Gordon Allport Formation Of In-Groups Summary

Gordon W. Allport theorized in his selection titled “The Formation of In-Groups” that people inherently gravitate toward other people based on a variety of factors. Those factors lead to the formation of in-groups and out-groups. Allport goes on to postulate that one’s behavior is dictated and predicated by the in-groups that one is a member of. In addition to in-groups and the role that they play today, Allport discusses differing membership statuses, the fluidity of in-groups, reference groups, and out-groups. Before delving into Allport’s ideology, one must first understand how to define an in-group, and how they pertain to the world around us.

In his essay, Allport states that it is “difficult to define an in-group precisely”, and that the best way to contextualize an in-group is by saying “members of an in-group all use the term we with essentially the same significance”. This concept is applicable to every facet of life, whether an individual is a part of a football team, or belongs to a church. Everyone who is a member of their respective in-group plays a role, no matter how miniscule it may or may not be.
The first is ascribed status, which can best be interpreted as anyone who has inherited membership. Ascribed status is obtained just by being born into an in-group. From the minute a person is born, they inherit their parents race, culture, and socioeconomic status. The second membership status is achieved status. This simply means to become a member of a group by choice. An example of this would be applying for a country club. Once accepted, you become a member of that community and adopt their