What is social identity and how is it constructed?

People during their long lives, feel the need forsocial interaction, a situation that leads them to have preferences regarding their participation ingroup relationships. This interaction is explained through a theory called social identity theory.

Here we present the following article, where we explain what it is and how to build it.

What is social identity?

This theory describes the conditions under which social identitybecomes more important than an individual’s identity. It was formulated by representatives of social psychology, Henri Tajfel and John Turnerin the 1970s.

In principle, Henri Tajfel defined it as “that part of the individual’s self-concept that derives from the knowledge of belonging to social groups, together with the significant value given to that belonging”. (1)

The theory specifies the ways in whichsocial identity can influence intergroup behavior. It would be then, the self-conceptof the individual that derives from the knowledge of hisbelonging to a social groupand is the result of cognitive, evaluative and emotional processes.

Note: Social identity is defined when people recognize their place in society.

Elements that make up social identity

According to the peer-reviewed socialpsychology literature, social identityis structured by four elementsthat distinguish it from other types of identities. We mention them below:

Categorization

Individuals have atendency to categorize or label objects tounderstand them. Likewise, the human being categorizes or labels people, in order to capture the reality of the social environment.

These labels can, for example, be related to religion, ethnicity, sports team, among others. This can help the individual find the category they want to belong to.

Note: The Categorization mechanism is a mental process that is introspective , which intensifies the differences with other groups and also accentuates the similarity between stimuli that we perceive as belonging to our social group.

Comparison

In the internal relations of social groups , we treat the members of our group in a similar way and in a contrary way, to the members of a different group, we treat them in a different way.

This is the social comparison idea of Social Identity Theory , which argues that in order to self-evaluate, we must compare ourselves to other individuals similar to ourselves.

In this comparison with others, to assess similarities and differences, our positive self-esteem is satisfied by extolling the most positive dimensions that favor our social group with other outgroups. A feeling of being understood and respected by the ingroup is achieved. is achieved.

Note: In a study it is stated “that people, by belonging to certain categories or social groups, in the social dynamics of establishing intergroup comparisons, will try to obtain a positive assessment of themselves and of their group membership”. (two)

This social identification comes from categorization and comparison, and will influence our behavior. The individual tends to relate to certain social groups with which he feels identified and thus be able to reaffirm his self-esteem.

But when that identification with that social category arises, a process of depersonalization arises , which does not mean the loss of identity , but a level change from personal to social identity.

Note: The human being identifies with the positive achievements of the social group to which he belongs and it is reflected in his state of mind.

psychosocial distinction

Individuals have the aspiration that their own identity is different from that of othersand also evaluated positively, when compared to that of other groups of people. This is the need that individuals have to differentiate their identity from others.

Functions of social identity

Social identity has several purposes , all with the tendency to improve and even enhance the individual capacities of peopletag. Here we mention the most relevant contributions:

Boost self-esteem

Thanks to the identification of the individual with social groups with which he maintains an affinity, he helps to strengthen the image he has of himself, by surrounding himself with people who have the same thoughts, aspirations and perhaps even similar goals.

This is common in those associations of a civil or political nature, where each individual is useful and important to the extent of their participation.

The theory of social identity suggests that individuals tend to maximize their self-perception , through their identification with those social groups to which they belong, trying to always be valued positively , compared to other social groups.

Note: A study on the “Relationship between personal self-esteem, collective self-esteem and participation in the community”, makes an analysis between participation, individual and collective self-esteem. (3)

Enhance the sense of belonging

The identification of the individual with social groups , causes him to develop a sense of belonging for the activities that he carries out individually as a personal goal and those that he develops at the collective level.

Note: The sense of belonging shows the link that exists between the individual and the social group, and in turn with the activities they carry out.

In a study on “Conceptual evolution of social identity. The return of emotional processes” , he refers to the distinction that exists between the emotions that are attributed to the ingroup, are different from those attributed to the outgroup. (4)

Strengthen the distinctive character

is independent of the

It also depends on the context , within which possible social identities are defined at a particular moment, which can start from a simple social gathering.

In this sense, the distinctive character in social identity identifies and groups people with similar qualities and behaviors.

Expand understanding of the world

The process of social identity in the individual is not usually confined to a single social group, but allows him to participate in various social groups, to the extent that he needs to satisfy his needs or goals.

Note: This integration to different social groups allows you to have a broader perspective of the world, how it works and how it is structured.

Develop adaptive capacity

Thedevelopment of the process of social identity requires aprocess of adaptationthat allows the human being to beflexible with the environmentand thus be able to flow between situations, to be able to function in the group or social groups of which he feels affinity.

Therefore, the processes of categorization, comparison and identification serve to develop the adaptation capacity in the person .

How is social identity constructed?

The construction of the social identity for the individual, mainly comes from the expectations that the person has with respect to the social groups to which he wishes or intends to belong.

Faced with this case, there is a process of introspection that allows the individual to carry out a self-analysis based on their aspirations:

Individual recognition

Social identity begins to be built from the very recognition of the place that the individual occupies in society.

Only in this way will you recognize which groups you can or cannot participate in based on your personal satisfaction and the general expectations of the social group or groups.

Understanding the social environment

Thanks to this, we can understand the world that surrounds us from different perspectives , but beyond that, it is Understanding that social environmentin which the person wants to be a part, it is crucial to achieve an effective form of integration. At this point the ability to adapt is worked on.

Adoption of group values and norms

In the search for social adaptation , the individual adopts the values, cultural and social beliefs of the social group to which he has affinity.

In this sense, the affiliation to social groupsdrives us to adopt the ethical values and prevailing norms,significantly influencing our behavior and the perception of the image of ourselves.

Note: The individual in front of his needs, can develop different social identities based on the identification towards the different groups with which he wishes to interact.

Key Findings

• Social identity raises the power that groups have and how it changes a person’s individual identity.
• It determines the behavior of a person.
• A person’s social identity can develop towards various affinity groups.
• It reinforces the person’s self-concept and increases the sense of belonging.
• It is built based on individual recognition that allows understanding of the environment.