The Social Cure: Identity, health and well-being

409 Pages·2011·2.634 MB·English

by  Jolanda Jetten, Catherine Haslam, S. Alexander Haslam

the
Social Cure
Identity, Health and Well-Being
Jolanda Jetten, Catherine Haslam S. Alexander Haslam
Edited by and
The Social Cure
A growing body of research shows that social networks and identities have
a profound impact on mental and physical health. With such mounting
evidence of the importance of social relationships in protecting health, the
challenge we face is explaining why this should be the case. What is it that
social groups offer that appears to be just as beneficial as a daily dose of
vitamin C or regular exercise?
This edited book brings together the latest research on how group
memberships, and the social identities associated with them, determine
people’s health and well-being. The volume provides a variety of perspec-
tives from clinical, social, organisational, and applied fields that offer
theoretical and empirical insights into these processes and their conse-
quences. The contributions present a rich and novel analysis of core theor-
etical issues relating to the ways in which social identities, and factors
associatedwiththem(suchassocialsupportandasenseofcommunity),can
bolster individuals’ sense of self and contribute to physical and mental
health.Inthiswayitisshownhowsocialidentitiesconstitutea‘socialcure’,
capable of promoting adjustment, coping, and well-being for individuals
dealingwitharangeofillnesses,injuries,trauma,andstressors.Inaddition,
these theories provide a platform for practical strategies that can maintain
and enhance well-being, particularly among vulnerable populations.
Contributors to the book are at the forefront of these developments and
thebook’sstrengthderivesfromitsanalysisoffactorsthatshapethehealth
and well-being of a broad range of groups. It presents powerful insights
which have important implications for health, clinical, social, and organ-
isational psychology and a range of cognate fields.
Jolanda Jetten is Professor of Social Psychology at the University of
Queensland, Australia. She was awarded her PhD in 1997 from the
University of Amsterdam. Her research is concerned with identity, group
processes and intergroup relations. She is currently Chief Editor of the
British Journal of Social Psychology and a BPS Spearman medalist.
Catherine Haslam is an Associate Professor at the University of Exeter,
UK.Shehaspublishedextensivelyontheneuropsychologicaldimensionsof
memory and identity. She initially trained and worked as a clinical psy-
chologist and subsequently completed her PhD at the Australian National
University in 1999.
S. Alexander Haslam is Professor of Social and Organisational Psychology
at the University of Exeter, UK. His work focuses on the contribution of
social identity to a range of social, organisational, and health outcomes. A
Fellow of the Canadian Institute of Advanced Research, he is a former
editor of the European Journal of Social Psychology and Kurt Lewin
medalist.
The Social Cure
Identity, health and well-being
Edited by Jolanda Jetten, Catherine
Haslam & S. Alexander Haslam
Firstpublished2012
byPsychologyPress
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Thesocialcure:identity,healthandwell-being/editedbyJolanda
Jetten,CatherineHaslam&S.AlexanderHaslam.
p.cm.
Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.
ISBN978-1-84872-021-3(hb)
1.Socialnetworks–Psychologicalaspects.2.Groupidentity.3.
Health–Socialaspects.4.Wellbeing–Socialaspects.I.Jetten,
Jolanda.II.Haslam,Catherine.III.Haslam,S.Alexander.IV.Title.
HM741.S6332011
302.3–dc22
2010050068
ISBN:978-1-84872-021-3(hbk)
ISBN:978-0-203-81319-5(ebk)
TypesetinTimesbyGarfieldMorgan,Swansea,WestGlamorgan
PrintedandboundinGreatBritainbyTJInternationalLtd,Padstow,
Cornwall
CoverdesignbySandraHeath
Contents
List of figures and tables ix
List of contributors xi
Preface xv
PART I
Social identity, health, and well-being 1
1 The case for a social identity analysis of health and well-being 3
JOLANDAJETTEN,S.ALEXANDERHASLAM,ANDCATHERINEHASLAM
2 Group identification, social relationships, and health 21
FABIOSANI
3 Promoting positive orientation towards health through
social identity 39
MARKTARRANT,MARTINS.HAGGER,ANDCLAIREV.FARROW
4 How much is social capital worth? 55
JOHNF.HELLIWELLANDCHRISTOPHERP.BARRINGTON-LEIGH
PART II
Social identity, stigma, and coping 73
5 In sickness and in health: Influences of social categorizations
on health-related outcomes 75
LINDSAYST.CLAIREANDCLAUDINECLUCAS
6 Not wanting to grow old: A Social Identity Model of Identity
Change (SIMIC) analysis of driving cessation among
older adults 97
JOLANDAJETTENANDNANCYPACHANA
vi Contents
7 Moving toward or away from a group identity: Different
strategies for coping with pervasive discrimination 115
NYLAR.BRANSCOMBE,SAULOFERNA´NDEZ,ANGELGO´MEZ,AND
TRACEYCRONIN
8 Biological and psychosocial responses to discrimination 133
KIMBERLYMATHESONANDHYMIEANISMAN
PART III
Social identity, stress, and trauma 155
9 When other people are heaven, when other people are hell:
How social identity determines the nature and impact of
social support 157
S.ALEXANDERHASLAM,STEPHEND.REICHER,ANDMARKLEVINE
10 Stress and well-being in the workplace: Support for key
propositions from the social identity approach 175
ROLFVANDICKANDS.ALEXANDERHASLAM
11 Collective resilience in mass emergencies and disasters:
A social identity model 195
JOHNDRURY
12 Social cure or social curse? The psychological impact of
extreme events during the Kosovo conflict 217
BLERINAKELLEZIANDSTEPHENREICHER
PART IV
Social identity, recovery, and rehabilitation 235
13 Social linkage, self-concept, and well-being after severe
traumatic brain injury 237
JACINTAM.DOUGLAS
14 Deciding to disclose: The importance of maintaining social
relationships for well-being after acquired brain injury 255
JANELLEM.JONES,JOLANDAJETTEN,S.ALEXANDERHASLAM,AND
W.HUWWILLIAMS
15 The experience of self in the world: The personal and social
contexts of identity change after brain injury 273
FERGUSGRACEYANDTAMARAOWNSWORTH
Contents vii
16 The importance of remembering and deciding together:
Enhancing the health and well-being of older adults in care 297
CATHERINEHASLAM,JOLANDAJETTEN,S.ALEXANDERHASLAM,AND
CRAIGP.KNIGHT
PART V
Conclusion 317
17 Advancing the social cure: Implications for theory, practice
and policy 319
CATHERINEHASLAM,JOLANDAJETTEN,ANDS.ALEXANDERHASLAM
Appendix: Measures of identity, health, and well-being 345
Author index 369
Subject index 383

Figures and tables
Figures
3.1 The relationship between social identity and health 44
4.1 Compensating differentials at individual and national levels 60
4.2 Determinants of belonging: Trust 67
4.3 Determinants of belonging: Social connections 67
4.4 Belonging takes time to develop 68
6.1 A schematic representation of the Social Identity Model
of Identity Change (SIMIC) 99
8.1 Relations between symptoms of PTSD (IES-R) and
cortisol reactions to irrelevant and relevant stressor video
challenges among women who were or were not currently in
an abusive dating relationship 138
8.2 Cortisol reactivity of students following reminder cues of
prior trauma or traumatic discrimination 139
9.1 The role of shared social identity in determining the level
(H1) and interpretation (H2) of social support 162
10.1 Pathways from organizational identification to stress and
well-being 188
11.1 The Social Identity model of collective resilience 201
12.1 A social identity model of the impact of extreme events
upon mental well-being 223
13.1 Schematic representation of the relationships between
social activity, social ties, social support, and emotional
well-being expressed by people with severe traumatic brain
injury (TBI) and family carers 241
13.2 Michael’s scores on measures of emotional well-being, social
support, community integration, and quality of life before
involvement in the community group programme and
6 months after sustained activity in the programme 244
13.3 Michael’s story shown through his comments applied to the
schematic representation of the relationships between social
activity, social ties, social support and emotional well-being 245