Individual & Group Identities

1. Individual & Group Identities

2. Essentialism/ Positivism Entities exist outside oneself Constructionism Social processes determine the importance and meaning of difference E.g., Chris Yates in TMOD p. 5 (Rosenblum & Travis, 1996) Sexual Identity…Orientation V. Preference Difference Frameworks

3. Difference From…. • Who has the power to determine what/who is different? • Frankenburg (1996) In America “whites are the nondefined definers of other people.” e.g., European People in boats (Us) V. Indigenous People on land (Them) • How do we identify ourselves?

4. Identity Formation • Identity= the condition of being some specific person as fashioned by self and society • Identification= the psychological process wherein children try to look, act, feel and be like significant people in their social environment as part of their identity formation

5. Identification Mechanisms • Differentiation (Freud’s,1921 primary/secondary identification) • Affiliation (Chodorow, 1974) • Imitation and Social learning (Bandura, 1969; Mischell, 1966) • Cognitive schema Independent V. Interdependent Construals • Social patterns impacting attitudes, beliefs, cognitions, norms, values, goals, and family structures

6. Individualism, An Independent Construal • A cultural pattern stressing autonomy and independence • Focus on a “nuclear family” • More tolerant of practices like divorce • More libertarian

7. Collectivism– An Interdependent Construal • Social pattern of closely linked individuals who define themselves as interdependent members of a collective (e.g., family, coworkers, etc.) • Large family living closely • Greater conformity • Focus on “in-group” v. “out-group”

8. United States • U.S. mainstream society tends to be individualistic/independent • However, U.S. parallel cultures tend to be collectivistic/interdependent

9. United States Southern States as Collectivistic • Oppositional racial consciousness= unity in opposition I.e., minority group reacting to a powerful, hostile majority • Agrarian society • Relative poverty.…. Social dependence • Church life…. Fundamentalism

10. Mountainwest & Great Plains as Individualistic • Tend to be individualistic • Southwest I.e., NM, AZ, NV, CA are collectivistic due to Latino culture • UT is more collectivistic due to Mormon influence • HI is collectivistic due to Asian influence

11. Ethnic Identity Formation • Social Identity: The part of a person’s self-concept that is based on identification with a nation, culture, or group or with gender or other roles in society. • Ethnic Identity: A person’s identification with a racial, religious, or ethnic group. • Acculturation: The process by which members of minority groups come to identify with and feel part of the mainstream culture.

12. Acculturation Strategies

13. White Identity FormationHelms (1995) • Two major developmental tasks must be achieved for Whites to form a healthy white identity: 1- The abandonment of individual racism 2- The opposition to institutional and cultural racism

14. Helms’ 6 Stages of White Identity

15. Contact • Little attention is given to their ethnic identity • Perceive selves as color blind • Perceive racism as the prejudiced behaviors of individuals rather than as a system

16. Disintegration • Growing awareness of racism & White privilege • Discomfort w/ feelings of shame, guilt & anger in recognizing own prejudices & that of family • Begin to recognize how much their lives & those of people of color have been affected by society’s racism • Social pressure from friends & acquaintances to not notice racism may be powerful

17. Reintegration • Feelings of guilt & denial may be transformed into fear & anger directed toward people of color • Frustration over being seen as a group member rather than as an individual • As meritocracy is facilitated by individualism, questions about society & one’s accomplishments arise • Tired of being “tested”.

18. Pseudo-Independence • Greater awareness of institutional racism • Greater commitment to unlearn one’s racism • Fear of speaking in groups w/ people of color due to fear of revealing white privilege • Seek support of other White allies who are further along in this process

19. Immersion/Emmersion • Redefinition of Whiteness • Guilt & Shame fade • Involvement in White antiracist groups

20. Autonomy • New identity of “whiteness” is incorporated into personal identity • This positive identity energizes the individual to confront racism & oppression in their daily lives • Open to new information & new ways of thinking about racial/cultural variables • Reawakened sense of empowerment

21. Gender IdentityKohlberg (1966) • Sex-role identity (age 3) • Sex-role stability (early childhood) • Sex-role constancy (age 5)

22. 1_ Discomfort with heterosexual & patriarchal nature of socialization 2_ Labeling self as different from other men/women 3_ Becoming aware of gayness/lesbianism 4_ Finding and becoming involved in gay/lesbian community 5_ Educating self about gay/lesbian lifestyle Gay IdentityLewis (1979) Five Stages of Gay/Lesbian Identity Development

23. Ideological Lesbians Women who can be viewed as radical feminists for whom a lesbian lifestyle is politically correct Personal Lesbians Women concerned with establishing an independent identity who find homosexuality supportive of this goal and who view lesbianism as a choice Interpersonal Lesbians Women who find themselves involved with another women and who experience their involvement as a discovery rather than a choice Three Groups of LesbiansHenderson (1979)