Social Identity, Stigma, and Health

Author(s):  
Jolanda Jetten ◽  
S. Alexander Haslam ◽  
Tegan Cruwys ◽  
Nyla R. Branscombe

This chapter argues that an understanding of social identity processes is critical to understand when and how stigma affects health. This chapter presents a social identity analysis of the relationship between stigma and health and starts from the premise that it is particularly difficult for individuals who belong to stigmatized groups to derive a positive identity from their social group memberships. However, when individuals turn to the stigmatized group, identify with it, and draw social support from others within it, their health will be buffered against some of the negative consequences of discrimination because group memberships—and the social identities that are derived from them—act as psychological resources. Perceptions of the broader sociostructural context that affect appraisals of discrimination and coping with stigma play an important role in determining whether the curing properties of group memberships are unlocked, turning the curse of belonging to a stigmatized group into a cure.

2016 ◽  
Vol 45 (6) ◽  
pp. 1302-1322 ◽  
Author(s):  
Irene Tsachouridi ◽  
Irene Nikandrou

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the direct and indirect effect of perceived organizational virtuousness (POV) on organizational spontaneity. The assumed indirect effect is investigated through the social identity perspective. As such, organizational identification, pride and respect are examined as mediators of the POV-spontaneity relationship. Design/methodology/approach To test the hypotheses the authors conducted two studies. First, the authors conducted an experimental study with 136 participants in which the authors investigated the role of organizational identification as mediator of the examined relationship. Second, the authors conducted a field study in which 572 employees working in various organizations participated. In this study, pride and respect were incorporated as first-step mediators explaining serially (indirectly) the relationship between the independent and the dependent variable through organizational identification. Findings The findings of the experimental study indicate that organizational identification mediates the positive relationship between POV and organizational spontaneity. The results of the field study indicate that pride and respect serially mediate the examined relationship through organizational identification. Practical implications The study accumulates further evidence that treating employees with care and respect can bring benefits to organizations. Perceiving organizational virtuousness makes employees identify with their organization and view organizational successes as their own. Thus, they become more willing to benefit the organization. Originality/value This study is unique to the literature by being the first to examine the relationship between POV and organizational spontaneity through social identity processes.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Bentley ◽  
Katharine Helen Greenaway ◽  
S. Alex Haslam ◽  
Tegan Cruwys ◽  
Niklas K Steffens ◽  
...  

Social identities play an important role in many aspects of life, not least in those pertaining to health and well-being. Decades of research shows that these relationships are driven by a range of social identity processes, including identification with groups, social support received from groups, and multiple group memberships. However, to date, researchers have not had access to methods that simultaneously capture these social identity processes. To fill this void, this paper introduces an online Social Identity Mapping (oSIM) tool designed to assess the multidimensional and connected nature of social identities. Four studies (total N = 721) featuring community, student, new parent, and retiree samples, test the reliability and validity of oSIM. Results indicate that the tool is easy to use, engaging, has good internal consistency as well as convergent and discriminant validity, and predicts relevant outcomes across a range of contexts. Furthermore, using meta-analytic findings, the tool is able to index a higher-order social identity construct, here introduced as a supergroup. This new concept provides holistic information about groups (reflecting an integrated index of several social identity processes) that are predictive of well-being outcomes, as well as outcomes related to successful adjustment to challenging life events. We discuss how the tool can be used to tackle key debates in the literature and contribute to theory by affording researchers the opportunity to capture the nuanced and contextual nature of social identity in action.


2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 363 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marija Branković ◽  
Maša Pavlović ◽  
Iris Žeželj ◽  
Marko Vladisavljević ◽  
Olja Jovanović ◽  
...  

As we belong to a host of groups, we have a multitude of social identities that are interdependent. Social identity complexity refers to the degree of overlap between cross-cutting group memberships while social identity inclusiveness to the range of people a person identifies with through shared group membership. In this paper, we explored the relationship between the complexity and inclusiveness of social identity, and feelings toward ethnic/religious in-groups, as well as feelings toward out-group members. The research was conducted in two cities in Serbia: Belgrade and Novi Pazar (N = 178; average age 23), allowing for comparisons between young Serbs and Bosniaks, who belonged to the groups with a recent history of conflict. We found that social identity complexity was unrelated, whilst social identity inclusiveness was systematically and positively related to more positive feelings toward religious and ethnic out-groups. This effect was significant across different ethnic groups (Serbs and Bosniaks) and local contexts (Belgrade and Novi Pazar). Both social identity complexity and inclusiveness were unrelated to emotions toward members of the own group. We related these results with the existing data on the social identity structure and intergroup relations, and discussed the importance of inclusive identities for building tolerant societies.


2021 ◽  
pp. 146954052110160
Author(s):  
Tiziana Brenner Beauchamp Weber ◽  
Eliane C. Francisco Maffezzolli

This research identifies the relationship between consumption practices and the construction of social identity among tweens in a Brazilian context. Using consumer culture theory and social identity theory, we employed 80 h of observation, 9 interviews, and projective techniques with fifteen girls. Three social identity groups were acknowledged: naive, connected, and counselors. These groups revealed different identity projects, such as the integration and maintenance within the social group of current belonging, the access to the social group with the greater distinctions, the generation of differentiable and positive distinctions (both intra- and intergroups), and the expression and consolidation of identity and its respective consumption practices. This research contributes to the consumption literature that relates to consumer identity projects. The findings reveal a current resignification of girlhood and exposes tweens’ consumption practices as a direct mechanism of the expression and construction of their social identities. These are mechanisms of social identity construction as mediated by group relations through the processes of access, maintenance, integration, differentiation, and distinction.


2015 ◽  
Vol 63 (10) ◽  
pp. 1314-1336 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kyle McLean

Identity judgments are central to the theoretical arguments of procedural justice theory. Perceptions of procedural injustice have been argued to compromise an individual’s social identity and contribute to disengagement from group values and norms. Thus, it is important to clarify the relationship between perceptions of procedural justice and specific facets of social identities, such as ethnic identity. This study attempts to evaluate the relationship between these concepts by examining the potential interaction effect between procedural justice and ethnic identity on two measures of offending, self-report and number of arrests, in a longitudinal study of serious juvenile delinquents.


Res Publica ◽  
1994 ◽  
Vol 36 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 343-359
Author(s):  
Marc Jacquemain ◽  
René Doutrelepont ◽  
Michel Vandekeere

At first view, the methodology of survey research may seem rather unsuitable to the study of such "holistic" phenomena as collective and social identities.  That difficulty vanishes - at least partly - as soon as we consider social identity as the link between the individual and his belongings, as does the "social identity theory", developed from the work of Taffel and Turner.  From there on, survey research may prove to be a useful device to cope with some main characteristics of social identity: mainly its variability among groups and classes within a same society and its particular sensitivity to socio-political contexts.  Survey research, combined with the social identity theory may help to test historical assumptions at a macro-social level. It may also give some ''flesh" and some additional realism to the micro-theories of social behaviour, which are too often limited by their conception of a strictly rational and interested agent.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna-Maria Kanzola ◽  
Konstantina Papaioannou ◽  
Panagiotis E. Petrakis

PurposeThis study examines the relationship between rationality and creativity by means of social identity theory for the Greek society (2019–2020).Design/methodology/approachThe outline of the social identity was given through self-categorization via a distributed questionnaire. The types of behavior (rational, nonrational and loss-averse) were determined by using questions based on the Allais paradox. Principal components analysis (PCA) is used to extract the causal relationships.FindingsThe study findings demonstrate that rational individuals are more prompt to creative personality than nonrational individuals. Rational individuals are motivated to pursue creativity through life-improvement goals. Loss-averse individuals are driven through the contradictive incentive of adventure-seeking behavior without, however, being willing to easily give up their established assets.Originality/valueThis article contributes by explaining creativity among rational, nonrational and loss-averse individuals as a product of social identity theory. This contributes to the literature, by proposing that the application of social theories in economics could constitute a different foundation for economics. This refers to the notion of the social microfoundations of the political economy and macroeconomics.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Raheel Yasin ◽  
Sarah I. Obsequio Namoco

Purpose There is scarcity in the literature, both empirically and theoretically, regarding the relationship between transgender discrimination and prostitution. This study aims to offer a new framework for conceptualizing workplace discrimination and prostitution by examining the mediating role of poverty in the relationship between discrimination and prostitution. Design/methodology/approach The conceptual framework of this study is based on the social identity theory and the theory of prostitution. Findings Transgender is a neglected group in society, and more often, they are the ones who are unable to find jobs and when employed, find it challenging to sustain their employment because of their gender identity. This leads them to be discriminated at their workplaces. Subsequently, they are forced to leave their workplace and settle to work as prostitutes for their economic survival. Research limitations/implications Further research should empirically test the design model. Practical implications Managers play an essential role in eliminating discrimination in the organization. Managers need to take measures in crafting gender-free and anti-discrimination policies. They take steps to design recruitment policies in which there is no need to disclose applicant identity. Social implications Discrimination, on the basis of gender identity, promotes a culture of hate, intolerance and economic inequality in society. Prostitution has devastating effects on society. Originality/value In the field of organizational behavior, discrimination as a factor of prostitution was not explored. This study provides a significant contribution to the transgender and discrimination literature along with the prostitution theory and the social identity theory by proposing a model that highlights discrimination as one of the factors that compel the transgender community to be involved in prostitution.


Author(s):  
Linda K. Kaye

This case illustrates the way in which the football management simulation game, Football Manager (Sports Interactive), enhances the processes through which players formulate their social identities, which extend beyond the boundaries of gameplay itself. The case discusses the findings of my interviews with Football Manager players, which provides an in-depth examination of experiences associated with the game, both during gameplay and the way in which it functions within the wider social contexts of their lives. I discuss these findings in relation to social identity theory (Tajfel, 1978, 1979; Tajfel & Turner, 1979), through the way in which the game promotes players' sense of in-group affiliation, as well as promoting positive shared experiences between players. In this way, the current case presents an interesting insight into the social functions of the game and its role within the social narratives and identities of its players. From this, I conclude the utility of Football Manager as a persuasive game for formulating players' social identities, which may lead to further positive social impacts.


2006 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 85-93 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Riketta ◽  
Rolf Van Dick ◽  
Denise M. Rousseau

Abstract. This article discusses the distinction between situated (i. e., temporary and limited) identification and deep-structure (i. e., enduring and multi-faceted) identification with organizations. Research in the social identity tradition suggests that managers can foster employees’ situated identification by emphasizing (a) organizational successes, (b) competition with other firms, (c) employees’ shared features, and (d) personal and organizational distinctiveness. Repeated exposure to these identity reinforcers can turn situated identification into deep-structure identification, especially when employees trust the organization and derive particularistic resources from it (e. g., recognition, information, status). This article concludes with the positive and negative consequences of deep-structure and situated identification for (a) the acceptance of organizational change, (b) reactions to threats to organizational status, and (c) temporary work relationships.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document