Drawing upon the perspective of social identity theory, The Development of the Social Self is concerned with the acquisition and development of children's social identities. In contrast to previous work on self-development, which has focused primarily on the development of the personal self, this volume makes a case for the importance of the study of the social self - that is, the self as defined through group memberships, such as gender, ethnicity, and nationality.

A broad range of identity-related issues are addressed, such as ingroup identification, conceptions of social identities, prejudice, and the central role of social context. Based on contributions from leading researchers in Europe, Australia and the US, the book summarises the major research programmes conducted to date. Furthermore, the closing chapters provide commentary on this research, as well as mapping out key directions for future research.

With a unique focus encompassing both social and developmental psychology, The Development of the Social Self will appeal to a broad spectrum of students and researchers in both disciplines, as well as those working in related areas such as sociology and child development.

About the Author

Mark Bennett is a Reader in Developmental Psychology at the University of Dundee, Scotland.
Fabio Sani is a Lecturer in Social Psychology at the University of Dundee, Scotland

Reviews

Reading this book is like participating in a seminar discussion that you don't want to end: the ideas and the evidence are illuminating and engaging. - Paul Webley, University of Exeter, UK

This is a momentous and impressive book. It is a very long time since a social developmental text has offered such rich developmental observations for social psychologists and such powerful theoretical analysis for developmentalists. The result is a wonderful intellectual synergy that ensures that this volume will be seen as a landmark for researchers and students in both areas. Moreover, for psychology as a whole, the book is an all too rare demonstration of the way in which the fusion of methods and insights from two fields can energise and enrich both. It addresses questions at the very heart of our discipline and provides novel and compelling answers that cannot fail to engage a very broad band of readers. - Alex Haslam, Professor of Social Psychology, University of Exeter, UK

Book Information
ISBN 9780415649056
Author Mark Bennett
Format Paperback
Page Count 352
Imprint Psychology Press Ltd
Publisher Taylor & Francis Ltd
Weight(grams) 566g