What is identity? A social psychological perspective Rupert Brown University of Sussex

What is identity? A social psychological perspective What is it? How is it assessed? How has it been used?

What is it? Social identity is “that part of an individual’s 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). Awareness, Strength (Commitment), Meaning

How is it assessed? Awareness Strength (Commitment) Content Who am I? (Kuhn & McPartland, 1954) Self classification (Bennett et al., 1998) Strength (Commitment) Being X is an important reflection of who I am (Luhtanen & Crocker, 1992) I feel good about my group (Ellemers et al., 1999) I am glad to belong to the X group (Brown et al., 1986) Content Identity functions (Deaux et al., 1999) Ideological aspects (Reicher & Hopkins, 2001)

How has it been used? As a meta-concept Demarcating the social field (vs. personal identity) As an explanatory or mediating variable Responses to threatened identity (e.g. Branscombe et al., 1999) Predicting involvement in collective action (Simon et al., 1998) As a moderator variable Perceptions of deprivation (Tropp & Wright, 1999) Effects of intergroup contact (Brown & Hewstone, in press)

Some useful sources Ashmore, R.D., Deaux, K., & McLaughlin-Volpe, T. (2004) An organizing framework for collective identity: articulation and significance of multi-dimensionality. Psychological Bulletin, 130, 80-114 Brown, R. (2000) Social Identity Theory: past achievements, current problems and future challenges. European Journal of Social Psychology, 30, 745-778. Ellemers,N., Spears, R. & Doosje, B. (2002) Self and social identity. Annual Review of Psychology, 53, 161-186 Simon, B. (2004) Identity in modern society. Oxford: Blackwell Tajfel, H. & Turner, J.C. (1986) The social identity theory of intergroup behaviour. In, S. Worchel & W.G. Austin (Eds) Psychology of Intergroup Relations. Chicago: Nelson-Hall