Esta tese teve como objetivo analisar como as Identidades Sociais dos bancários têm sido afetadas pelas transformações do mundo do trabalho e pelos valores da sociedade do consumo. As Identidades Sociais são consideradas como importantes referenciais para entender a dinâmica dentro das organizações. Há uma corrente de pensadores que descrevem o trabalho perdendo sua relativa importância como referência social em função das metamorfoses que vem sofrendo. Por outro lado, autores descrevem que os valores da sociedade do consumo estão se revigorando no atual contexto, servindo, cada vez mais, como parâmetros para os sujeitos. Na medida em que as Identidades Sociais são afetadas pelos valores que permeiam determinado contexto social, procurou-se entender como tais mudanças estão afetando o constructo. Partindo de uma visão construcionista, estabeleceu-se uma abordagem qualitativa para estudar como 50 bancários, por meio de seus discursos, reconstruíam suas Identidades Sociais e as ligações dessas com o trabalho e o consumo. Os dados foram tratados por meio de análise de conteúdo, sendo que também foi realizado um focus group com bancários, discutindo os resultados da pesquisa. Como conclusões obteve-se que os elementos do trabalho ainda são fonte de referência para as Identidades Sociais. Os elementos do consumo também apareceram como parâmetros importantes no discurso. O consumo e o trabalho se mostram como referências complementares, embora sejam provenientes de situações e relações antagônicas. / This thesis aimed to analyze how the bank workers Social Identities have been affected by the changes in the global work order and by the values of the current consumption society. The Social identities are considered important references to comprehend the dynamics inside the organizations. There is a group of researchers that describes the work activity failing to maintain its relative importance as a social reference due to the metamorphosis it has been experiencing. On the other hand, the authors assure that the consumption society values are gathering new strength in the present context, and are offering new patterns to the individuals. As the Social Identities are affected by the values that permeate a specific social context, we tried to understand how such changes are affecting the constructus. We started from a constructionist conception and we established a qualitative approach to study how the 50 bank workers unveil through their discourses the ways they reconstruct their Social Identities in relation to work and consumption. The data were treated by means of an analysis upon the content, and we also carried out a focus group with the bank workers, in which we discussed the results of the research. We reached the conclusion that the constituents of the work are yet a strong reference to the Social Identities. The consumption elements also appear as important patterns in the discourse. The consumption and the work are revealed as references, although they derive from antagonistic situations and relationships.

Understanding why people become involved in terrorism is vital to inhibiting recruitment and radicalisation, and therefore preventing terrorist attacks. The question of why people support, engage with, and participate in terrorism is addressed in this thesis. Insights into the causes of terrorism and the process of radicalisation are garnered from social and evolutionary psychology in an effort to add an additional interdisciplinary layer of theoretical understanding to existing political science research. The central argument made in this thesis is that certain psychological processes (social identity), and mechanisms (parochial altruism), influence people to favour ingroups and disfavour outgroups in light of particular intergroup cues. Although social identity theories and the concept of parochial altruism pertain to the same argument for bias towards ingroups, which may also entail bias against outgroups, they arrive at this position in different ways and therefore offer alternative insights into what conditions trigger this bias, and responses to it. A novel experimental paradigm with student participants generated data to investigate the evolved mechanism parochial altruism. Social identity theories were applied to certain features of the radicalisation process to explain how and why identification with the Muslim Umma (worldwide community) occurs, which is a central feature of radicalisation in Al-Qaeda type groups. The insights challenge some of the assumptions made by scholars about the nature of radicalisation and terrorism. This thesis considers the process of radicalisation to be rooted in, and influenced by, normal psychological processes and mechanisms that are present in all humans. Although there are caveats, this thesis provides new avenues of exploration and further research to investigate terrorism, radicalisation, and intergroup conflict more generally.

This study traces the relationship between language policy activity and multilingual social identity development through schools and homes in a public school district implementing an English Language Learner (ELL) program. The social impacts of language policies cannot be fully understood without consideration of how they impact social identities and opportunity for the populations they affect (Johnson, 2013; Shohamy, 2006; Tollefson, 1991). Power in language policy processes is seen as multi-layered (Ricento & Hornberger, 1996), with teachers at the heart. However, there has been little attention to the powerful role of those whose language practices policy is meant to regulate: students and parents. Using data gathered in the schools, homes, and communities of multilingual students over the course of two years, this critical ethnographic study provides ethnographic understanding of language policy, language use, literacy learning, and policy negotiation on the part of parents as they relate to social identity development. Ultimately, the work extends exploration of the layers of policy activity to the homes and communities of multilingual students and their families, uncovering implications about the role of language policies in shaping equitable educational opportunity. Findings show how multilingual parents can and should be positioned as powerful negotiators in language policy processes, leading to implications for transformation in theory and practice.

Research has consistently demonstrated the influences of cultural orientation (Individualism/collectivism) on emotional expression when interacting with in-groups and out-groups members in face-to-face communication (e.g., Eid & Diener, 2001; Matsumoto et al., 2008; Safdar et al., 2009). The purpose of the proposed study is to investigate whether the same pattern exists in virtual communication, especially in instant text messaging. Using a mixed design, an online self-report questionnaire measuring Individualism/Collectivism and intensity of emotional expression of both positive and negative emotions will be given to a sample of 788 college students. Several universal effects are predicted, including greater emotion expression toward in-groups versus out-groups, greater overall expressivity for people with a high individualism score, and greater expressivity for positive emotions than negative emotions. It is further predicted that people with high individualism score will express more negative emotions to their in-groups, while people with high collectivism score will express more positive emotions. Lastly, it is predicted that when interacting with out-groups, people with a high individualism score will express more positive emotions, while people with high collectivism score will express more negative emotions. Implications for cultural orientation and emotion expression are discussed.

This quantitative study considers homophily and inclusion in the secondary agriculture classroom. This study uses social identity and homophily theories to examine classroom culture and how homophily and inclusion impact it. The study aims to use demographic questions and homophily scales to determine whether homophily is occurring in the secondary agriculture classroom and to what extent. This study also uses social distance scales to determine the breaking point or how willing seniors in an agriculture class are to include new students based on the bi-variables of Race, Sexuality, and Social subgroup. The results indicate that homophily and in-group mentality is occurring within Kentucky’s secondary agricultural education classrooms.

The primary purpose of this study was to observe the dynamics between sexual harassment (SH), social identity theory, and justice perceptions. Furthermore, participants’ past experience with SH may have created conspiracy mentalities to explain outgroup members (e.g., males) behavior towards women. From a social identity perspective, women who strongly identify with being female should be more prone to view lower justice perceptions when a male investigator denies an SH claim, but equally high levels of justice perceptions when male or female investigators confirm SH and when a female investigator denies SH. Four scenarios were created where female participants (N = 283) were randomly assigned to one of four scenarios: Scenario 1 involved a female investigator who confirmed an SH claim; Scenario 2 involved a female investigator who denied an SH claim; Scenario 3 involved a male investigator who confirmed an SH claim; and Scenario 4 involved a male investigator who denied an SH claim. Regression analyses revealed that social identity (i.e., gender identity) had no predictive value regarding justice perceptions, but that the decision of the investigators influenced justice perceptions. Furthermore, an ANOVA was utilized and discovered significant mean differences between the four scenarios, suggesting that there were differences when the investigator confirmed SH (both male and female) or denied SH (both male and female), but there was no significant interaction. Participants had low justice perceptions when SH was denied and higher justice perceptions when SH was confirmed. Practical and theoretical implications are discussed, as well as directions for future research.

Social identity theory (SIT) is a robust theory that explains in-group versus out-group behaviors. Two qualities of one's social identity include emotional connection and social connection with others, which someone who is experiencing loneliness tends to lack in their current situation. This dissertation explored whether when one's social identity becomes salient it results in a lower evaluation of one's current state of loneliness. An experiment was conducted in which college student participants, who were 18 years of age or older and currently enrolled in college courses, were randomly assigned to a social identity saliency group (college student) or 1 of 3 control conditions (personal identity group, cognitive control condition, and no prime condition). The sample consisted of 207 participants of which 189 were analyzed for social loneliness and 190 were analyzed for emotional loneliness, after excluding participants who did not meet scoring criteria. To analyze the data a planned contrast procedure was conducted in which the social identity group's mean was compared to the combined means of the 3 control conditions. Results indicated that when social identity is made salient, participants report a lower level of emotional and social loneliness when compared to the other 3 conditions. Loneliness, which is being considered a major public health crisis, is becoming more common in modern society, making finding mechanisms to reduce loneliness important. This research supports the notion that social identification can reduce one's evaluation of loneliness. As an example, from the findings in this research, to reduce loneliness among college students, college programs should focus on the positive attributions of being a college student.

Community, Attachment, Structures and the Epidemic maps some of the changes in gay men�s experience and conceptualisation of community that have occurred during the AIDS epidemic. Social identity theory has been employed to investigate the social-psychological aspects of gay identity at personal, social and community levels. The study compares three generations of gay men in Melbourne; pre- peri- and post-AIDS. As a starting point, the study employed focus groups to explore basic conceptions of gay community. In the first of two major data collection phases, 32 gay men between the ages of 18 and 40 participated in semistructured interviews of between 45 minutes and one and a half hours. The interviews explored the men�s social networks, past and present relationship to the commercial gay scene, feelings about gay organisations businesses, neighbourhoods, entertainment, aesthetics, the way they see other gay people, their thoughts about the impact of AIDS on gay communities and their aspirations for gay communities. The second phase of data collection utilised a questionnaire developed from the analysis of the interviews. The 55 item questionnaire covered demographic information, coming out history, initial experiences of the gay world, friendship networks, feelings about the institutions, people and conceptual elements of gay community, items concerning practices of gay community, the community attachment subscale from the SAPA study and items on HIV/AIDS. The questionnaire was completed by 432 gay men, 207 recruited at the Midsumma carnival, an annual gay and lesbian event in Melbourne and 225 through the mailing list of the Victorian AIDS Council. Analysis of the questionnaire data uncovered a complex constellation of difference in the conceptualisation and experience of gay community between the groups, particularly with regard to the content and boundaries of the category �gay community�. The research challenges practice based models of gay community attachment and proposes a more dynamic, fluid and multi-dimensional conceptualisation of gay social identity.

This research is comprised of two narrative interview studies of Māori in two different settings, New Zealand (n=20) and Hawai'i (n=30). The data was gathered over the 1994-1996 period. The two settings have some commonalities and differences. In both settings Māori are required to make decisions about the continuity of their ethnic Māori identities and hereditary cultural identities of iwi, hapu and whanau, and the part that they wish these identities to play in their daily lives. The focus of this research was about how Māori create meaning in their lives and maintain their social identities across and within those contexts they move through. The findings of this research suggest that Māori in New Zealand continue to value and gain meaning and satisfaction from their cultural collectivities and the social identities derived from them. However, the results tend to suggest that there are changes in the ways that individuals conceptualise these identities and concomitantly, how they see of themselves. For New Zealand participants, conceptions of hapu and iwi appear to be converging with an increasing focus on the physicality of marae, its environment and symbolism, and the social events and relationships negotiated in that space. New Zealand participants saw some hapu and iwi maintenance activities as more legitimate than others. More value was placed on returning to hapu and iwi homelands however irregular these returns were. In contrast, conceptions of hapu and iwi held by participants in Hawai'i seemed less intense. There were few opportunities to engage with other hapu or iwi members. Being Māori had greater meaning and was understood, probed and valued by others in the culturally plural context of Hawai'i. For New Zealand participants, being Māori was enacted in the context of being a discriminated, negatively constructed minority. All were aware of the defining effect that the presence of a dominant majority could have and countered these effects by engaging in social justice and in-group solidarity activities. The changing identity conceptions held by members of Māori social groups will have implications for a sense of community and social cohesion, for tribal asset management, service delivery and crown settlement processes. If Māori are redefining and renegotiating their social identities to achieve greater meaning and satisfaction then these changes are important to respond to and recognise.

This thesis explores the impact of hepatitis C on women’s childbearing decisions and experiences of motherhood. A partial grounded theory approach was used, in which 34 women living with hepatitis C participated in semi-structured interviews to determine the direct and indirect effects of hepatitis C on their own personal decisions regarding childbearing and to describe their lived experiences of motherhood. The qualitative interview data were analysed thematically, in which common themes were identified and explored.¶ Three key areas are explored: women’s social experience of hepatitis C; hepatitis C and childbearing decisions; and the meaning of motherhood for women with hepatitis C.¶ The interviews revealed that living with hepatitis C had direct effects on the childbearing decisions of women. The direct effects of the virus which impacted on women’s childbearing decisions included poor physical and emotional hepatitis C related health, the perceived risk of vertical transmission of hepatitis C, concerns their future hepatitis C related health might impact upon their mothering abilities, and childbearing can conflict with treatment for hepatitis C. However, of greater importance to these women, appeared to be the indirect effects of living with a virus which is so highly stigmatised within our society. In particular, hepatitis C is closely associated with injecting drug use, which means these women are often assumed to possess the stereotypical characteristics associated with injecting drug users. As a result, they experience widespread medical discrimination and social rejection. Hepatitis C also impacts indirectly upon a wide range of factors that most women in contemporary society take into consideration in their childbearing decisions, for example, available social support, financial security and age.¶ The experiences reported by these women are discussed in terms of their concordance or discord with prevailing theories of deviance, stigma and the social construction of motherhood. The interview data, considered in light of such theories reveal that possibly the greatest impact that hepatitis C can have upon women is to prevent them from achieving a legitimate adult female status through childbearing and becoming a ‘good mother’.¶ The implications of these findings are discussed in terms of public health and social policy.