Henri Tajfel and John Turner

Henri Tajfel and John Turner were psychologists known for their work on social identity theory. This theory explains how individuals categorize themselves and others into groups, leading to in-group favoritism and out-group discrimination. They demonstrated that even arbitrary group divisions can elicit strong social identities and biases. Their research helps us understand the psychological mechanisms behind prejudice, stereotyping, and group conflict, emphasizing that our sense of self is often influenced by the groups we belong to, such as nationality, religion, or sports teams. Their work has broad implications in fields like sociology, politics, and conflict resolution.