Sociological Approaches SAQ

Question 1

what is the social identity theory?

Answer 1

• States that a person has not just one “personal self”, but rather several social selves that correspond to group memberships
• We need to understand who we are and know our value in social contexts
• This is why we categorize ourselves in terms of group memberships
• Our self-esteem can rise and fall with the perception of our social groups
• Not all of our identities are salient at the same time
• E.g if you are a Taylor Swift fan, that part of your identity might be more salient than your other identities when you are at a concert than at other times

Question 2

What helps determine category salience?

Answer 2

Externally Labelled
- Others note whether you are a member of their group or not.

Situational Factors
-Ex. a football team where you are a fan and sitting among fans.

Visual Perception
Uniforms, t-shirts, skin color, gender performance, etc.

Political Factors
Feeling threatened because of one’s personal identity

In-Group Changes
If a member of one’s in-group is praised or condemned; a member of the in-group dies.