Collective identity satisfies five basic psychological needs.

Evidence

Collective identity, like identity in general, serves important psychological functions for the person, and satisfaction with one’s collective identity critically depends on the extent to which it successfully fulfills these functions. Five collective identity functions seem particularly important. They relate to basic psychological needs, namely, belongingness, distinctiveness, respect, understanding (or meaning), and agency (Baumeister & Leary, 1995; Brewer, 1991; Fiske, 2000; Maslow, 1970; E.R.Smith & Mackie, 1995; Tajfel & Turner, 1979, 1986). — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 4403

Collective identity, like identity in general, serves important psychological functions for the person, and satisfaction with one’s collective identity critically depends on the extent to which it successfully fulfills these functions. Five collective identity functions seem particularly important. They relate to basic psychological needs, namely, belongingness, distinctiveness, respect, understanding (or meaning), and agency (Baumeister & Leary, 1995; Brewer, 1991; Fiske, 2000; Maslow, 1970; E.R.Smith & Mackie, 1995; Tajfel & Turner, 1979, 1986). For instance, collective identity confirms that one belongs to a particular place in the social world. At the same time, it also affords distinctiveness from those other social places (or people) to which one does not belong. It further signals that one is like other people, though not necessarily like all other people, so that one can expect respect, at least from these similar others (which in turn is a necessary precondition for self-respect or self-esteem). Moreover, collective identity provides a meaningful perspective on the social world from which this world can be interpreted and understood. Finally, collective identity signals that one is not alone but can count on the social support and solidarity of other in-group members so that, as a group, one is a much more efficacious social agent (“Together we are strong!”). — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 4403

Categorization

• DEFINE: Specifies the five functions of collective identity: belongingness, distinctiveness, respect, understanding, agency.
• XREF: Relevant to the strategic-essentialism bind: if collective identity satisfies genuine needs like belonging and agency, an actor holding it only ironically would forgo these benefits — a cost that may force genuine residence in the identity.
• corroborated: 3 independent passages support this claim — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 4403; John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology: Key Readings, 4403