Basis of SIDT
Nesdale (2004, 2007) proposed social identity development theory (SIDT) as an explicitly groupâbased account of the development of childrenâs intraâ and intergroup attitudes, cognitions, and behaviors. Although the early versions of the theory, in particular, were influenced by the social identity theory (SIT) proposed by Tajfel and Turner (1979), and its subsequent elaboration, selfâcategorization theory (SCT; Turner, Hogg, Oakes, Reicher, & Wetherell, 1987), SIDT differed from SIT (and SCT) in several significant ways.
First, SIT (and SCT) contends that identifying with (or categorizing oneself into) particular social groups (i.e., adopting the attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors of the social group as oneâs own) contributes to an individualâs social selfâesteem (i.e., as distinct from their personal selfâesteem). Given that individuals might normally wish to maintain, if not enhance, their social selfâesteem, it follows that they would be motivated to identify with social groups that are positive and distinctive. According to SIT, the need for a positive and distinctive group identity has the potential to contribute to the development of negative attitudes or prejudice towards members of other groups (Tajfel & Turner, 1979).
In contrast, SIDT proposes that, as far as childrenâs social interactions are concerned, including their involvement in social groups, what is of prime or, at least, initial importance to them is that they are accepted by others such that they are able to be part of friendships and groups. In short, it is acceptance and belonging that motivates them to pursue social contacts, friendships, and social group memberships from an early age (Milner, 1996; Nesdale, 2004). Indeed, according to some writers, such behavior may reflect an inborn, fundamental need to belong and to be accepted (Baumeister & Leary, 1995).
At the same time, SIDT recognizes that, as children move into and through middle childhood, they learn to recognize the differing statuses of groups and will become aware of the benefits that highâstatus groups provide to members (e.g., popularity, influence, control of resources), should they happen to be a member of such a group. Moreover, there will also be children who acquire the confidence and selfâesteem to seek membership in the most positively distinctive groups, as argued by SIT, in order to be with those perceived to be similar to themselves and to enhance their selfâesteem. However, according to SIDT, first and foremost for most children is the need to be accepted by a group and to feel that they belong to their group.
Second, although SIT provided a social motivational framework that, in principle, can be applied to the case of children, it focused on explaining prejudice and discrimination in adults. In particular, SIT has nothing to say about the central and most significant feature of childrenâthe fact that from birth onwards, they are continuously changing and developing in terms of their perceptual, cognitive, and linguistic skills, as well as their individual personalities, and their social knowledge, perceptiveness, and competencies. Accordingly, SIDT sought to propose a theory that would account for childrenâs involvement in groups by taking into consideration the array of factors that emerge and change as children grow and mature and have an everâwidening range of social experiences.
Third, whereas SIT sought to explain how one group comes to display prejudice and discrimination towards another group, SCT (Turner et al., 1987) was framed as a new theory that would extend SIT by providing an account of intraâgroup processes, including an outline of the basis upon which individuals join groups. In contrast, SIDT sought to explain both intraâ and intergroup processes and relations within the same theory, the assumption being that intraâgroup processes would likely impact upon the nature of relations between groups.
Outline of SIDT
SIDT proposes that, during the period from birth to 12 years of age, children may pass through up to four sequential development phases (foundations of social group relations, social group awareness, social group preference, and outâgroup negativity). The phases differ in terms of the behaviors that characterize them, and the events that precipitate changes from one phase to the next.
For up to 2 years following birth, most children are in the foundations of social group relations phase in which the possibility of social groups, as well as the common markers of, and basis for associating with, social groups (e.g., similarities in age, skin color, gender, body shape, religion, behavior, activities, interests) have little meaning to them. At the same time, however, they are everâincreasingly engaged in social observation and social interactions, as well as activities such as play and problemâsolving, and they display responses to others, that reveal their burgeoning interest in social contact with other children.
The social group awareness phase commences when children start differentiating others on the basis of such markers as those above, typically beginning with gender. According to SIDT, such differentiation prompts children to begin to identify or categorize themselves on the basis of their similarity/difference to others (I am a boy, she is a girl). Importantly, young children do not appear to construct social categories on an idiosyncratic basis. Children typically enter a social environment in which the key social categories are already specified and the nature of relations between the memb...
