Chapter 10 Section 4: Us v. Them: Group Identity

Each of us develops a personal identity that is based on our particular traits & unique life history Social Identity: – The part of a person’s self-concept that is based on identification with a nation, culture, or group or with gender or other roles in society. – Important because they give us a sense of place & position in the world

Ethnic Identity A person’s identification with a racial, religious, or ethnic group. Acculturation: – The process by which members of minority groups come to identify with and feel part of the mainstream culture.

Acculturation Strategies 4 ways of balancing ethnic identity & acculturation depending on whether ethnic identity is strong or weak & whether identity with the larger culture is strong or weak

Bicultural- have strong ties to both their ethnicity & the larger culture Assimilation- have weak feelings of ethnicity but a strong sense of acculturation Ethnic separatists- have a strong sense of ethnic identity but weak feelings of acculturation Marginal- connected to neither their ethnicity or the dominate culture

Many individuals pick & choose among the values, food, traditions, & customs of the mainstream culture, while also keeping aspects of their heritage that are important to their self identity

Ethnocentrism The belief that one’s own ethnic group, nation, or religion is superior to all others Universal because it aids survival by increasing people’s attachment to their own group & willingness to work on its behalf

Rests on a fundamental social identity- US! Us/them social identities are strengthened when two groups compete with each other

Robbers’ Cave Experiment Boys were randomly separated into two groups – “Rattlers” and “Eagles” Competitions fostered hostility between the groups. Experimenters contrived situations requiring cooperation for success. Cross-group friendships increased.

Stereotypes A cognitive schema or a summary impression of a group, in which a person believes that all members of the group share a common trait or traits (positive, negative, or neutral).

Not necessarily bad – Help us quickly process new information & retrieve memories – Allow us to organize, experience, & predict how people will behave

Distort reality in 3 ways – Exaggerate differences between groups – Produce selective perception See only evidence that fits the stereotype – Underestimate differences within groups All members of other groups are the same