Social Identity Theory and Discrimination

Social identity theory was first proposed by Henri Tajfel (1971). He argued that the groups to which we belong are an important source of pride and self-esteem. We can feel good about ourselves by boosting the status of any group we belong to. Age-groups, sporting...

In and out-groups

Though the Sociocultural Approach relies heavily on qualitative methods, experiments are also used, and Tajfel’s (1971) study of in-group and out-group behaviour is an example of the diversity of the methods used. The central hypothesis of Tajfel’s Social...

Howarth (2002) and an Historical Perspective

Social identity theory was first proposed by Henri Tajfel (1971). He argued that the groups to which we belong are an important source of pride and self-esteem. Unfortunately, identifying with a specific “ingroup” to improve our self-esteem can lead to competition and...