In-groups & Out- groups

Social Identity Theory

Tajfel proposed: that the groups which people belonged to were an important source of pride and self-esteem. Groups give us a sense of social identity: a sense of belonging to the social world. 

Some of these groups could have included social class, family or a football team.

In certain groups, members will try to improve and enhance their image so that their group can also be enhanced. Another way group members will increase their image is by acting intolerant towards other groups and discriminating them.

By acting in this way, naturally people become divided. The world of "us" and "them" comes into place and people are put into social groups. "in-groups" and "out-groups". The idea of social identification, is how people in these groups will act and behave, including opinions and attitudes which would be accepted as a norm in these particular groups.

 

Mods and Rockers

The mods and rockers were two British subcultures that were conflicting throughout early 1960s and 1970s. The Mods would often dress in tailor-made suits and wear Doc Martens and desert boots. Most Mods would listen to RnB music, as well as soul. Rockers were usually dressed in leather jackets and motor bike boots, also with turned up jeans. Rockers would listen to a lot of Rock n Roll. 

During the time of the mods and rockers, many fights broke out due to the dissimilarity and the social comparison. A famous conflict between the two social groups took place in Brighton(1964) on the beach, where physical fighting became severe.