Dealing with Identity
Loss: Unemployment
from a Social Identity
Perspective
Pamela Bretschneider
Supervisors: Dr Michelle Ryan &
Prof Thomas Kessler
Social Identity & Unemployment
Overview
1. Why is stigma & the Social Identity
approach important when we study
unemployment?
2. Social Identity approach
3. Stigma of unemployed people
4. Coping strategies of unemployed people
5. Gender, Social Identity & unemployment
6. Conclusion
Why is stigma & the Social Identity
approach important when we study
unemployment?
Research gaps:
1. Stigma of unemployment
2. (Possible) connection between
identity maintenance strategies and
coping behaviour
3. Impacts of unemployment on
women's and men's identity
Social Identity approach
−
Takes the psychological reality of the
group “we-ness” (social identity) as
its starting point.
−
Social Identity: “Individual's
knowledge that he (or she) belongs
to certain social groups together with
some emotional and value
significance to him (or her) of this
group membership.” (Tajfel, 1972)
Social Identity approach
−
To the extent that our sense of self is
defined by group membership (i.e., in
terms of social identity), rather than
our individuality (personal identity),
our behaviour is shaped by the
perspective and interests of that ingroup.
How does Social Identity affect our
behaviour and attitudes?
Social Identity is a basis for, e.g., perceived
similarity, trust, social influence, social support
What are contents of Social Identity?
Stereotypes, norms & values, roles
How are social identities formed and
changed?
Inter-group comparisons
Intra- and inter-group interaction
Social Identity Theory
(Tajfel & Turner, 1979)
−
Individuals strive to achieve or to
maintain positive social identity.
−
Positive social identity is based on
comparisons that can be made
between the in-group and some
relevant out-groups.
Three self enhancement
strategies
Individual mobility:
finding a job

Social creativity:
trying to see the in-group positively

Social competition:
challenging the status quo

What determines which
strategy will be used?
Three socio-structural variables



Permeability
Legitimacy
Stability
What determines which
strategy will be used?
The level of identification:
Three factors of identity



Centrality
In-group ties
In-group affect
Social Identity Theory
(Tajfel & Turner, 1979)
Socio-structural
variables
3 factors of
identity
Identity
maintenance/
enhancement
strategies
Stigma of unemployed people
−
Lazy? Unwilling to work? Stupid?
Low intelligence?
−
However, this stigma is concealable.
−
But research so far showed that concealing a
stigma goes along with reduced social support
and less adaptive coping strategies.
Coping strategies of unemployed
people
−
Stress responses are dynamic multifaceted and
interdependent: different stressors evoke different
responses from different individuals.
−
All stigmatised people have in common that they have a
devalued social identity that exposes them to stressors
they would otherwise not experience.
−
Importance of cognitive appraisals: stressor and
resources (Lazarus, 1984)
Coping strategies of unemployed
people (more or less adaptive)
Problem solving
Cognitive reconstruction
(Voluntary) avoidance, denial
Rumination, intrusive thoughts
Avoidance at an pre-attentional level
Coping strategies of unemployed
people
−
Moderators
Maintenance
strategy
Coping
strategy
Permeable group
boundaries
Individual
mobility
Low in-group ties
Problem solving:
finding job
Coping strategies of unemployed
people
−
Moderators
Maintenance
strategy
Coping
strategy
Impermeable
group boundaries
+ stable relations
Social creativity
Negative affect
Cognitive
reconstruction/
vol. avoidance
Coping strategies of unemployed
people
−
Moderators
Maintenance
strategy
Coping
strategy
Impermeable
group boundaries
+ illegitimate
relations
Social
competition
High in-group ties
Problem solving:
collective action
Gender, Social Identity &
unemployment
−
Men might perceive more discrimination (due to the stigma) and
might suffer more from unemployment. That is why they may tend
to either actively solving the problem (leaving the group, social
mobility) or (if not possible) tend to choose less adaptive coping
strategies.
−
Women may prefer to deal creatively with their situation (social
creativity, cognitive reconstruction). Therefore, they may perceive
less discrimination and may suffer less than men.
Unemployment & Well-being
−
Research provided evidence that social identity processes
are central to the dynamics of well-being (e.g. Reicher &
Haslam, 2006).
−
Shared social identity provides a basis for group members
to give and receive social support, so that stressors are
appraised as a positive challenge.
−
BUT: Do unemployed people establish a social identity as
unemployed people at all?
Conclusions
• Unemployed people have to deal with the loss of their
professional identity and the stigma of unemployment.
• Woman and men prefer different strategies how they deal
with that loss of identity.
• That implies that women may feel less motivated to find a
job.
Literature
−
Compas, B. E., Connor-Smith, J. K., Saltzman, H., Thomsen, A. H., & Wadsworth, M. E. (2001).
Coping with Stress during childhood and adolescence: Problems, progress and potential in theory
and research. Psychologcal Bulletin, 127.
−
Haslam, S.A. (2001). Psychology in organisations. London. Sage.
−
Lazarus, R.S., & Folkman, S. (1984). Stress, Appraisal and Coping. New York: Springer.
−
Levin, S. & Laar, C.v., (2006). Stigma and group inequelity, Social Psychological Perpectives,
Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
−
Paul., K. I. (2005). The negative mental health effect of unemployment: Meta-analyses of crosssectional and longitudinal data, unpublished disertation
−
Ryan, M. K., Iyer, A., Hersby, M. D., Kulich, C. (2007). Responding to negative identities: The
independent role of the three factors of identity
−
Reicher, S. D. & Haslam, S. A. (2006). Tyranny revisited: Groups, psychological well-being and
the health of societies. The Psychologist, 19, 46–50.
−
Tajfel, H. & Turner, J.C. (1986): The social identity theory of intergroup behavior. In S. Worchel &
W.G. Austin : Psychology of intergroup relations (S. 7-24). Chicago,IL: Nelson-Hall.
Contact:
Pamela Bretschneider: [email protected]
Dr Michelle Ryan: [email protected]
Prof Thomas Kessler: [email protected]
University of Exeter
School of Psychology
Washington Singer Laboratories
Perry Road
Exeter EX4 4QG