Comparison Of Hardiman And Jackson's Social Identity Development Theory

Hardiman and Jackson’s social identity development theory delves into the foundation of social oppression and the relationship between two groups, agents, and targets. They break down the theory into stages that describe how it progresses in our society from the two perspectives.
Social Identity Development Theory: Explained

Hardiman and Jackson’s model determines that social oppression, “exists when one social group, whether knowingly or unconsciously, exploits another social group for its own benefit” (Hardiman & Jackson, 2007). They believe that social oppression is presented on three levels: the individual, the institutional, and the societal/cultural, and on three stages: the context, the psychosocial processes, and the application. The context describes the interactions between all three levels and how they influence one another. The psychosocial process describes to what extent the involvement is conscious or unconscious. Meanwhile, the application describes the attitudinal level of the participant. In this model, the targets are
One begins at stage 1, naïve, and acts without fear of any other groups. Next, they move to stage 2, acceptance, and behave by internalizing the “dominant culture’s logic system” (Hardiman & Jackson, 2007, 24). Then, they move to stage 3, resistance, and react, typically angrily, towards their acknowledgment of the prevalent oppression. Furthermore, they move to stage 4, redefinition, and one separates themselves from the oppression by developing a new identity; this typically results in separation from many relationships as one finds comfort with others in the redefinition stage. Finally, they move to stage 5, internalization, where one tries to embrace said new identity and actively reflects on the oppression that they have experienced while rebuilding those past relationships with a new