Social Identity Theory
Social identity theory addresses the relation between cognitive processes and social identity outlining the impact of social identity on intra- and intergroup interactions. Henry Tajfel introduced this theory and argued that group membership whether fully or partially, determines an individual’s self-concept. The theory proposes that a person’s identity develops in the context of interacting with groups with similar ideologies and characteristics and consequently have a strong social bond between them. Social identity theory is based on three essential cognitive components namely, social comparison, identification and categorization. Every person seeks to have a positive social identity and thus they maintain their group’s ideal social standing over that of other groups. social categories arise when people have similar characteristics although they may not interact. The establishment of group identities results in out-group and in-group categorizations and people have a positive perception of their group.
The interviewer is a 31-year-old middle-class Caucasian lady. and has a Christian background though non-denominational. physically, she has blue eyes and brown hair. Additionally, she does not have any disability, has a straight sexual orientation. The interviewer often contemplates o other social identities mainly religion and gender while she rarely thinks about disabilities and social class. She is often comfortable interacting with people on matters like age, race and sexual orientation but had has little interests discussing disability and religious matters. Based on this information, learning more about living with disabilities and different social classes would enhance her cultural competence.
The interviewee is a 38-year-old middle class African American male with Baptist/Full Gospel background. The individual can socially connect with people from diverse cultural background and socially interact with individuals from varying ethnicities. Notably, he has a heterosexual sexual orientation and physically he has a stocky and athletic physique. This information outlines a profile of a normal person. Presently, the interviewee does not contemplate on other social identities. Instead, he focuses on himself regarding his social life. Also, he feels comfortable interacting with everyone he comes across regardless of their cultural background. The objective is being social and learning about diverse cultures. Lastly, he shows no disdain towards any group of people and instead he maintains a positive attitude with each person he meets. The interviewee has a lot to learn regarding other cultures he encounters each day. The biggest challenge is overcoming his judgmental attitude towards people with different cultural practices. These faults hinder him from being culturally competent.
While in-group favoritism can have discriminatory and negative outcomes, studies indicate that out-group discrimination and in-group favoritism are independent phenomena. Thus, one is not dependent on the other. Social categorization entails organizing people into social groups to comprehend the social interaction. As a result, one defines individuals including themselves based on the social group they belong. People often define others based on social classifications instead of personal characteristics. In essence, social categorization produces an emphasis on similar characteristics between people within same social groups and the differences between out-groups. as such, a person can belong to several categories but have little or interest in other classes depending on social context. For instance, the interview in this study is a Christian with a straight sexual orientation but has little interest interacting on matters like religion and disabilities. As such, religious or disability issues only become relevant to her when their social context is right.
Secondly, social identification emphasis on group identity instead of individual identification. That leads to people behaving in ways that reflect the characteristics of their social group. For instance, the interviewee is a Baptist Christian but shows no disdain to people from other social groups. instead, he works to uplift everyone around him regardless of their cultural or ethnic background. Such actions make individuals become emotionally attached to their groups and consequently, the group status impacts their self-esteem. Lastly, social comparison involves people comparing the social standing and prestige of their social groups with others. One has to believe and perceive their group as having better social standing than others to maintain self-esteem. For instance, the Caucasian lady feels disinterested in interacting with people from other social groups such as those with different sexual orientation or religious beliefs because she perceives her group status as ideal for her. Notably, intergroup comparisons only happen in specific contexts and particular groups alone.
Due to the increasing social diversity, one should tailor their practice to their region’s demographics to provide effective treatment. As for the interviewee and the Caucasian lady, they can adopt the following measures to enhance their cultural competence. The first step is recognizing the extent of that cultural value beyond skin color and encompasses factors like age, socioeconomic status, religion, sexual orientation, gender, and occupation. Secondly, one should always consider the other person’s cultural background during interviews. Other measures include determining one cultural effectiveness, making their interviewees feel comfortable, conducting culturally sensitive assessments, and understanding personal cultural identity. For instance, if one culture values individuality and independence, then one can may underestimate the essence of group interaction for people who treasure interdependence. In reality, acquiring cultural competence is a continuous process characterized by increased self-awareness, new social skills and responses towards diversity and capability to interact with other people. Cultural competence stretches beyond tolerance which entails overlooking cultural differences and instead recognizes and respect diversity through actions and words in every context. Overall, although societies are more globalized and culturally diverse, concerns regarding bias, inequality and misunderstanding in cultural interactions persist.