between my social identities and becoming a social worker. As a multiracial female I have experienced both
target and agent status. This experience will assist in my journey and growth in becoming a social worker. I will have the knowledge and skills to
help individuals escape the stigma of a particular social identity. In time my growth in the field of social will give me a different perspective on
topics I am bias towards. As a social worker certain values are demonstrated to assist the client in receiving adequate service. Dedication is a value I
admire in the field of social work, but at times clients may feel differently and a conflict of interest can

Social Identity In Interpersonal Communication
In todays world any for he things that we use to indicate ourselves is where we grew up, what we do and how our parents raised us. This is how
we formed our own social identities and how we show who we are to people who we just meet. Many people believe that social identity is what make
she person who they are, but that is not the case in many situations. Many times people live by their social identities but that is not what they want
there life to be based on.
May of peoples social identities are based off of the groups that they belong to and how they have lived their life. such s if you were a baseball
player your whole your social identity is a baseball player. This is not something bad but there are times where people don't want and don't think that
a baseball player is a social identity that they are defined by. This is a great way of showing how abstract social identity and how it fits into the work
of interpersonal communication.
"Your identity is your vector; it is a path defined by what you do and why you do it. By indicating your direction, it helps you define your available
options. Like an old–fashioned newspaper reporter, your identity helps you sharpen your answers to the 6 Ws: Who, What, Where, When, Why, and
hoW."
People do not define your path you define your path. People will stereotype you and try to add you in categories that you do not belong in. Many of
these stereotypes are negative and go with the class that you may identity your self in

Social Identity
Social Identity
From "Encyclopedia of Women and Gender: Sex Similarities and
Differences and the Impact of Society on Gender"
I. Conceptions and Definitions
II. Types of Social Identity
III. Multiplicity and Intersectionality
IV. Aspects of Social Identity
V. Assessing SocialIdentity
VI. Development and Change
VII. Negotiating Social Identities
Glossary
Intersectionality
The condition in which a person simultaneously belongs to two or more social categories or social statuses and the unique consequences that result
from that combination.
Minimal group paradigm
An experimental procedure for creating social identity conditions in which participants are arbitrarily assigned to one group or another. Social
representations...show more content...
Other social identities can be defined more generally, tied not to any individual but to a generic group. Thus to identify as a doctor, for example,
implies a shared definition with countless others, many of whom you may not know anything in particular about. Another defining characteristic of
occupational identities is that they are chosen by the person (what is sometimes called an achieved status). In contrast, social identities such as ethnicity
or gender are ascribed categories, given to one at birth. Social identities also differ in the status or value that is attached to them. In Table I, for
example, the stigmatized identities stand apart from the other types of social identity, all of which are typically regarded more positively.
In the original study that defined the categories presented in Table I, gender was clustered together with other relationship identities in the final
statistical solution. Certainly it is true that many relationships are gendered in their definition and implications (as are many occupations as well).
However, because of the importance and centrality of gender in our lives, it is often considered as a category in itself. Similarly, sexual orientation can

be classified as one form of a relationship identity, but it often has greater prominence than other

Importance Of Social Identity
Social Identity
Individuals tend to think that explaining your identity is a simple answer, but in fact, it is a difficult question to answer. One way that that one defines
their identity is by a person's experiences or the interactions that they have with the people that they interact with. Another way that a person's social
identity can be described as, is the feelings, perceptions, and thinking that a person has, due to the person's group memberships. While these definitions
are similar and connected to one's social identity, this writer resonates most with how a person's feelings, perceptions, and thinking come from their
group memberships. In addition, social identity is important because it enables one to develop and help individual's gain a sense of their self–identity
and self–expression. Some popular examples that a person might consider to be part of their social identity are: ethnicity, gender, religion, and sexual
orientation.
Speaking of social identities, it is important for one to be able to self–identify their social identities that are important to themselves and what society
thinks of them. For instance, a social identity that is most important to this writer is her spirituality. As a young child, thisstudent never was around a
church, mosque, or synagogue, but during her early adolescent years someone very closed to her introduced her to believing is a higher power. This
special person is my grandfather and he has also taught this writer how to pray

My Social Identity
My social identity plays a huge part in shaping and defining my role as a leader. The way I view myself combined with the way that others view me
frames the narrative of my opportunities to be a leader in many ways. Of my various social identity characteristics, the two that play the largest part in
my life are my gender and appearance as a woman and my economic standing as lower middle class. First, being a woman and embracing my
femininity has both positive and negative impacts on my ability to lead. Because I am a woman I have to work harder to glean access to similar
caliber opportunities as men. Even though the gender gap is not as large as it was in decades past, it still exists with in my society and is a huge
obstacle to my...show more content...
In the Komives article on leadership, servant leadership is defined as "viewing the leader first as a servant – a person who first wants to serve others,"
(Komives 2013, p. 69). Empathy for others plays a huge part in this leadership theory. In order to serve others, you have to understand their struggles
and what they need. Komives continues on the say that a leader leads "with the sole goal of serving others to make a difference," (Komives 2013, p.
69). My identity as a woman has informed my understanding of leadership by opening my eyes to the reality of dealing with stereotypes while in a
leadership position. I gravitate to the servant–leadership style because I am a woman. Second, my economic status has affected how I see myself. As
one of the many Americans in the lower middle class I've had to work for everything that I have. I grew up in a very wealthy and privileged town
and while most of my friends lived in the lap of luxury, I started working when I was 13 so that I could help my mom support our family. In being
from a less fortunate economic background, I've pushed myself through multiple adversities. For example, in applying to college I knew I would
have to get a scholarship to in order to attend. The motivation I found to apply to and win a scholarship was developed by my economic background.
Being lower middle class has shaped my work ethic and my levels of motivation to get things done. In Goleman's article about what makes a leader in

Social Identity Theory: Annotated Bibliography
The theory I chose for the annotated bibliography was Social Identity Theory. Social identity is the categorization between individuals who have
similarities and can identify themselves within the category (Abram & Hogg, 1988). Social comparison is when we divide the world into groups that
we are part of which are called the in groups and the relevant groups that are not part of our group that are called outgroup. Self–concept is brought
from how you see yourself and how a person connects to social groups. (Turner & Tajfel, 1979). Overall, this relates to how we perceive ourselves, how
you see ourselves and present ourselves in public.
The process of Social Identity Theory consists of in–group members who will communicate the positive aspects...show more content...
In "A social identity theory of leadership," it talks about how leaders are categorized by personality and prototypes of the followers and other leaders.
And how you can abuse the power of leadership. According to Michael Hogg, he concludes "Prototype–based depersonalization and the behavior of
followers play a critical role: They empower individuals as leaders, imbue them with charisma, create a status differential between leaders and
followers that have some of the typical characteristics of uneven status intergroup relations" (p. 196). A leader can go off by the prototypes and change
people's perspectives. Also can be hard to level the in–group and outgroup, although some might still disagree. Social identity is shown in this article
by showing how the leader perceives itself and how it presents self to the public as a leader. I believe that if you know the groups you will know
how to go about the situations as a leader to make it more understanding to the followers. The author is interested in this research because it can
provide a genuine source to other explorations in leadership situations. It is important to the real world because as leaders and followers we should
be aware of different perspectives and take into account, to do what's best for the followers or the leader. This is great for communication because if
you don't show nonverbal or verbal communication to others it can be difficult to

Social Roles And Identity
Social roles and identities impact our everyday lives in means that often go undetected. Perhaps experiencing social identities has become mundane
because of the commonality and predictability of most situations; we are used to experiencing roles in the ways that they are most often presented to
us. However, varying environments may produce or favor certain behaviors and identifications over others. Middle school, for example, is a
transformative time for many adolescents as they begin to form interests and identities. Adolescents are often heavily influenced by the social pressures
and are generally aware of social identities in a broad sense, whether they realize it or not. Observing how adolescents unknowingly participate in these
...show more content...
This lack in racial diversity can likely be attributed to a couple of factors: the location of the school is in an area surrounded by mostly white
neighborhoods, and over half of catholic Americans – fluctuating around 60% – are white (Lipka). A lack of diversity in presumed sexual orientations
can be attributed to the fact that roughly 6% of self–identifying gay or bi people know and identify as gay or bi in junior high. The mean age for people
to publicly come out – though it varies vastly – is 16 ("LGBT Youth Issues"). While middle schoolers are surely developing attraction, a significant
focus on individual sexual orientation is possibly just slightly premature for their age group. The norm here, as far as identity, is the majority social
group. An important addition to the norm in the dance setting is nice clothing. This is one of the only settings where the students can make indicators
of class, since they are required to wear uniforms daily to school. In this dance setting they see who is wearing quality, nice, "appropriate" clothing.
Regularly, students will have little idea of who receives grants or scholarships from the school or church, unless they are open about it – which is
highly unlikely. At the dance, comments like "she wears those shoes every day" or "her costume looks homemade" are made with condescending tones
and while the young girls who made these comments and similar comments may not know that they are making a class

Social Identity Theory

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