The Complexity Of Social Identities

Our personal identity, to some extent, depends on our social identities. Who I am depends on who we are. Thus, belonging to different groups will have effects on different levels, from our personality to collective levels. This is because we are not individual beings, but we also live in societies in which we interact with other people.

In order to understand social identity, it is necessary to distinguish it from personal identity. On the one hand, personal identity are the characteristics that make us unique. On the other hand, social identity is the part of the self-concept that derives from membership in a social group and from the emotional meaning and value that accompanies that membership.

In this way, we have at least two types of identities: personal identity and social identity. However, in reality we belong to more than one group, so we have several social identities. How do so many identities work together? One by one. The activation of an identity, be it personal or one of the social ones, will lead to the others being deactivated.

Formation of social identity

Understanding social identity begins with self-categorization. People have a tendency to categorize. To order the objects of the world into categories in order to simplify their understanding. This also applies to people. We divide people into different categories, which leads us to self-categorize or include ourselves in some of those categories.

From this self-categorization, a preference for the category itself arises that leads us to distinguish ourselves from other categories or groups. In this way, the preference for the group itself is materialized in the preference for its norms, values ​​and behaviors. Finally, group consciousness arises. That is, becoming aware of belonging to a group and recognizing its members as such.

The fact of identifying with a group does not only mean that we belong to a group. Identification also has psychological effects that occur at different levels, making it a multidimensional phenomenon. At an individual level, we can distinguish between cognitive, emotional, and motivational effects.

Identification at the individual level

First, the two most important cognitive effects are self-categorization and the importance of belonging to the group. On the one hand, self-categorization, which has already been explained, can result in depersonalization that occurs when… On the other hand, importance is measured in terms of centrality and prominence. In other words, the importance of the group when making individual decisions and the probability of acting in line with the role that it occupies in the group.

Second, identification with a group awakens certain emotions and feelings. In general, positive. For example, love, devotion, care and concern; which are shared by the members of said group. Third, we all have a need for belonging. Specifically, of belonging to a collective or group. This need is what awakens in us the motivation to unite and identify with a group.

Identification at the collective level

When the members of a group define themselves as such, identify with that group, believe that belonging is important and are aware that other members have similar beliefs, feelings and behaviors, the collective exists as a psychological entity. This entity, which is only psychological, provides meaning to the group.

Specifically, identity provides six characteristics:

• The feeling that there is a common destiny.
• The perception of the uniqueness of the group and its distinction from other groups.
• Coordination of the activities of the group members.
• Share beliefs, attitudes, norms and values.
• Concern for the welfare of the group and mobilization and sacrifice for its good.
• The continuity of the group in time.

The context

Finally, identities are also influenced by context. In this way, identities can be associated with certain territories. Likewise, social identities are related to certain cultures and languages. There is also a collective memory: this is the story of how the group was formed and how it has evolved.

Lastly, we have certain social beliefs. In addition to social beliefs about the territory and collective memory, there are other beliefs that arise from shared experiences and that distinguish the group from other groups. These beliefs form the ethos, which is a coherent and systematic system of knowledge about society.

As has been seen, social identities are complex. Identifying with a group is not only the importance we attach to it, it is much more. Therefore, social identities are also different. Some aspects may be more important to some people than to others.