Part 1
By looking at the psychosocial theory of identity and social identity theory we realize that there is many similarities and differences in how they conceptualise identity. Both theories agree that identity has personal and social aspects. The most noticeable difference is that the psychosocial theory looks at how we achieve our individual identities, whereas Tajfel focuses on how we develop group identities (as cited in Phoenix, 2007, p. 62). Looking at each of the theorists’ biographies shows us how each person’s past has influenced their interests. Erikson’s interest is on core identity and lifelong development whereas the Tajfel’s main interest was on how prejudice is produced through group identity. The two theories have different research methods where Tafel uses an experimental research method to gain objectivity in contrast with Erikson seeking a subjective or insider viewpoint. As a result both theories gather different types of data. We then look at how differently our identities is said to develop in each theory and whether the theories view our identities are fixed or allow for change.
Our identity is what makes us unique, it is understood to be our own theory of ourselves and it includes the characteristics and relationships we have with other people (as cited in Phoenix, 2007, p. 47).

Erik Erikson (1902-1994) was a psychoanalyst and defined identity as ‘a conscious sense of individual uniqueness, an unconscious striving for continuity and having solidarity with a groups ideals’ (as cited in Phoenix, 2007, p. 53). His focus was mainly on the individual, personal aspects of identity in a social context and moral development. On the other hand Henri Tajfel (1919-1982) devised a notion that social identity is largely composed of self-descriptions, which derived from the characteristics that we believe define the social groups to which we belong. He sees a social group as two or more individuals who share a common identification or who saw themselves as members of the same social category (as cited in Phoenix, 2007, p. 62). He mainly focused on identity, specifically looking at intra and inter-group behavior. Although these theories differ in the way they conceptualise identity, they both agree that our identities are made up from both personal and social elements (as cited in Phoenix, 2007, p. 52).
Erikson’s work reflects the issues that have been important to him, core identity and lifelong development. His parents separated before he was born and was raised by Jewish parents. He grew up looking different than his dark haired parents and throughout his life he was unsuccessfully searching for his real father. Erikson had a turbulent adolescence and later in his work he conceptualized adolescence as a time of ‘crisis’ (as cited in (OpenLearn (DSE212_2) EPOCH). Henri Tafel’s work as part of the social identity theory shows how prejudice is produced through group identity. Tajfel was taken prisoner by the German army in the Second World War. Between 1940 and 1945 he was in various prisoner-of-war camps in Germany and Austria. During this time he had to live under a false identity, as a French Jew rather than a Polish Jew for the fear of his life (as cited in (OpenLearn (DSE212_2) EPOCH). His true identity would have made him part of a different social category. This indicates the importance of group identity, since personal attributes and identity, as a unique individual would have provided unimportant and irrelevant. From this we can see that the psychosocial theory focuses on core identity and lifelong development whereas the social identity theory shows how prejudice is produced through group identity.

Tajfel used the experimental research method to gain an outsider or objective viewpoint (as cited in the Methods Book, p.11 -19). He conducted a range of studies where he was categorizing people into groups addressing the question of whether being a member of a group is enough in itself to promote identity with the ingroup and hostility against the outgroup. His research findings confirms that the formation of social groups induce discrimination in favor of the ingroup and against the outgroup (as cited in Phoenix, 2007, p. 63 - 64). In contrast Marcia contributed to Erikson’s work on identity and psychological development, by identifying themes, concepts and ideas by doing a qualitative analysis of the semi-structured interviews and seeking subjectivity or an insider viewpoint (as cited in Methods Book, p.25 – 27). Here we can see that the theorists of these two theories collected different data, either qualitative or quantitative data.
A key concept of the psychosocial theory is the period characterized by ‘identity crisis’ when adolescents are at war with themself and find it impossible to make commitments to adult roles (as cited in Phoenix, 2007, p. 56). ‘Role diffusion’ is the failure to achieve a secure feeling of whom and what one is, also called ‘ego identity’. In contrast in the social identity theory key concepts include ‘social categories’, the division of people by their characteristics and have differential power and status. ‘Social mobility’ the process in which group members improves their status by leaving behind their previous social group. ‘Social change’ includes ‘social creativity’ a process of positively redefining a devalued social group to improve the social identity of its members and ‘social competition’ where social change is advanced by demanding alternative social arrangements and encouraging new ways of thinking about social change (as cited in Phoenix, 2007, p. 65).
The psychosocial theory and the social identity theory differ in the way they see our identities to be developed. According to the psychosocial theory the community shapes our identity, which happens during adolescence but according to the social identity theory people build social identities through group membership (as cited in Phoenix, 2007, p. 65). Although having the different perspectives both these theories still demonstrate that our identities are historically and geographically produced through social relations (as cited in Phoenix, 2007, p. 81).

Identity raises questions about whether we stay the same all through our lives, or whether we change over time. Erikson’s psychological approach to identity assume that once identity is achieved that it is relatively fixed whereas the social identity theory allow to change identities throughout life (as cited in Phoenix, 2007, p. 103).

In the social identity theory difference and diversity is recognized by the act of self-categorisation. The psychosocial theory also recognise the differences and diversity of identity by identifying that ‘knowing who we are requires knowing who we are not’ (as cited in Phoenix, 2007, p. 62-63), termed by Erikson as ego identity’. From Marcia’s research it was found that young people have different identity statuses for different aspects of life (as cited in Phoenix, 2007, p. 61).

Although both the psychological and social identity theory has similarities and differences in the way they conceptualise identity both these theories agree to the importance of the differences and diversity in identities and that our identities consist of several aspects (as cited in Phoenix, 2007, p. 81). Both these theories and Marcia recognizes that we have a variety of sources of identities, but integrate them into a coherent whole (as cited in Phoenix, 2007, p. 61).

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