SOCIOL 41 Lecture Notes - Lecture 65: Identity Component, Henri Tajfel, Personal Identity
Document Summary
Refers to overt acts that treat members of certain out-groups in an unfair or disadvantageous manner. Ethnocentric attitudes will often produce discriminatory responses toward the out- group. The mere categorization of persons as belonging to an out-group can lead to discriminatory responses by in-group members. This theory assumes that individuals want to hold a positive self-concept. Personal identity - uniquely personal aspects of ourselves. Social identity - self-definitions based on our social categories and social group memberships. The social identity component depends on the groups or social categories to which one belongs. The evaluation of one"s own group is determined in part by a comparison with other groups. Positive social identity depends on whether the comparisons made between one"s in-group and some relevant out-groups are favorable or not. Personal and social identities cannot be salient at the same time. We see ourselves and others in terms of group/category stereotypes, accentuate the differences, and behave accordingly.
