COMU2001 Social Strategies, Groups and Language

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• COMU2001 Social Strategies, Groups and Language
• Richard Fitzgerald
• Social Identity
• Identity as Social
• Social Identity (theory)
• Socialisations and internalisation
• Social Identity (action)
• Group Identity (identification)
• Group identity (and Power)
• Negotiating Social Identity (intra group)

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Identity as social Phenomenology (Schutz 1976)
suggests that because of the infinite number of
different objects in the world it is impossible
to know them all individually and so we
generate and impose a system of typifications.
A class of objects has a family resemblance from
which we are able to identity both the class and
the individual.
Moreover that these typifications are not
internal to ones self, but are shared by members
of the same knowledge group (however that is
defined).
The individual object picked out from the class
of objects is thus accentuated as different from,
but similar too the range of similar objects.
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Identity as social cont Our world is made up
of millions/billions of people we cannot know
all of them and will never meet most of them.
However through the application of typification
we know the sorts of people there are in the
world. Growing up in one area of the world we
learn to know the sorts of people we will meet
who we go to for certain things and how we deal
with them.
Often, and for the most part we deal with people
as social categories or social identities. That
is they are typified types of people and have
typified ways of interacting. Along with the
typification of people there is attributes or
predicates associated with typified categories.
That is actions, behavior, opinions, attitudes
attributed to or predicated to that type of
person.
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That of course is one side of the coin We do
not live in a vacuum where knowledge of the world
is static and rigid. Rather we grow up in a small
part of the world and as part of a culture
through which our socialization informs us about
the world It gives an initial world view an
initial schemata by which to encounter the world.
This may stand or fall through further
experience. Thus we are a product of our
upbringing and that culture informs our
worldview.
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Social Identity (Theory) (Gergen, 1971 Hogg
and Abrams, 1988 Tajfel and Turner, 1979
Vaughan and Hogg, 2002) Social identity theory
is a social psychological perspective on the
social basis of the self-concept and on the
nature of the normative behavior.
Social identity theory is basically a
sociocognitive theory that accounts for the range
of group behaviors (e.g., conformity,
stereotyping, discrimination, ethnocentrism) in
terms of a limited number of theoretically
integrated generative principles.
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Behavior is influenced by the categorical
structure of society via the mediation of social
identity and the accompanying process of
self-categorization (process that depersonalizes
perception, feelings, and actions in terms of the
contextually relevant self-defining in-group
prototype).
SIT discusses the way identities are internalized
and used to define self through social
identification and self-categorization. Its
strength is in its elaboration of sociocognitive
processes and its emphasis on intergroup
relations.
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Types of Identities
Personal - Personal self descriptions which
denote specific individual Attributes Idiosyncrat
ic emerging from and tied to close interpersonal
relationships Attributes unique to self
Social - self descriptions derived from group
membership in social categories Nationality,
gender, ethnicity, sexuality, occupation, left
handedness, hair colour. Set of attributes shared
with others ie, they are abstracted from the
individual to the group Defining the group
creates in and out groups. I ME (as)
Society G.H. Mead (Mind, Self and Society)
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• Of Interest in theorizing Social Identity
• The relationship between members of social groups
  and relations to the self-concept of that
  membership.
• I am One, I belong to the Group of Ones. As One
  I think.

2. The categorization process and the
accentuation of that membership for self esteem.
They are great, I am great, we are greater.
Being One is better than being Two because One
rhymes with Bun whilst Two rhymes with i.e.,
people strive for membership in positive groups,
and attempt (find ways to, or justify) to
protect or enhance status of the existing group.
A positive sense of self
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This categorization Process places the self as
comparison to others (other groups) classifying
others according to how like or unlike others
(groups) are to them.
In the process creating an In group/Out group.
This gives emphasis to the perceived positive
traits of the in group and by this constructs a
negative comparison for the out group.
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Socialisation and Internalisation Through
comparison much of which is established
before we are born
we learn from our surroundings and accept or
internalise what are considered to be positive
and negative attributes and then grade on a
continuum other classes of people
this creates a comforting sense of identity and
belonging and creates an outside group by which
to create group solidarity for the in group(s),
the one(s) we belong to. (At School) With
friends fashion police/ against parents We
develop a Subjective Frame of Reference Comparing
others from a position of oneself. I would not
like to be her.
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Social Comparison. Testing this through
collaboration. What do we believe?,
Consensus We believe it so it must be true.
We (the ingroup) think that you (the out group)
are. We (the ingroup) ascribe universal
traits to collections of others As different, as
Otherness. men are women are.,
Queenslanders are. Victorians are. Students
are Brunettes are
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Social Identity (in action) Active in-grouping
and out-grouping People strive to hold and
maintain the consensus beliefs of the group.
Demonstrating consensus. To not subscribe is
mark yourself out as outside or to de-select
yourself from the group.

• A. Gosh did you see those shoes, they are soooo
  Blond
• B. I have some just like that
• yeh but yours are different
• USA/God/ Australia loves Australia, Behavior
  which is Un-American/ Un-Australian
• To act in this way both active and passive
  invites the possibility of non membership or
  exclusion. If you are not with us you are
  against us.

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Example Hotrodders. (Sacks H. Lectures on
Conversation Vol. 1 1995) Belonging to the in
group through word choice. Joe. I still say
though that if you take, if you take uh a big
fancy car out on the road and youre hotroddin
around youre youre bound to get, youre bound
to get caught and youre bound to get
shafted Mel Now did you do it right. Thats the
challenge Thats the challenge you
wanna try Henry Thats the problem with
society. Hahhh Mel And do it right so you do
not get caught Henry Thats the Joe In that
Bonneville of mine? I could take it out with me
and if I got a tie and sweater on and I look
clean? 99 of the time a guy could pull up to me
in the same car and the same colour, the same
year, the whole bit, roll up his pipes and hes
in a dirty grubby tee shirt and the guy will pick
the guy up in the dirty grubby tee shirt before
I before hell pick me up Mel Not many people
get picked up in a Pontiac station wagon Terms
of reference can indicate group
identity/belonging. Talking the Talk. Big Fancy
Car Bonneville Pontiac Station Wagon
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Group identity and Power Someone in a strong
position within the group may be in position to
decide what are the positive and negative and
acceptable features or appropriate behavior.
Henry Joe, face it. Youre a pool little rich
kid Joe Yes mommy Henry Face the music Mel
ok now youve got that out of your system. Now
youre a poor little rich kid
weve told you that. Henry And we also decided
youre a chicken shit Joe I decided that years
ago. Hell with you Mel Now lets see what else
can we decide about you? Henry Hey dont tear
him down Mel Ok WE Collection. In
group/out group Resistance through
self-categorization I decided that (see also
below) Power Hey
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Aspects of belonging Group Predicates Social
Categories have predicates and some have beliefs/
actions which act to define the membership of the
category or are strongly part of it These
carry ways of behaving and ways of thinking, of
morality, ethical behavior, Being a racist
includes having a sense of/belief in the
inferiority of others based on skin colour or
origin. However, there may be competing ideals
from different social identities.
Religious/Soldier Etiquette, behavior for
tutorial/at home. Socialist anti-war politics
and evil dictators
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Multiple Categories and Salience Although we may
belong to some social categories for life
(male/female) a social category is not
necessarily salient at any one time in our lives
or indeed throughout the day Social
Categories become salient within particular
contexts as we move about in the world and we
adjust our behavior, language, even attitudes
according to the particular context we are in and
the salient categories of/for others.
In so doing we project that category membership
for others. For others to recognize and act
towards accordingly. It is important then for
ourselves that we must be seen as, be able to
pass as, the social category we are projecting
it is not just that we learn the rules, the ways
the behavior but that we act in a manner where
others will accept and treat us as the category
we are being. For us to be treated as, or
accepted as, or seen as .
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Negotiating Social Identity (and me!) Salient
identities are negotiable they may be proposed,
adjusted and modified for a particular occasion
and may or may not be accepted by others.
Joe In that Bonneville of mine? I could take
it out with me and if I got a tie and sweater on
and I look clean? 99 of the time a guy could
pull up to me in the same car and the same
colour, the same year, the whole bit, roll up
his pipes and hes in a dirty grubby tee shirt
and the guy will pick the guy up in the dirty
grubby tee shirt before I before hell pick me
up Mel Not many people get picked up in a
Pontiac station wagon
It is important for ourselves that we must be
treated as the social category we are projecting
it is not just that we learn the rules, the
ways the behavior, but that we act in a manner
where others will hopefully accept and treat us
as the category we are being.
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See me as part of the Group! NRFE1594(8)
01N there's a doctor on the line..I don't know
if it's a 02 medical doctor..Doctor Elizabeth
Duncan from Peebles..are 03 you a medical doctor
04E yes 05N are you you..er I take it your
not a specialist in Aids.. 06 by any chance
are you 07E no no I'm not a specialist
in Aids 08 but I've been researching sexually
transmitted diseases 09 which..is a very much
wider aspect then just Aids..which 10 is a
specific S T D
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Some have to work a bit harder 26A
I think the general oppinion is that
27 things have got worse because there's no
central direction from 28 the government and
policies change ur I was reminded a little 29
bit to what I heard about prison governors
having a lot of 30 paperwork to do this seen
to be a general problem with school 31
teachers and uh doctors we're very money
oriented and um the 32 administrative load on
a prison governor is such that he cannot 33
maintain the intimate contact he needs with his
prison staff 34N yh you speak as though
you've some authority on this have 35 you
served in the prison service 36A
well no but I taught ten years 37
at Hendon police cadet school and I found it a
very interesting 38 institution I didn't just
go and teach I tried to find out 39 more
about the institution I was working with 40N
yeh 41A so I do know a a bit about it what
I think we would have to say 42 would be this
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I dont want to be part of the group.
NRJA1296(4) 35N is it driven by
hypocritical men or is it driven by 36
emancipated women or both 37J well I think
that's a very difficult one because uh ur 38
.hhh I-I think perhaps before the introduction
of the 39 pill it was certainly driven by by
promiscuous men 40 (.) hh. I hh. I no I feel
perhaps I'm rather old 41 fashioned hhh. .hhh
um but I think that was the 42 the the view
th that men actually wanted t-to to 43 marry
virgins and I think th ur uh if this changed 44
now you know I think perhaps I'm not qualified
t- 45 to speak but I think that that-that
actually 46 drives the debate a great deal
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I dont belong to your group and you dont
belong to the group you say you do 18R and I'm
the leader of the conservative group 19N why
does..why does homosexuality appal you soso much
20R well think of it()use one's imagination
you know you 21 perhaps unwittingly go into a
pub or bar and you find out 22 err to your
err that that it is habited by these people 23
and theyre appalling to watch...I'm I'm not a
great..you 24 know I'm I'm not a member of
the Roman Catholic erh 25 following but I I
do admire the Pope's description of 26
homosexuality in that it is an abomination its
absolutely 27 dreadful()it corrupts
the young there's no doubt about 28 it when I
was a young man you didn't see these hoards of
29 people like you see today()its really
quite dreadful 30 and when you start
talking 31N but I'm I'm not quite sure what
what you see when you 32 go into these pubs
or clubs what it is you see that 33 appals
you 34R their general act it wayyou see
35N
showing affection for one 36 another
37R uhhr yes the way they carry on I mean
38N but
what whatdo they 39 carry on Ray...whats
whats so upsetting 40R
well I don't mix with them, I mean I 41
would actually steer clear of them and this is
perhaps 42 one of the main reasons why I feel
like I do that..you 43 know..you never used
to see this sort of thing when I was 44 a
young man
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Power Who decides who belongs The power to
self define or be defined is often limited by
others - Academic/Lecturer Student of the
University of Life/Student of the University of
Queensland Status groups, professional bodies
define social identity. As do our peers and
colleagues, and ourselves (gradations within
categories) E.g., Modern feminism has emerged
from one group of people attempting to talk for
all members of the group. Through a process of
differentiation this One group has emerged as a
multiple of groups where One voice does not speak
for all.

• Women are One.
• Middle Class/ Working Class
• Race/ethnicity
• Sexuality
• Religion
• Geography
• Region
• Age
• Ideology Liberal, Marxist, Socialist, Post
  Modernist.
• 10. Post Colonial

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RESISTANCE Subjective belief structures an
exercise in resistance. Strategies to escape
the tyranny of others after finding yourself on
the wrong side. Ideology, indicates the way
powerful groups are able to define and promulgate
their version of reality Imposing their
values, beliefs and definitions. Imposing a
dominant value system which differentiates
between classes of people according to the
dominate groups values
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Example if the group of girls in school were
able to impose their beliefs on all others in the
school and decide that blond hair was socially
superior to brunette and that material rewards
would go to those who were blond. See Rachael
Welch in One Million Years BC To be born
brunette then potentially confers negative social
identity and hence lower self esteem and access
to rewards. I.e, advertising, jobs, good
looking boys for procreation, Hair care products
etc
Rather than cowering and internalizing the
negatives and accepting the definition and hence
treatment (the rich man in his castle the poor
man at his gate) groups can employ subjective
belief structures oriented to either social
mobility or social change .
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• Social mobility. Through hard work they believe
  that they can rise up to the level of the blonds.
  Become one of them. (dyeing their hair and
  learning to talk Blond)
• Society Offered as a meritocracy.
• Anyone can succeed, few do and the odds are
  stacked against certain groups.
• These are usually individualistic strategies and
  leave the dominant status quo intact.
• (the American Dream)

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The American Dream How to get it. Adaptation
and Response Goal Means Type Yes Working
Hard Conformity (1) Yes Gangster Innovation
(2) No Going through Motions Ritualism
(3) No Drop out Retreatism (4) No Politica
l action Rebellion (5)
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Social Identity and groups Social Change
Cannot move up in society once brunette always
brunette. Rather aimed at improving the groups
status Being brunette is good (who wants to be
blond anyway)
1. Social Creativity - Rendering the groups
attributes or identity more positive raising
the positive profile all the good things about
Wales Working in Darwin is fun. Brunette is a
fab colour
2. Social Competition Redefinition of negative
values Brunettes are Sultry, Baldness
virility
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3. Rejection acceptance by default where the
subordinate group reject the dominant values
celebrating their own but by which they accept
their position. Blonds have more fun but
Brunettes work hard (not having fun) and so
training for and getting better professional
jobs, husbands, stylish clothes.
4. Hierarchy Oh Well it is not as bad as I
could be.. Better than some other groups -
Further down the food chain working class
racism, sexism We may be blonde but at least
we are not Bald.