Part 1
Social categorisation and Social Construction theories and their understanding of identity.
It is through social interactions that have put people to act and react implication to others. Due to the social interactions we learn what is acceptable and what is not. Over time these rules become internalised within us and eventually become an unconscious part of our lives and our identity. Social identity theory asserts that group membership creates in group self-categorisation and enhancement in ways that favour the in group at the expense of the out-group and associating with a group even under minimal circumstances is enough to create in group out-group hostility. I will explore the effects of the contact theory or intergroup behaviour. It is also the aim of this essay to explain what is meant by the term social construction and social categorisation and how these two theories have further to our understanding of identity.
Social categorisation is viewed as a perception cognition or behaviour that is influenced by people's recognition that day and other are members of distinct social groups. Relations between social groups can have far reaching and persuasive effects on the behaviour of member of these groups, effects that go well and beyond situations of face-to-face intergroup encounters.
Social construction his used to describe how we as humans understand how the world is conscripted in and through social relations there are many different ways of understanding the same issue, rather than they had been an objective reality. Our behaviour is regulated by guidelines, which make everyday life predictable and understandable causing us to behave in a certain way the way that is seen as the norm.
Housework provides a good example of the social construction being seen as the norm in Western societies many people thought that it was natural for women to be whipped rather than men to do all the housework. (Phoenix, 2002). It seemed