| The premise of the social identity concept is that | | | | In the final stage of social comparison, one |
| individuals partially derive their self-concepts from | | | | compares the groups standing to that of other |
| membership in social groups. George Mead | | | | groups. For example, the U.S. army soldier might |
| introduced the social basis for self-definition around | | | | compare his group (usually favorably) to the U.S. |
| 1934, thus setting a base for the development of | | | | Army to the U.S. Marines or to the British Army. |
| social identity theory. Henri Tajfel and John Turner | | | | Even within the army group, there are significant |
| developed this idea further through their 1979 | | | | subgroups (Commissioned and Non-Commission |
| experiment. In that experiment, they found that | | | | Officers). |
| humans are likely to form a group identity and | | | | Tajfel and Turner also made the important |
| discriminate in favor of their groups, even though | | | | assumption that persons generally prefer positive |
| the researchers formed the groups arbitrarily and | | | | affiliations to negative ones (referred to as |
| with no clear commonality present. | | | | positive distinctiveness). This explains why group |
| Social identity theory posits that social | | | | identification is higher when a group achieves |
| identification is borne out of biased in-group | | | | dominance or success (for example, when your |
| comparisons. These social group comparisons | | | | favorite sports team wins). I recall a classic |
| reinforce social identity and enhance group | | | | example of this from a game of football (soccer). |
| members in social, psychological and even | | | | A team was leading by two goals but went on to |
| economic ways. This was another finding of Tajfel | | | | lose the match. After the match, a disgruntled |
| and Turner's 1979 experiment. | | | | supporter of the losing side exclaimed "We were |
| The formation of social identity occurs in three | | | | leading by two goals but they threw away the |
| basic phases. The first is social categorization, | | | | lead!" |
| followed by social identification and social | | | | A person's self-concept is rather dynamic and |
| comparison. Social categorization involves our | | | | varied. For instance, a person can be a father, |
| understanding of the groups that exist. These | | | | spouse or lodge member all at once. However, |
| include racial classification and membership in social | | | | the social context determines which groups one |
| groups. | | | | identifies with at a particular point in time. |
| With social identification, we use categories to | | | | Individuals therefore have multiple social identities |
| classify ourselves in relation to others, either by | | | | and self-consciousness at different levels |
| incorporation (membership in groups) or by | | | | (individual, familial and national levels). |
| individual characteristics (such as race). For | | | | Ultimately, the social identity concept provides a |
| example, if someone classifies himself as a | | | | robust framework for psychologists to |
| member United States Army, he identifies with | | | | understand issues of labeling, self-esteem, |
| the United States, the military and, specifically, the | | | | discrimination, conformity and in-group or |
| army. | | | | out-group perspectives. |