Social identification relates to the procedure by which individuals identify themselves in the categories they share by other individuals (Diane, Vasti & Mary, 2013). Contrary to the personal identity characterizations which may be increasingly distinctive, social identities often assume certain commonalities with others. Identity is a phrase used to refer to the perception of self-integration whereby various aspects are combined in a unified whole. Social identity is a term used to refer to a person's aspects which are usually interpreted regarding her or his group memberships. An individual's self-identity is often shared with other individuals who also assumes that categorical membership. Social identity development amid students is a field of study that attempts to identify, delineate, predict, and explain human behaviors as students' transition or progress from the adolescent stage to adulthood. Promoting student development has been the student affairs practitioners' key role over the years. Social identity development often helps practitioners comprehend how students begin discovering their objectives, aptitude, and abilities while helping them attain their maximum effectiveness (Diane, Vasti, & Mary, 2013). The activities involved in uncovering their goals, abilities, and effectiveness often create a sense of identity which fosters a student’s transition to adult life.
Current Issues
The identity of people is usually rooted in their identifications; their significant associations in society. People are not usually born with a particular identity, and rather, they tend to develop their identities over time. As people grow old, they often begin to identify themselves with various forms of social identification: Religious and ethnic identities, avocations and vocations, political identities, stigmatized groupings, and personal relationships. Over the years, researchers have attempted to elucidate various concepts of self-identity development amid college students. However, various issues regarding the conception of self-identity have emerged; these issues include the effect of low self-efficacy and low self-esteem on an individual during the social identification process. A poor perception of self-worth (low self-esteem) often occurs in instances where one believes that one has an insignificant worth or value within the society; this is usually a common aspect in incidences where the key individuals in one’s life become extremely critical towards somebody or where one is an extreme perfectionist and hence critical towards oneself (Susan & Elisa, 2013). In both cases, there is often an increased tendency to harshly judge oneself, and ignore or downplay the significance of one's actual accomplishments.
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Additionally, one may develop a perception based on the notion that one's self-worth is usually rooted in other people's acclaims. Self-efficacy, on the other hand, often delineates the extent of one's effectiveness in controlling their lives. Humans need to feel that they possess a significant level of control over their lives to overcome difficult circumstances or challenges. Depression is usually common among individuals with low self-efficacy due to the state of feeling helpless to impact their fate. Self-efficacy is usually domain-specific. One might feel confident in a specific area of life but helpless to impact another area.
Trends
Over the years, various studies based on different aspects of social identity development among college students have been conducted by multiple researchers. Many researchers and several theoretical models have attempted to address the conception of social identification over the years. A study conducted by Liversage, Naude, and Botha (2018) reveals that social identity concept may be used to delineate the self-structure of university students since categorical memberships elucidate them, the elements of intergroup relationships amid university students and the student's relationship with the overall social structure. Comparisons amid the traditional symbolic interactions and various social identity models have also been established. Both theoretical models assume that the "self" is developed in a social context and it relies upon these social contexts. Both theoretical models assume a myriad of self-definition. Some of the differences include the fact that sociological models often focus on structural issues whereas psychological models focus mainly on social identity processes especially, the cognitive procedures of comparison and categorization. Additionally, the study revealed that sociological models put a significant emphasis on individual identity whereas psychological models emphasize the concept of intergroup domain. Another study conducted by Lori (2016), with the aim of assessing the origin, current status, and new strategies in the integration of social identity theories in student affairs revealed the various perceptions of identity and delineated future directions for studies on identity development amid university students.
Dilemma and Challenges
Some of the dilemmas in the study include the relationship amid in-group bias and group identification, the self-esteem hypothesis, the choice of identity maintenance approaches by low-status groupings, and the impacts of intergroup similarity. Various studies on social identity are based on the presumption that positive social identity is primarily established on meaningful group comparisons. However, other researchers argue that groups may vary from each other generically depending on various social identity functions and that not all functions of identity are well delineated by social identity theories (Susan and Elisa, 2013). With regards to the self-esteem hypothesis, various researchers deemphasize the motivational aspect of self-esteem; they argue that self-esteem ought to be perceived as a by-product of discrimination as opposed to its direct impact on social identity. Challenges in the study of social identity development amid university students include the insufficient recognition accorded to the various groups that may act as a basis of individuals’ social identity and the lack of sufficient knowledge on personal and contextual variables that ascertain the direction and nature of intergroup comparisons.
References
Diane L. C., Vasti T., Mary F. H. (2013). Identity Development of Diverse Populations: Implications for Teaching and Administration in Higher Education . San Francisco, California: Jossey-Bass.
Liversage, L., Naudé, L., & Botha, A. (2018). Vectors of identity development during the first year: Black first-generation students’ reflections. Teaching in Higher Education , 23(1), 63–83.
Lorri D. P., (2016). Student Development in College: Theory, Research, and Practice . San Francisco, California: Jossey-Bass.
Susan R. J. & Elisa S. A., (2013). Identity Development of College Students: Advancing Frameworks for Multiple Dimensions of Identity . San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
