Self-Definition and Ingroup Formation Among Ethnic Minorities in the Netherlands

The social identification approach to intergroup relations emphasizes the role of social categorization as a cognitive variable in causing group behavior. The acceptance of a social category as self-defining is assumed to lead to ingroup formation and preferences. The present study does not focus on the causality question but rather argues that the social identification model does not pay enough attention to the different levels of group identification and to the evaluative orientation toward social categories. Adolescents from ethnic minorities participated in this study. The results show that the mere self-description in terms of their ethnic origin was not associated with more ingroup formation and stronger preference. Adolescents who considered their ethnic identity as very important, however, showed more ingroup preference. The same was true for adolescents who evaluated their ethnic identity positively.