Task 1 A
• Introduction – Keep short and to the point. Set, a clear path.
• Main body – Describe some of the positive and negative influences that group membership can have on people. Present the evidence that illustrates these positive and negative influences. Use linking phrases at the beginning of the paragraph such as firstly
• Conclusion – Keep to a short paragraph just summarising the points.
Task 1 B
My aim in this assignment is to describe how groups can influence people in positive and negative ways. Spoors et al. 2010 suggest that group membership influences people’s thoughts, feelings and behaviour, in both positive and negative ways. There have been numerous experiments carried out that support this suggestion. I am now going to highlight a few of these experiments in this assignment.
Henri Tajfel and John Turner (1979) cited in Spoors et al., 2010, first developed the psychological theory called Social Identity Theory. The theory highlights how people’s sense of who they are is defined in the terms ‘we’ instead of ‘I’, and that in-group categorisation occurs in ways that favour, the in-group at the expense of the out-group. People want to think that their own group (and therefore themselves) as being more superior to the other groups. The evidence suggests that for desire for self esteem can lead to inter-group competition and these processes can escalate into open hostility and discrimination.
Firstly, being a member of a group can have a positive influence on people, as it gives people a sense of belonging and can raise self esteem. The sense of group identity is also increased, when members compare us – the In-Group and them - the out-group. However, at the same time, group membership can have a negative influence on people. Members of the group may feel group pressure to conform, and the group identity can slip into competiveness with the out-groups, which may escalate into conflict and discrimination....