Arabs and Jews, blacks and whites: Identity and group relations

Abstract

A conception of social identity, derived from Lewinian field theory, is described that focuses on structural aspects of attitudes towards the global self (Self Esteem) and relevant sets of subidentities. The present study compares means, hierarchies, correlations, factor patterns, and multiple regressions of Readiness for Social Relations on identity variables, sex and age. Subjects were 163 U.S. Blacks, 136 U.S. Whites, 182 Israeli Arabs, and 133 Israeli Jews, all college students. Identity structure of majority members was more highly intercorrelated than that of minority peers, due in part to the weaker civic subidentity of Blacks and Arabs. The U.S. factor patterns were more similar to each other than either was to the Israeli ones. Those in turn were most different, especially the Arab pattern. It is suggested that the greater similarity of the U.S. factor patterns/identity structures follows from the greater cohesion and consensus of the American culture in contrast to the highly conflicted intergroup situation in Israel. Readiness for Social Relations is practically independent of social identity in the U.S. samples, while in Israel it is positively related to the civic and negatively to the national subidentities of both Jews and Arabs. Differences in the relatedness of Readiness attitudes to the Social Identity system are in part explained by the modest reliability of the Readiness scale and partly by norms of social desirability attached to Readiness for Social Relations in the U.S., but not in Israel.