Identity alignment requires perceived sufficiency of similarity rather than actual sameness
Evidence
The term adequation emphasizes the fact that in order for groups or individuals to be positioned as alike, they need not – and in any case cannot – be identical, but must merely be understood as sufficiently similar for current interactional purposes. Thus, differences irrelevant or damaging to ongoing efforts to adequate two people or groups will be downplayed, and similarities viewed as salient to and supportive of the immediate project of identity work will be foregrounded. — Mary Bucholtz and Kira Hall, Identity and Interaction, 75
Categorization
- DEFINE: Defines ‘adequation’ as a key tactic in Bucholtz and Hall’s identity framework.
- XREF: Connects to the reader’s broader interest in identity as negotiated in interaction — this is one of the tactical principles against essentialism. — connects to: Perspective-taking shifts perceived similarity only among low group identifiers — Nyla R. Branscombe and Bertjan Doosje (eds.), Collective Guilt: International…, 1098; Social identity complexity splits into quantifiable overlap and perceived similarity components — Roderick M. Kramer, Geoffrey J. Leonardelli, Robert W. Livingston, Social Cognition, Social Identity, and…, 526; Mixed-identity people shift self-categorizations situationally because prototype-similarity assessments stay inconclusive — Anna X. Huang, Jacqueline M. Chen, and Juliane Degner, Being One or the Other, Both or…, 60 (+6 more)
- FICTION: The insistence that sameness is a pragmatic fiction (‘need not – and in any case cannot – be identical’) is rich material for a character who adopts only the visible trappings of a group identity.
Broader Connections
- Stereotype alignment can heighten a mixed person’s felt similarity to a racial category.
#exemplifies(0.88) — Anna X. Huang, Jacqueline M. Chen, and Juliane Degner, Being One or the Other, Both or Neither, 41 - Mixed-identity people shift self-categorizations situationally because prototype-similarity assessments stay inconclusive
#exemplifies(0.84) — Anna X. Huang, Jacqueline M. Chen, and Juliane Degner, Being One or the Other, Both or Neither, 60 - Social identity complexity splits into quantifiable overlap and perceived similarity components
#expands(0.82) — Roderick M. Kramer, Geoffrey J. Leonardelli, Robert W. Livingston, Social Cognition, Social Identity, and…, 526 - Perspective-taking shifts perceived similarity only among low group identifiers
#qualifies(0.78) — Nyla R. Branscombe and Bertjan Doosje (eds.), Collective Guilt, 1098 - Even explicitly random group assignment produces discrimination stronger than interpersonal similarity
#complicates(0.76) — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 2707 - Actual demographic overlap of one’s identity categories drives perceived overlap
#complicates(0.75) — Roderick M. Kramer, Geoffrey J. Leonardelli, Robert W. Livingston, Social Cognition, Social Identity, and…, 540 - Assuming shared identity permits recognizing differences across experience.
#qualifies(0.74) — Farhan Samanani, Conviviality and its others, 46 - Initial stereotypes bias perception of identical evidence to confirm themselves
#complicates(0.74) — John F. Dovidio, Peter Glick, Laurie A. Rudman, On the Nature of Prejudice, 1175 - An m-of-n counting rule operationally identifies family resemblance concept structures.
#expands(0.72) — Gary Goertz, Social Science Concepts, 259