Collective Self

Collective self is a term used in social psychology to refer to those aspects of self that derive from the groups a person identifies with or belongs to as a member. When the collective self is active, a person construes the self as “we” based on attributes that are shared with other group members, rather than simply as “I” based on attributes that are uniquely personal. Viewed historically, this psychological focus on a social self rather than an individual self has been slow in coming, though the concept has long been recognized in sociology. The collective self taps into group membership and is activated when a particular group becomes salient at a moment in time. When this happens, the person draws on a relevant group ...