Interaction and Identity

Question 1

prejudice meaning

Answer 1

any attitude, emotion or behaviour towards a group which directly or indirectly implies some apathy or negativity towards that group

Question 2

what is a social identity perspective

Answer 2

A synthesis of

• social identity theory (Tajfel & Turner, 1979) about relations between groups
• self-categorization theory (Turner et al., 1987) about how people divide into groups

Question 3

intergroup contact theory

Answer 3

Allport (1954)

direct, face-to-face contact with individual out-group members reduces negative out-group attitudes

Question 4

social identity complexity

Answer 4

Brewer and colleagues

• We combine multiple group identities into one self of sense.
• different identities can be dominant depending on the social situation
• Multiple identities (e.g. gender, nationality, race) so there are degree in the extent to which a group is an ingroup or an outgroup.

In short, individuals exposed to more diverse groups = higher social identity complexity = more tolerant

Question 5

Social Identity Development Theory

Answer 5

Two main factors which mediate prejudice:

First, the strength of the child’s identification

Second, the nature of the intergroup relationship (e.g. conflict theory)

Question 6

Realistic conflict theory

Answer 6

intergroup hostility can arise as a result of conflicting goals and competition over limited resources

Question 7

social identity theory says there’s two main motivations behind

Answer 7

(1) self-enhancement (material gain COULD come under this, but it is not explicit)
(2) reducing uncertainty

Question 8

distinction between group and category

Answer 8

• Groups - internal - identified by all members

- Categories - external - can be defined by members not in ingroup

Question 9

critique of individualistic psychology

Answer 9

• small, artificial groups, identification seems to take place “in people’s heads”
• often binary created between two groups, ignoring third or fourth parties
• Motivational factors in behaviour often simplified to ‘esteem’, ‘attraction’, ‘liking’,

Question 10

sociological contributions

Answer 10

1. we are now large societies, bureaucracies have made us massive, complicated groups
2. stereotypes have very real and damaging affects on people
3. consequence and histories form part of our identities (e.g. palestine/israel)

Question 11

Mead (1934)

Answer 11

developed the concept of symbolic interactionism.

Our conceptions of ourselves arise from interactions with other people.

Question 12

roots of social identity theory

Answer 12

Festinger (1954) social comparison theory

Question 13

minimal group paradigm criticism

Answer 13

• small groups, no previous interaction, no consequences, nothing else to go off
• in real-life situations in which the stakes are much higher
• Distinction between personal and social identity too basic (we may want to be kind to outgroups, as part of our own identity)

Question 14

issues with psych research

Answer 14

1. example of ‘us versus them’ binary is wrong

The British were key actors in the carving up of Palestine.

Today, the United States plays a key role in that conflict

Similarly, in the bombing of Kosovo, the United States and its allies were significant actors.

2. (These conflicts are about LAND and NARRATIVES and EMOTION)