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Social Identity Theory: Uighurs And Han China

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Mohammad Izuan Bin Tumari Social Identity Theory suggests that there are three cognitive processes involved in evaluating a person being part of an 'in-group ' or 'out-group ' (Tajfel and Turner, 1979). A more common term would be 'us ' or 'them '. This is based on the notion that a community is hierarchically structured into different social groups that stand in power and status to each other, with resources, prestige and power being the oft-cause of the competition. Such group membership being, depending on certain situations, possibly associable with the appearance of prejudice and discrimination related to such perceived group membership (Unisim, 2013). The three mental processes are namely; Social Categorisation, Social Identification …show more content…

Violent clashes erupted in Xinjiang as Uighurs are feeling short-changed towards the Han Chinese in order to get back what was theirs and to feel important again. Their action have been considered by the central government represented by the Han Chinese as terrorism. This reflects the third mental process in the social identity theory - social comparison. The social identity theory holds water in the above article generally however it failed to explain the behavioral and cultural difference between the Uighurs and the Han Chinese. The downside of the theory arises when a group of people rejects the category which they are forced to fit and fervently keeping to their …show more content…

Again, it is crucial to remember in-groups are groups you identify with, and out-groups are ones that we don 't identify with, and may discriminate against. (Word Count : 1421) References Tajfel and Turner, 1979. An Integrative Theory of Intergroup Conflict. The Social Psychology of Intergroup Relations, Brooks-Cole. Monterey. UniSIM, 2013. Social Identity Theory. The Social Self, UniSIM, Singapore. Pushing the Uighurs Too Far: Wang Lixiong. (2014, March 18). New York Times. Retrieve on July 30, 2014 from http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/19/opinion/pushing-the-uighurs-too-far.html?_r=0 Uighur, People. Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieve on July 30, 2014 from http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/612772/Uighur "This is Ordinary Behavior": Categorisation and Culpability in Hamas Leaders Accounts of the Palestinian/Israeli Conflict: Andy McKinlay, Chris McVittie and Rahul Sambaraju. (2010, May 06). British Journal of Psychology. Retrieve on August 01, 2014 from

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