Social identity is a concept that every psychologist faces. This term is found in many scientific works. In this article we will try to understand what social identity is, what are its types and characteristics. You will also learn how it affects a person's personality.
Identification and self-identification
The concepts of identity and identification are especially important to distinguish when studying intergroup relations. They are close in meaning, but differ significantly as scientific terms. Identification in a general sense is likening something to something. In the humanities and social sciences, in particular in psychology, there are different types of identification. For example, it is often defined as establishing the identity of an unknown material object with an already known object based on the coincidence of certain significant features. There is also such a thing as personal identification, or self-identification. This is the prevailing attitude of the individual towards himself.
Sigmund Freud, the founder of psychoanalysis, first introduced the concept of identification. However, it is in social psychology that it is most widely used. Freud originally viewed identification as an unconscious process of imitation. He believed that this is one of the ways of psychological protection of the individual. In social psychology, it is believed that identification is an important condition for socialization, the assimilation by a person (primarily for children) of patterns and patterns of behavior in society. As a result of socialization, the individual accepts his social roles. He is aware that he belongs to a certain group (age, professional, religious, political, racial, ethnic) whose norms must be followed.
The concept of identity
Identification in modern terminology is a phenomenon that we observe as if from the outside. We can state in this case the presence of a certain process, determine its result. There is also such a thing as identity. It refers to the state of the inner world of the individual. This is a subjective attribution of oneself to a certain social group (class, type, species). So, identity in its most general form is the identification of a person with others.
Henry Tajfel's Personality System
Henry Tajfel, English psychologist, is the creator of the theory of social identity. He made a significant contribution to the study of the psychology of relations between groups. In accordance withtheory of Henry Tejfel, it is possible to present the "I-concept" of the individual in the form of a system that regulates all kinds of social behavior. This system includes two subsystems. The first of these is personal identity. It is responsible for how a person determines himself, is a combination of individual intellectual, physical, moral and other characteristics of a person. The second subsystem is group identity. It is responsible for assigning an individual to professional, ethnic and other groups. The transition from personal to group identity taking place in human consciousness corresponds to the transition from various forms of interpersonal social relations to intergroup relations, and vice versa.
Tejfel's works are widely spread among scientists. In addition, in social psychology, they gave rise to a discussion about the relationship between personal and social identity. This discussion continues to this day.
Personal and social identity
Self-identification is a concept that in the traditional sense is a set of individual characteristics that distinguish a particular person from other people. As for social identity, it is often considered as the result of an individual's awareness of his belonging to one or another social group. In the process of this awareness, a person acquires the characteristics characteristic of these groups. It should be noted that, both at the empirical and practical levels, sometimesit can be difficult to distinguish between concepts such as personal and social identity. Researchers are often forced to think about what they are dealing with.
Types of Social Identity
The term "identity" in modern humanities and social sciences is used very widely. It should be understood that this is not a property that is inherent in the individual. Identity is the relation of a person to himself in the world, which is formed and develops over time in the conditions of interaction with people. A number of psychologists believe that it is inherent only in individual subjects. They believe that identity can only be attributed to groups in a metaphorical sense.
Scientists talk about ethnic, professional, political, regional, age, gender identity, etc. Types can change, because the meaning of each of them is different in the personality structure. It depends on temporal and situational factors, such as a person's place of residence, occupation, age, education, worldview, etc.
Ethnic identity
It can be activated or extinguished as a result of a change in a person's attitude towards the national community to which he belongs. Most often, ethnic identity is not formed as a result of other people "attributing" a certain national attribute (although this also happens). It usually appears in the process of awareness, individual self-determination. For example, if a person's surname has clear ethnic characteristics, this does not yet mean his identity. Thisis not enough for the self-determination of an individual as a representative of a certain nationality, although this also occurs in a society characterized by obvious ethnic contradictions.
Gender identity
It is created in early childhood in the course of human biological development. Apparently, it can be determined not only by biological factors, but also by social ones. For example, non-traditional sexual orientation (sexual identity) is a very difficult phenomenon to understand, since in society today there is an active struggle to determine the norms and conditions of gender identity. This problem cannot be solved within the framework of social psychology. It requires a systematic analysis involving the opinions of a large number of specialists - culturologists, biologists, psychiatrists, lawyers, etc. The individual and the group are currently forced to compromise, since a person's non-traditional social identity causes discomfort to many members of society.
Identity and personal development
Personality is largely formed under the influence of society. Studies show that age, ethnic, gender identity are the central components of a common social identity. Problems of the age, ethnic or gender component can greatly interfere with the existence and normal development of the individual. For example, they can destroy physical and mental he alth, with all the ensuing consequences.
Professional identity
One morethe most important task facing the individual at a certain stage is the formation of a professional identity. Often scientists talk about professional self-determination. This process does not end in adolescence after choosing a profession or getting an education. A person is very often forced to self-determine in his activities throughout his life. It depends not only on the individual himself, but also on external circumstances. An example is economic crises. As a result of these crises, some professions turn out to be unnecessary, while others become more in demand. A person is forced to adapt to the changing labor market.
Social groups as subjects and objects of social identification
Social identity is a concept that in modern social psychology is central to understanding the specifics of intergroup relations. After all, this is the key moment that unites the individual and the group to which he belongs. It should be noted that the social groups of society are an extremely heterogeneous phenomenon. Therefore, it is important to define what we mean by this term.
These associations of individuals are distinguished by a variety of characteristics and parameters, despite the fact that there are common signs of a social group. Therefore, it would be logical to assume that the process of social identification in its specificity is determined by the properties of the groups to which the person belongs.
The characteristics of a social group are as follows:
- a certain wayinteraction of its members, which is due to a common cause or interests;
- awareness of membership in this group, a sense of belonging to it, manifested in the protection of its interests;
- awareness of the unity of the representatives of this association or the perception of all its members as a single whole, and not only by them, but also by the people around them.
Group status and social identity
Scientists note that those who belong to high-status social groups usually think less about group membership than those who belong to low-status ones. The fact is that membership in such elite associations of individuals is a kind of standard. Other social groups compare their identity with this benchmark.
Membership in stigmatized, discriminated, low-status groups leads to a negative social identity. Individuals in this case often resort to special strategies. With the help of various means, they achieve a positive social identity of the individual. They either want to leave this group and enter a more highly valued one, or make their group more positively perceived.
As you can see, the formation of social identity is a complex and multifaceted process. It certainly needs further study.
