L4 - SIT in the 'real world' Flashcards
People generally want to see themselves positively, how do they go about achieving this according to SIT?
Through their individual achievements or their group.
What are the three basic principles of SIT?
- Psychological Processes (comparison and categorization)
- Identity enhancement strategies
- Socio-structural characteristics
What is meant by the SIT principle of ‘identity enhancement strategies’?
Strategies that individuals can use to enhance their positive differentiation and distinctiveness.
(How low status people try to challenge their low status)
What are the three identity enhancement strategies?
Individual / Social mobility
Social Creativity
Social Competition / Change
What is the individual / social mobility enhancement strategy for identity enhancement?
It is an individual process that attempts to improve the status of the individual and does nothing to advance the low-status of their group.
What are the techniques used in the individual / social mobility identity enhancement strategy?
Requires psychological disassociation from the low-status group (norms and values of the group are rejected in favour of the high-status group)
Emphasising how the individual is different from other in-group members (they seek to avoid or deny membership to low status group and seek membership in a high status group)
What is the social mobility identity enhancement strategy?
Where members of low-status groups attempt to adopt the norms and behaviours of the high-status group.
Forced assimilation of Native Americans in the past is the dark side of what type of identity enhancement strategy?
Social Mobility
The internalization of negative stereotypes is a product of what type of identity enhancement strategy?
Social Mobility
What is the social creativity identity enhancement strategy?
Intergroup comparisons that enhance the in-group’s identity but without changing the status of the group.
Low-status groups comparing themselves to other low-status groups (lateral social comparison) or groups with even lower status (downward social comparison) is an example of what type of identity enhancement strategy?
Social Creativity
If a group is using social creativity to boost their status and they are comparing their low-status group to a high-status group, how will they make such comparisons?
They will compare dimensions that favour their own group.
(e.g. we may not be wealthy but at least we are happy)
“We might not have much money, but at least we’re not unemployed/homeless”
What type of identity enhancement strategy is this and what two groups are being compared?
Social Creativity
Two low-status groups
A group attempting to change the meaning of the dimension of comparison is what type of identity enhancement strategy?
(e.g. redefining a negative attribute as a positive “black is beautiful)
Social Creativity
What is the social competition/change identity enhancement strategy?
When group members engage in various forms of conflict to try and change the status quo.
(e.g. political agitation and activism)
The civil rights campaigns in the US in the 1960s is an example of what type of identity enhancement strategy?
Social Competition/Change
What is social mobility belief?
The belief that in the current hierarchy individuals have a chance to move up the hierarchical ladder and improve their individual status.
What does it mean to hold a social change belief?
People don’t believe they can improve their status individually and may adopt group-oriented strategies to change their social status.
When people accept the status quo, what type of identity enhancement strategies are they likely to adopt?
Social creativity strategies and individual enhancement strategies.
What are the three socio-structural characteristics that determine intergroup relations in society?
The low-status groups must believe in the;
Permeability
Stability
Legitimacy
of the societal-structures.
What does the permeability socio-structural characteristic refer to?
The perceived permeability of group boundaries.
If the society perceives group boundaries as permeable what sort of social mobility is seen as possible?
Individual social mobility
People feeling as though their race or sex does not limit them from gaining access to high-status groups is a sign that the socio-structural characteristics of a society are _____
permeable
What does stability refer to as a socio-structural characteristic?
Refers to the perceived stability of group status.
- some group differences are seen as fluid and subject to change e.g. dominance of European cultural hegemony*
- others are seen as stable and enduring over time (physical difference between males and females*
If people view their group membership and status as stable, what strategies of social mobility are they -
1) less likely to adopt
2) more likely to adopt
1) social change (social competition)
2) individual mobility / social creativity
If a person’s group status is perceived to be unstable (open to change) what identity enhancement strategy are they likely to adopt?
Social Competition / Change
What does legitimacy refer to as a socio-structural characteristic of a society?
Refers to the perceived legitimacy of a groups social status
(social status can be seen as legitimate, based on assumptions about defining group characteristics)
What does the legitimacy of someones perceived group status concern?
“the moral convictions that determine the motivation to change”
(e.g. if you don’t believe white men deserve power you’re more likely to challenge it)
The socio-structural characteristic that indicates a perceived opportunity for change are:
Permeability and Stability
In periods of political stability what identity enhancement strategies are people more likely to adopt?
Individual/social mobility and social creativity
In periods of political unrest where lower status groups are challenging the legitimacy and stability of the status quo what sort of identity enhancement strategy is most likely?
Social Competition
SIT researchers believe that individual/social mobility is conceptualised as a ____ ____, not just a strategy.
belief system
(they must believe they can change. e.g. if they believe everyone can succeed if they try hard enough)
The belief that collection social competition/change is possible occurs when social groups are perceived as _____
impermeable
SIT researchers believe that social/individual mobility and social competition/change are opposing ______ _____
belief systems
If the legitimacy of the status quo is questioned, what type of identity enhancement belief will the people believe is possible?
Social Change
What happens if members of high-status groups believe the socio-structural characteristics of a society are legitimate and low-status groups attempt social change?
Discrimination and repression of low-status groups are more likely
(threats to the status quo increase the insecurity of high-status groups)
How does tokenism influence the social situation in a society?
Results in more acceptance of the status quo (i.e. social creativity rather than mobility or social competition)
