Social media is increasingly used for social protest, but does online participation advance the aims of social movements, or does it undermine efforts for social change? We explore this question in the present thesis by examining how the use of social media for collective action shapes, and is shaped by, the social psychological concerns of technology users. Adopting a diverse approach in terms of research questions and methodology, we examine how collective action is affected by: (1) features of the digital environment, (2) internet-enabled modes of participation, and (3) digitally-facilitated communities. Our findings demonstrate that group-level representations of the self and salient others are integral to the relationship between digital technology and collective action. Ultimately, we argue that digital technology can act as both a psychological bridge and barrier between disparate groups and issues; in this way it can both facilitate and undermine mobilisation efforts and broader aims for social change.

Due to increasing societal demands, accountability and economic constraints, there has been a paradigm shift in the healthcare culture with a move to formally train medical educators. This has resulted in the professionalisation of medical education, with various development initiatives including postgraduate qualifications. The demand for these qualifications in medical education can be judged by the increase in providers, from 2 to 31 in the UK and from 7 to 124 worldwide over the last two decades. However, detailed information about the influence and effectiveness of such courses remains sparse. This study investigated the impact of postgraduate qualifications in medical education on graduates’ educational identities, practices and career progression. The study design is mixed methods using the explanatory model. The first study comprised of an online survey of graduates from the Centre for Medical Education, Dundee between 2008 and 2012. The data collected were sequentially explored in more depth through semi-structured interviews in the second study. To increase the range and scope of enquiry a third study was carried out, which involved a 10 month follow-up of a new cohort of face-to-face students (2013/14) through the course and to the workplace. The quantitative data were analysed using non-parametric statistics on SPSS 21, and constructivist grounded theory analysis was used for the qualitative data in ATLAS.ti 7. I found that a qualification in medical education enhances theoretical foundations in educational practices, with increased self-efficacy and engagement in scholarly activities. The qualification encourages transformational changes and epistemological development as a teacher, researcher, leader and learner. Many participants attributed their career progression to the qualification. The graduates were able to lead various educational changes in the workplace and they described substantial performance attainments. I also found their work environment and personal factors influenced the impact of these qualifications. A conceptual framework based on an increased understanding of the identity development of healthcare educators was also developed. This is the first study on the long-term effects of a degree-awarding course in medical education on healthcare professionals worldwide. The findings have implications for the educators, course directors, healthcare organisations and professionalisation of the speciality.

This dissertation research separates out the social relations implied in identity theory and empirically shows the interaction of identity and social relations. I conducted 60 interviews and one online survey with respondents at two public universities in two cities with distinctive sociocultural characteristics. The respondents were graduate students from mainland China pursuing their master’s or doctoral degrees in the U.S. The students’ lengths of stay in the U.S. varied, but all experienced a major life transition from China to the U.S. The qualitative interview data show that the adoption of a religious identity in the two places, defined as different social environments, impact the interaction of identity and networks. Where the community is small and homogeneous, the Chinese graduate students are quickly thrown into strong religious dyadic relationships and primary groups, and soon thereafter acquire a religious identity. Where the community is large and sparsely connected, the identity pool is large and the adoption of the religious identity becomes less constrained by dyadic relationships and primary groups. The interview data also show that within-person time spanning (the time span between prior to the respondents’ arrival in the U.S. and after the respondents’ coming to the U.S.), and between-person time spanning (the “newcomers” who have lived in the U.S. for less than one year versus the “old-timers” who have lived in the U.S. for over one year) are important in the identity network process. The transfer from China to the U.S. fosters the emergence of the Chinese ethnic identity. The Chinese network composition of the newcomers and the old-timers granted them a similar list of important identities. The quantitative findings confirm that place, time, and personal network function together to impact identity importance. Also, the classification of ties into “important people” and “time bound people” are effective predictors of identity importance. In conclusion, this dissertation research demonstrates empirically how social relations and identity impact each other. This research also provides a case study for the population – Chinese graduate students in the U.S.

Social exclusion is a psychologically stressful experience that impairs people’s ability to control specific behaviors or events. In the current study, I attempted to reconcile competing predictions regarding whether exclusion is especially harmful to control, or self-regulate, when it is attributed to individual- or group-based characteristics of a person. Per the self-evaluation maintenance (SEM) model, social exclusion should be most detrimental to self-regulation when it is directed at a person’s unique traits, or individual self. In contrast, social identity theory (SIT) predicts that exclusion is especially damaging when it is directed at a person’s group membership. I examined whether the seemingly contradictory predictions made by SEM and SIT are because they relate to different circumstances concerning the fairness of the exclusion experience. Most research regarding individual-based exclusion involves situations in which the exclusion seems fair, or deserved, whereas research regarding group-based exclusion focuses on discrimination, or unfair exclusion. An online exclusion paradigm (i.e., “College Survivor”) was used to examine the role of fairness. During the Survivor game, Latina women experienced either individual- or group-based exclusion that was either fair or unfair. Afterwards, participants were asked to taste and rate three bowls of chocolate that were ostensibly manufactured in three countries that used different recipes. The findings demonstrated that participants consumed the most calories (i.e., showed the greatest loss of self-control) when exclusion was fair and directed towards their individual selves, or when exclusion was unfair and directed towards their group selves.

The relationship between Black Americans and African immigrants can be described in many ways, and one of those descriptions is distant. Due to a number of reasons, relationships between the two ethnic groups sometimes result in dissociation. In understanding the dissociation between Black Americans and African immigrants, this study takes a look at cultural identity, ethnic identity, avowal and ascription, and how they connect to the issue of dissociation between the two ethnic groups. This study uses social identity theory and mediated intergroup conflict as its theoretical foundation. Narrative approach and grounded theory approach are used as the study’s methodological approaches, and the study also analyzes its findings using three phases of data analysis; memo-writing analysis, narrative analysis, and hermeneutic analysis. Only a few studies concerning the dissociation between Black Americans and African immigrants have been conducted, and it is this study’s objective to add to the current literature. It is important to note that this study is an exploratory research on the dissociation between the two ethnic groups. Overall, the study’s findings indicate that the dissociation between Black Americans and African immigrants is due to the cultural differences between the two ethnic groups and how those differences are communicated.

Denna uppsats hade som syfte att undersöka fotbollshuliganers upplevelse av våld och supporterskap för att få en djupare förståelse för fenomenet huliganism. Detta analyserades med hjälp av teorier om social identitet. Utifrån intervjuer med fyra huliganer kom analysen fram till att huliganerna skapar en norm där de upplever det våld som de själva utför som rätt, eftersom det inte skadar andra människor än de själva. Detta skapade temat Våld under vissa premisser. Utöver detta var två andra teman som framträdde som viktiga Rivalitet och Gemenskap. Det gick att finna att huliganerna skapar en social identitet som bygger på synen på våld som bra när det sker i koppling till sitt supporterskap, och att gemenskapen inom den så kallade huliganfirman och rivaliteten mot andra firmor är av vikt. / This paper has sought to analyze and contribute to an understanding of football hooligans' experiences of supportership and violence. This was done in order to attain a deeper understanding of the phenomena of football hooliganism. The analysis was carried out with theories on social identity. Through interviews with four hooligans, the analysis shows that the hooligans create a norm within their firm where violence is seen as justified when carried out under specific circumstances. This created the theme Violence under certain circumstances. In addition to this, two other themes that emerged from the analysis were Rivalry and A sense of community. It is found that the hooligans create a social identity that is built on their views on violence as justified in connection to their supportership, and that the community within the so-called hooligan firm as well as rivalry towards other firms are important aspects.

The present research provides the first analyses of Australian women directors from the perspective of social identity theory. The overall objective of the research program is to confirm the validity of social identity theory to the study of women on corporate boards and in doing so, add to the limited knowledge regarding successful women directors. An aim of the research was to identify factors that are significant in the social identity of women who are successful directors of corporate boards. These factors were revealed through a longitudinal study (over six years) of changes in the demographic characteristics of the women and their board positions. Factors were revealed through their perceptions of their effectiveness as an ostensibly minority (female) board member. Similarities in stereotyped attitudes to men and women board directors confirmed their status as an ingroup member. Through identification of significant factors in women’s success as board directors it is hoped to assist both individual women who are striving for success on corporate boards and organisations who wish to make more effective use of women on their boards. Five studies examined various aspects of women directors’ experiences and influences through three survey instruments that were used to collect data over a period of six years. A survey design allowed the gathering of detailed data on a variety of items thought to be relevant to women’s experiences of being directors and allowed the data collected to be oriented to a theoretical framework. Thus, a survey design was deemed superior to common alternatives of analysis of archival company annual report data or re-analysis of data collected by executive search companies for a study of corporate directors. A survey of 572 Australian women directors in 1995 identified many characteristics of women directors. A profile of a typical Australian women director was constructed and compared to international research on women directors covering a similar period (e.g., Burke, 1994b; Catalyst, 1993; Holton, Rabbets & Scrivener, 1993). An examination of differences between the characteristics of executive and nonexecutive women directors confirmed that the two director roles could be perceived as distinct groups. A further survey of the women six years later examined changes in their characteristics and board experiences. Of the 298 women who had agreed to follow-up research, 59 surveys were returned as no longer at the same address, 23 women indicated that they were no longer on a corporate board, and 32 were current corporate directors. Changes in the women’s profiles that the directors had attained through increased board memberships and more central board roles were interpreted as indicators of success. Based on research by Cejka and Eagly (1999), similarities and differences in stereotypical attitudes of men and women directors were examined in relation to social identity theory. Factors in nonexecutive women directors’ identification as board directors, their perceptions of their ability to contribute as board directors, and their behaviour as a board directors were assessed by measures from Karasawa (1991) and Westphal and Milton (2000). The present research program demonstrated the value of social identity theory as a vehicle for understanding Australian women director’s experiences on corporate boards. For the present research, social identity theory provided insights into how successful Australian women directors perceive themselves and other members of their ingroup of board directors. By contributing to a deeper understanding of successful women directors, it is hoped that a greater number of women will be able to successfully join ingroups of board directors, thereby breaking down the barriers to women.

This thesis examines the way in which traditional accounts of gender differences in the self-concept have relied on distal explanatory factors, and have thus conceptualised the gendered self as stable across both time and situation. This notion of a stable, gendered self has been implicated as underlying of a range of psychological gender differences (e.g., Cross & Madson, 1997), such as those in moral reasoning (e.g., Gillian, 1982) and ways of knowing (e.g., Belenky et al., 1989). As a result, these behaviours are also seen to be stable across time and context.¶ An alternative perspective is investigated, which looks to social identity theory and self-categorisation theory for a conceptualisation of both gender and the self-concept as being malleable and context-dependent (e.g., Turner et al., 1987). The social identity perspective describes the way in which proximal aspects of the social context affect the expression of gender-related behaviours, attitudes, and beliefs. In this way, the social identity perspective provides an analysis of group membership, group norms, and social influence which can not only account for the differences that are observed between men and women, but can also offer an analysis of the context-dependence of these difference and an approach by which gender differences can be mollified.¶ A series of nine empirical studies are reported, investigating the way in which individuals (a) define themselves, (b) approach moral reasoning, and (c) approach knowledge and learning, across a number of different social contexts. Together, the results suggest that the self-concept, moral orientation, and ways of knowing are neither stable nor inherently gendered, but are malleable and dependent on the nature of the self-other relationship as defined by the proximal aspects of the social context. The implications for traditional theories of gender differences are discussed, as are the broader implications for feminism and social change.

<p>European higher education is being faced with more and more challenges arising fromdiversity. Diversity arises as Universities seek to achieve higher levels ofinternationalisation by accepting students from as many countries as possible. Everyoneseems to be of the opinion that diversity is essentially a good thing. However, studies haveshown that diversity does not always lead to productivity. In Sweden for example, researchhas found that groups with gender diversity have more productive outcomes, while groupswith ethnic diversity display less positive outcomes. In general, research on highereducation has often showed that ethnic minority students achieve lower levels ofperformance than other students.This thesis studies the factors that affect the attitudes of ethnic minorities, first from a socialidentity point of view, and then by looking at other factors such as expectations ofemployment and the effects of studying in a new educational system. The social identityprocesses that are important in a student context are examined so as to determine those thathave a stronger effect on minority students.For this study, interviews were carried out with three students, and questionnaires were alsoadministered. From the analysis, it is observed that ethnic minority students suffer negativeeffects from being in a cultural minority and often feel dominated by the surroundingculture. Also, they develop less positive attitudes towards their studies because of loweremployment expectations, difficulties of adapting to a new setting and less preparation intheir earlier education.It is suggested that in order to create a more favourable environment for ethnic minoritystudents, steps must be taken to create a better psychological atmosphere for minoritystudents. Also, steps should be taken to improve social contact between students and toenhance the process of group work.The main limitations of the study are time, scope and cost. To be able to carry out a morein-depth study of school performance, it is important to perform more interviews andsurveys, covering a longer time frame.</p>

Team diversity refers to the differences between team members on any attribute that may lead each single member of the group to perceive any other member of the group as being different from the self of this particular member. These attributes and perceptions refer to all dimensions people can differ on, such as age, gender, ethnicity, religious and functional background, personality, skills, abilities, beliefs, and attitudes.