Moving onto Tajfel's social identity theory, Tajfel divided identity into two separate sub-systems, Personal Identity (relationships) and Social Identity (Black, Woman, English). The main notion of the social identity theory is that 'Social identity is largely composed of self descriptions which derive from the characteristics that we believe define the social groups to which we belong'. (Phoenix. A, pg.62). This quote signifies that one individual represents a whole group and not just a single person. 'It is the actual feeling of belonging to a particular group that is important in social identity theory, and not the membership of it as seen by outsiders'. (Turner, 1987, cited in Phoenix, A, pg. 63)
Tajfel and his colleagues carried out a series of laboratory experiments using minimal groups these were made up of schoolboys between the ages of fourteen and fifteen. The purpose of this was to observe how groups behaved towards each other when differences between them were introduced. It was found that intergroup discrimination occurred even though the differences between them were small and petty. Each group wanted to be superior to the other. Tajfel's theory focuses on identity on a group level, in other words a 'them' and 'us' mentality.
Now to take a look at how these two theories compare when applying them to the issue of bullying in schools. Psychosocial identity theory suggests that during adolescence we form the most important part of our identities and we may over identify with groups, this can lead to bullying others that are not a part of our group, the fact that they differ from ourselves can threaten our personal identity. Social identity theory says that when we feel we belong to a particular group we will be more readily willing to discriminate against members of other groups, even if the differences between them are minimal.
Finally a comparison of how the two theories can explain racism in adults. Psychosocial identity theory struggles to explain the reason behind racism in adults as it focuses more on the 'self identity' as opposed to a 'collective group identity' and it suggests that only in 'adolescence' would we feel threatened by people different to ourselves. Therefore this theory cannot really be applied to racism in adults.
On the other hand Social identity theory explains this issue in a much more concise way, as it explains that people with the feeling of belonging to a group or groups, want their groups to appear superior to others, in this case racial minorities or in some cases majorities.
In conclusion, in relation to the real world issues given, both of the theories can adequately explain bullying in teens and schools, but the social identity theory offers a more comprehensive explanation for adult racism. It would appear that SIT has a more effective way of addressing racism and other real world issues on a larger scale than PIT. This is because SIT focuses on group identities and not individual identities.
Word count: 946
Question two: Ethics.
The problems that I encountered with the proposed study concerning informed consent were that there were no negotiations between the researchers and the participant of what the study would involve to ensure that there was a full understanding by the participant. The participants were informed after signing the consent form and attending for the interview that they would be video recorded which could be perceived by the participants as deceptive and this could be a factor that would make them want to withdraw from the study, due to not wanting their identity to be disclosed. Researchers made no effort to establish whether or not there were any factors that could lead to a risk of harm including risks to the participants personal circumstances, i.e. were the participants of sound mind to give valid consent. There is no mention of how data collected will be used and who will see it.
Word count: 150
Three other ethical problems raised by the proposed study are:
The participants are promised confidentiality with regards to the information they provided throughout their interview. But it is likely that other people such as other researchers will have access to the information provided, therefore confidentiality cannot be promised. This is a misleading statement. Anonymity would perhaps be a better option.
At no point was there any indication that the participants could withdraw from the study at any time and without being subject to any consequences for doing so. This should have been discussed between the researchers and participants at the very start. It should also have been made known to the participants that they were not obliged to answer the questions put forward. Participants have the right to dictate what questions are off limit and they should feel free to stop at any time.
There was no mention of a debriefing for the participant at the end of their participation, These are used in order to discuss the outcomes of the research and answer any questions the participants may have and also for the researcher to identify if the participant had at any time experienced harm or discomfort over the course of the research.
Word count: 204
In order for the proposed study to be improved, researchers could have drawn up a short handout containing detailed information about the study and perhaps an FAQ section. These could have been placed nearby to the poster for people who showed interested, to take home and read so that they could have the opportunity to make an informed decision. The names of the researchers or at least one of them, a contact number or email address could have been placed within, so that if a potential participant had questions that were not addressed in the handout they would have the means to gain more of an insight to the study. The consent form could contain a short questionnaire for the participant to fill out, so that the researchers know they are well informed and understand the study, i.e. aims and methods that will be used and the outcome.
Word count: 148
References.
Phoenix, A. (2007). 'Identities and Diversities'. In D. Miell, A. Phoenix, & K. Thomas (Eds), Mapping Psychology, (2nd ed., pp- 43-95). Milton Keynes, The Open University.
The British Psychological Society (2009). The British Psychological Society [online] www.bps.org.uk