Xenia Chryssochoou

The Distinctiveness Principle: Identity, Meaning, and the Bounds of Cultural Relativity

Extending theories of distinctiveness motivation in identity (Breakwell, 1987; Brewer, 1991; Snyder & Fromkin, 1980), we discuss the precise role of distinctiveness in identity processes and the cross-cultural generality of the distinctiveness principle. We argue that (a) within Western cultures, distinctiveness is necessaryfor the construction of meaning within identity, and (b) the distinctiveness principle is not incompatible with non-Western cultural systems. We propose a distinction among three sources of distinctiveness: position, difference, and separateness, with different implications for identity and behavior. These sources coexist within cultures, on both individual and group levels of selfrepresentation, but they may be emphasized differently according to culture and context.

Evaluating Models of Identity Motivation: Self-Esteem is Not the Whole Story

We tested the importance of motivational principles of maintaining self-esteem, distinctiveness, continuity and efficacy (Breakwell, 1993), as well as feelings of purpose and closeness to others, in shaping the perceived centrality of multiple elements of identity among Anglican parish priests. Participants (N = 149) generated identity elements and rated them for perceived centrality and satisfaction of each principle. Comparing multilevel regression models, satisfaction of the self-esteem principle predicted an estimated 32.5%, the four predictors of Breakwells model 49.7%, and all six predictors 54.6% of the variance within participants in perceived centrality of the identity elements (all p < .001). We argue that distinctiveness, continuity, and efficacy should be given equal theoretical consideration to self-esteem as motives guiding identity processes (cf. Abrams & Hogg, 1988; Brewer, 1991; Deaux, 1993; Sedikides & Strube, 1997).

Multicultural societies: making sense of new environments and identities

This paper discusses theoretical issues linked to the study of identities and intergroup relations within multicultural societies. The issues discussed concern how identities acquire meaning in contemporary societies where events in the social context challenge identities and redefine the boundaries of the social groups. More specifically the processes involved in the formation of new identity categorisations and the structure of identity are discussed. Two arguments are developed. Firstly that within multicultural societies one should study the systems of categorisation and the new psychological boundaries within the wider theories about the world people elaborate and share. Secondly, it is argued that since peoples identities reflect social relationships, elements of the structure of common identities might be shared. Finally, the contributions of the papers of this special issue to the above theoretical debate are presented. Copyright

Memberships in a superordinate level: re‐thinking European Union as a multi‐national society

This paper attempts to understand how people give meaning to the social categories they belong to in the context of superordinate group formation. The context of investigation is the European Integration. Participants were Greek and French nationals aged between 28 and 50. First, the lay theories within which the social categories acquire their meaning were investigated through the analysis of qualitative data. 37 open-ended interviews (19 French, 18 Greek participants) were analysed using an interpretative phenomenological approach (Smith et al., 1999). Second, a questionnaire type study investigated the perception of the status-position of each national group (n = 293, French 145, Greeks 148). It is argued that, within commonly shared theories about European integration, the status-position of the subgroups guides the selection of elements upon which different representations of social categories are constructed.

Combining individuality and relatedness: representations of the person among the Anglican clergy

Representations of the person and their significance for identity and action were studied in an interpretative phenomenological analysis of interviews with 42 Anglican clergymen and clergywomen. Participants portrayed the person as having an individual relationship with God and being essentially both unique and related to others; the latter themes supported the coexistence among these participants of both individualistic and relational values, which might be portrayed as either opposing or complementary. The analysis supported theorizing concepts of the person as socially constructed themata with broad implications for identity, values and action, but did not reflect common assumptions in cross-cultural psychology: cultural orientations vary within as well as between nations, and individualism and collectivism are not necessarily opposites. We argue for a more finely grained approach to the study of culture and personhood.

The Representation(s) of a New Superordinate Category

The present paper is concerned with the organizing principles of the representation people form about a superordinate category to which they belong. It is argued here that the social relations in the structural societal level play a crucial role in organizing peoples representation of the superordinate category. These relations are reflected in their stereotypes. The representation of Europe in the context of the European integration is investigated through the study of the national and European stereotypes of an opportunistic sample of 64 French and 74 Greeks. The Multistage Investigator of Social Identity (Zavalloni & Louis-Guerrin, 1984) was used to elicit these stereotypes. The analysis indicated that different representations emerge that tend to express the relations between subgroups and to refer to their perceived position within the superordinate group.