Studying identity in social psychology

Some thoughts on the definition of identity and its relation to action

Bibliographic Data

ID6084994
AuthorsXenia Chryssochoou (0000-0002-8001-5768)
Year2003
Volume2
Issue2
Pages225-241
Publication date2003-11-18
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Language and Politics (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1569-2159 • E-ISSN: 1569-9862
PublisherJohn Benjamins Publishing Company (PUBLISHER • NL)
DOI10.1075/jlp.2.2.03chr
OpenAlexW2044902192
LanguageEN
Citations received29
References cited25

The present paper discusses the concept of identity in social psychology. It is suggested that identity is a particular form of social representation that mediates the relationship between the individual and the social world. Identity makes the link between social regulations and psychological organizations (i.e. identifications/self-categories) and constitutes the organizing principle of symbolic relationships. Its functions are to inscribe the person in the social environment, to communicate peoples’ positions and to establish relationships with others (social recognition). Thus identity is a cyclical process constituted by three actions: knowing, claiming and recognizing. Social psychologists have started their investigations of identity by emphasizing different aspects of this process: self-knowledge, claims and recognition and have focused on processes of socialization, communication and social influence. Finally, it is argued that through their active participation in the social world (by knowing, recognizing and claiming), individuals construct a set of knowledge about the world and themselves: their identity. To protect from, provoke or respond to changes to this knowledge people act in the name of identity. Thus, identity constitutes the social psychological context within which worldviews are constructed, through which these worldviews are communicated and for which battles are fought

Aesthetics · Construct (python library · Epistemology · Identity (music · Identity formation · Self-concept · Set (abstract data type · Social group · Social identity approach · Social identity theory · Social representation · Socialization · Sociology · Cultural Differences and Values · Psychology · Social and Intergroup Psychology · Social Representations and Identity · Social Psychology

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