Age as a Source of Social Identity Cover Image

Věk jako zdroj sociální identity
Age as a Source of Social Identity

Author(s): Eva Šlesingerová
Subject(s): Social Sciences
Published by: AV ČR - Akademie věd České republiky - Sociologický ústav

Summary/Abstract: The article examines age as a possible group identity. It sets out to determine which age groups in society today have a stronger sense of identity and the source of that identity, while drawing on the tenets of social psychology and the theories of social identity and optimal distinctiveness. The latter two theories provide insight into the motives for identifi cation with social groups, but see different needs at the heart of this identifi cation, and thus offer alternative hypotheses of age as a source of status and positive self-image versus age as a source of distinctiveness and a ‘substitute’ source of identity. The analysis is based on representative data for the Czech population over the age of 20 drawn from the European Social Survey Round 4 and the International Social Survey Programme 2003. It shows that self-categorisation into the verbally defi ned

  • Issue Year: 48/2012
  • Issue No: 01
  • Page Range: 131-152
  • Page Count: 22
  • Language: Czech