theories

• Henri Tajfel with help from his former PHD student John turner established social identity theory


  1979
• Social identity theory


  The essence of the theory is based on three propositions
• First proposition


  • Our social identity is highly defined by the groups of which we belong to
  • An important part of our self-worth is derived from group membership, joining groups influences our personal and social identity
  • These groups may be small tight knit groups such as work colleagues or family, or they may be larger like our nationality
  • The group which we find ourselves in determines what is most relevant to us in that moment of time
  • It is not enough to just belong to a group, we must in some way be invested in it
• Second proposition


  • Incorporating ourselves into a group carries motivational consequences
  • In general we prefer to see ourselves and our group in a positive light
  • We will expend psychological and physically effort to maintain the 'positive light'
• Third proposition


  • Group evaluations are comparative
  • In order to know how well we and our group are doing we must compare ourselves to others
  • If we are doing better our identities are positive, if not then they are negative
  • In either case we aim to maintain positive distinctiveness for our group usually by displaying biasness in behavior
  • Positive distinctiveness is linked to self-esteem: in order to feel good about ourselves as group members, we want to see 'us' as different to, and preferably superior to 'them'
  • Self esteem can be boosted from self categorisation as a member of a successful group