Key Theorists and the London Riots

Peter Burke - Identity Control Theory 

Is a theory focused on the development of personal identity it focuses on the nature of peoples' identities and the relationship between their identities and their behaviour within their subculture. The identities of the individual are rooted in their social grouping the theory was created based on traditional symbolic interaction views where people choose their own behaviours and how their behaviours correspond to the meanings of their identity. One of the main aspects ICT deals with is how individuals view their own identities and respond to the reactions to their identities of those around them. When an individual is acting according to the identity control theory they reflect on the identity they display and how others approve or disapprove of their identity. If the individual does not like the responses of others they will look at how they can change their views of their identity or their identity towards themselves to produce a positive outcome

The Identity Control Theory works really well with the case study of the London riots because according to the theory individuals in this case the youths react and create their own identity in response to what is happening around them, we can see that in this case it had a negative effect because the youths that were exposed to the violent destructive behaviour began to reflect that behaviour themselves on the identity that they displayed which created a the riot subculture in which they all began to show the same behaviours as they all shared the same identity. 

 

Key Theorists and the London Riots

Henri Tajfel- Social Identity Theory

Social identity theory assumes that individuals strive to improve there self image by trying to enhance self esteem, based on either personal identity or various social identities.Tajfel proposed that the groups (e.g. social class, family, football team etc.) which people belonged to were an important source of pride and self-esteem these groups give us a sense of social identity and by having these groups we split ourselves into 'them and 'us'.Tajfel argues that there is a distinct difference between these 'in-groups' and 'out-groups', this developed in 'in-group' favouritism and 'out-group' discrimination social identity theory states that the in-group will discriminate against the out-group to enhance their self-image and in order to increase our own self image we enhance the image of our own group.

The way the media presented youth according to Tajfel's theory are that of an 'out-group' the media came down hard on the youths who were seen to be a part of the riots and in doing so lowered the status of youths by using negative media coverage which allowed adults and the government to enhance their own self image becoming the more powerful 'in-group'.

Disjuncture

Illustration

Amplification