Multiple Group Membership and Well-Being: Is There Always Strength in Numbers?

Anders L Sønderlund,Thomas A Morton,Michelle K Ryan

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01038

Anders L Sønderlund, Thomas A Morton + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01038

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Abstract

A growing body of research points to the value of multiple group memberships for individual well-being. However, much of this work considers group memberships very broadly and in terms of number alone. We conducted two correlational studies exploring how the relationship between multiple group membership and well-being is shaped by (a) the complexity of those groups within the overall self-concept (i.e., social identity complexity: SIC), and (b) the perceived value and visibility of individual group memberships to others (i.e., stigma). Study 1 (N = 112) found a positive relationship between multiple group membership and well-being, but only for individuals high in SIC. This effect was mediated by perceived identity expression and access to social support. Study 2 (N = 104) also found that multiple group memberships indirectly contributed to well-being via perceived identity expression and social support, as well as identity compatibility and perceived social inclusion. But, in this study the relationship between multiple group memberships and well-being outcomes was moderated by the perceived value and visibility of group memberships to others. Specifically, possessing multiple, devalued and visible group memberships compromised well-being relative to multiple valued group memberships, or devalued group memberships that were invisible. Together, these studies suggest that the benefits of multiple group membership depend on factors beyond their number. Specifically, the features of group memberships, individually and in combination, and the way in which these guide self-expression and social action, determine whether these are a benefit or burden for individual well-being.

Highlights

Social and cultural diversity in most Western countries is expanding as a result of rising social mobility, immigration, and international trade and investment (UN, 2009)
To account for any potential variation within each mean identity measure, we examined the association between the identity and wellbeing variables at the level of each individual identity that participants listed
The results reported here demonstrate that the relationship between multiple group memberships and well-being is neither straightforward nor linear

Summary

Introduction

Social and cultural diversity in most Western countries is expanding as a result of rising social mobility, immigration, and international trade and investment (UN, 2009). Whereas individual self-definitions were historically embedded within stable local contexts (Karner, 2011), in modern globalized society – where individuals cross geographical, cultural, and social borders more than ever – people express themselves in terms of a broader and more shifting array of group memberships and social categories (Crisp and Hewstone, 2006). The movement of people across traditional boundaries, such as women and ethnic minorities into professional domains from which they were previously excluded, has challenged traditional stereotypes and created new hybridized identities (Crisp et al, 2001) All of these changes have the potential to impact on how individuals conceptualize the self, which in turn is likely to affect individual well-being (Cross et al, 2003; Crisp and Hewstone, 2006). The focus of this paper is on the specific nature of this relationship

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