Dual Identity in Interethnic Context

Abstract

The field of social psychology, over the past few years, has created a new term to describe threats to collective identity called social identity threat. This study sets out to present how social identity threat may arise between different ethnic groups, describes its conditions and determining factors, possible responses and forms of reaction to such dangers; furthermore, it also covers factors which decide what self-defense strategy one may choose. Finally, the possible outcomes and consequences are examined. The article discusses the phenomenon of social identity threat using empirics of theoretical and international research applied to the coexistence of ethnic Germans and Hungarians in a village in Hungary. Exploring the life of the settlement is part of a broader empirical research.

Keywords

• ethnic minorities
• interethnic relationships
• group identity
• stereotypes
• prejudice
• social identity threat