Social Identity

Deaux’s article “Social Identity” not only introduced you to various social identity categories but also to some theories concerning the nature of social identities. You learned that all social identities affect your thinking, your emotions, and your behavior. For example, you may or may not share the way people attribute certain characteristics to specific social identities; one or more of your social identities may evoke strong emotions in you, and different social identities may influence you to behave in certain ways.

Considering that society attributes certain stereotypical traits to different social identities, at this point in the course, which of your social identities do you believe conforms most/least to the stereotypical traits attributed to it by society—and in what ways? Which one of your social identities evokes deep, strong emotions, and in what ways does this emotional connection manifest itself in your life? In what way(s) do any or all of your social identities influence your behavior when you are with people who are like you/different from you—and in what ways do other people’s or groups’ behaviors influence your social roles? Once you have spent some time reflecting on these questions, summarize your responses and add at least one new insight or question-related to the connections you perceive between social identities and diversity.