Question

SOCIAL IDENTITY Most of us prefer to be viewed as individuals and not placed in social categories or be typecast by others. We do not appreciate people making assumptions about who we are, particularly based on our appearance. This is part of what is so pernicious about racism: It stems from a social construction of race, a system of categorizing and generalizing about people based on physical characteristics and the alleged deeper meanings. We consider this concept in greater detail in Chapter 2, but for now, it is important to note the tension between the understandable wish to author our own identities and the social reality of how our identities can be assumed or even imposed by others. When talking about race and racism, we do not want to be viewed solely as racial beings. We are far more complex than that. Our social identity has many facets—gender, social class, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, and ability/disability—which together constitute who we are as social beings. Social identity is a useful construct as we approach the topic of race and racism. It helps us situate ourselves and be mindful of who we are in relation to students, colleagues, consumers, and others. What is meant by social identity? This is a central topic in Chapters 6 and 7, but it is helpful to introduce the concept now so we can “situate” ourselves. Tajfel (1981) described social identity as that part of our self-concept that comes from our membership in social groups, the value we place on this membership, and what it means to us emotionally. For example, one of the authors identifies as White and Jewish and the other as Puerto Rican, Black, and a person of color. These are statements about our race and ethnicity. The first author is racially constructed as White, while he identifies himself ethnically as Jewish. The coauthor identifies herself racially as a person of color and ethnically as Puerto Rican and African American. Each of us has a range of feelings associated with these social categories. The statements about who we are also contain an assumption about another social category—gender—as one author is male and the other female. Although observers might be able to tell that one of us is White and male and the other is a person of color and female, they might not be able to discern that one of us is Jewish or one of us is part Puerto Rican. They also would not know how we feel about our gender, ethnicity, and race, unless we tell them. But, like it or not, people will be making assumptions about us when they see us, as this is a normal human response. Tajfel’s definition of social identity has been criticized for being too individualistic (Eriksen, 2001; Kelman, 2001). People do not always choose their social identities. Social identities emerge at certain times under specific conditions; they are shaped by social and cultural contexts, public discourses, national myths, and intergroup relations. For example, the meaning of being Jewish in Europe shifted before, during, and after World War II. A Jewish person who was no longer observant and whose ethnic or religious affiliation as a Jew had little or no personal meaning would have been defined as Jewish during the Nazi era, like it or not. In Rwanda, which experienced genocidal conflict, the meaning of being a Tutsi or a Hutu was woven inextricably into the relationships, perceptions, and history between the two ethnic groups. As we consider in Chapter 3, throughout U.S. history, people have been granted privileges or have encountered barriers or overt oppression based on social constructions of their race. Social identity is how we see ourselves in relation to others. It reflects two powerful social motives: our desire to be included and be part of a group, and at the same time our need for individuation and separateness (Brewer, 2001). This is how we internalize being part of our social world. It influences how we position, align, and categorize ourselves and how we join with and individuate ourselves from others. It is the sense of self that we bring with us to work, to school, in public, at home—every environment and system that we are part of—although what we bring and share about ourselves varies considerably among cultures and depends upon social contexts. Some aspects of our social identity are self-selected, customized, and individualized. Others are collectively constructed, shared with others, and at times imposed. It is also important to note that social identity is a fluid and changing concept. How we see ourselves or how others view us may be different today than 2 years ago. And social context is another determinant of which parts of our social identities are salient at a given moment: for example, what neighborhood we are walking through, who else is in a classroom with us, and how much we feel others are similar or dissimilar to us. Finally, social identity is complex, and it is often difficult to feel comfortable fitting into binary categories assigned by society and others. We consider these issues in greater detail in Chapter 6.

What have I learned that is different than what I knew before?

How does this relate to the work I want to do with clients, organizations, neighborhoods and communities?

What is exciting for me about the reading? What is difficult for me in this class? How do I manage, express, and cope with these feelings?

Answer 1

What I was not aware was about exactly what social identity is-

We think about this idea in more noteworthy detail in Chapter 2, yet for the time being, it is essential to take note of the strain between the justifiable wish to creator our own personalities and the social truth of how our characters can be expected or even forced by others.

Part 2)

This is related to the work infant to do with clients is-

This is a piece of what is so vindictive about bigotry: It comes from a social development of race, an arrangement of sorting and making speculations regarding individuals dependent on physical qualities and the supposed further implications.

At last, social personality is mind boggling, and it is frequently hard to feel great fitting into parallel classifications doled out by society and others.

-Exciting for me here in the article was to know about-

What's more, social setting is another determinant of which parts of our social personalities are remarkable at a given minute: for instance, what neighborhood we are strolling through, who else is in a study hall with us, and the amount we feel others are comparative or not at all like us.

-Difficult was to know about the all through U.S. history, individuals have been allowed benefits or have experienced hindrances or unmistakable persecution dependent on social developments of their race.

I manage and cope with SOCIAL IDENTITY Most of us like to be seen as people and not set in social classifications or be pigeonholed by others . We should learn to live in society and help each other and we should see every one with equality and should learn or cope up with people of different thoughts and views.

Thanks

Hope you will appreciate