People gravitate toward subgroup over superordinate identities in nested categories

Evidence

This effect is also consistent with other research in nested categorization contexts (e.g., Sidanius, Feshbach, Levin, & Pratto, 1997; Waldzus, Mummendey, Wenzel, & Boettcher, 2004); for example, the more the ethnic minorities in the United States identified with their ethnic group, the less they identified with the United States (Sidanius et al., 1997). Overall, evidence supports the notion that in nested categorization contexts, individuals gravitate to identify more with the subgroup than the superordinate group, and defend the subgroup when the superordinate category is more inclusive. — Roderick M. Kramer, Geoffrey J. Leonardelli, Robert W. Livingston, Social Cognition, Social Identity, and…, 683

Another way to conceptualize this particular prediction, and perhaps to generalize it, would be to consider group members’ preferences or identification with the subgroup relative to the superordinate category. When the superordinate category is highly inclusive, then categorization in and identification with the subgroup should be negatively correlated with identification with the superordinate category. Thinking about the prediction this way, nested categorization should yield what we call dueling identities, where simultaneous categorization into a highly inclusive superordinate category and a more exclusive subgroup leads individuals to identify with one social category more than the other. — Roderick M. Kramer, Geoffrey J. Leonardelli, Robert W. Livingston, Social Cognition, Social Identity, and…, 680

Categorization

• DEFINE: Introduces ‘dueling identities’ as the term for competing subgroup-versus-superordinate identification within nested categories.
• XREF: Parallels the ingroup/outgroup mechanics thread from the Allport reassessment—subgroup loyalty as a counterweight to broader inclusion.
• corroborated: 3 independent passages support this claim — Roderick M. Kramer, Geoffrey J. Leonardelli, Robert W. Livingston, Social Cognition, Social Identity, and…, 683; Roderick M. Kramer, Geoffrey J. Leonardelli, Robert W. Livingston, Social Cognition, Social Identity, and…, 680