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Personal and social identities among at-risk youths in the process of school-based peer mediation
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Type
Thesis
Abstract
This thesis investigates the process of peer mediation from the perspectives of the social identity and self-categorization theories. Past research on peer mediation has focused on the positive outcomes of the peer mediation programme. Success of the programme in schools is based on anecdotal evidence, reduction in the number of discipline cases, and improvement in the students' academic grades. So far, not much research has been conducted to explain the process of peer mediation using a theoretical framework. Therefore this thesis aims to contribute a theoretical understanding in the mediation process by using tenets from the social identity and self-categorization theories to illuminate the role of social and personal identities in conflict resolution. These two theories explain group processes by addressing the role of identity in influencing an individual's perceptions and behaviors as a group member, and are therefore relevant for understanding processes in the group-based peer mediation programme.
Social identity theory states that individuals affiliate and identify with others whom they perceived to be similar to them, and categorize them as part of their in-group through social comparison. In their own social groups, group members would engage in inter-group comparison in an effort to achieve positive in-group distinctiveness and subsequently, a positive social identity. If individuals in conflict are perceived to belong to the same in-group, it is hypothesized that they would be more positive in resolving their conflicts amiably. The parties involved in a peer mediation session include a student mediator whose role is to facilitate and help resolve the conflict between the aggressor or offender and his victim who are both directly involved in the conflict. Whether the offender perceives the mediator and victim as in-group or out-group members during mediation is important for the successful resolution of conflicts.
Study One showed how the offender would identified more with the mediator who is an ex-gang member (or ex-gangster) with a similar social identity, than with a mediator who is a school prefect with social identity that is different from his, during a mediation session. The offender also had more positive perceptions about the outcome of the mediation session when the conflict was mediated by the mediator who used to be a gang member than when it was mediated by the prefect. The salience of the social identity was further demonstrated in the Study Two where the offender had higher levels of identification and more positive perceptions of the mediation outcome, for a victim who is an ex-gangster (similar social identity) than for a prefect victim (different social identity). Significantly higher levels of empathy were expressed by the offender for the ex-gangster victim during mediation. The study also established the salience of the victim's identity during peer mediation. It was observed that regardless of the mediator's social identity, the offender's response to the mediation of conflict was influenced by the victim's social identity. Therefore, results from Studies One and Two of this thesis established the importance of matching the social identities between the offender and those involved in the mediation process, for effective mediation of conflicts in the mediation process.
However, conflicts are more likely to occur between youths of different social identities. Another argument put forward by this thesis is that unless the offender perceives the victim in terms of his personal identity instead of his social identity (which is different from the offender's), successful mediation of conflicts between these two youths might be impeded. The third study demonstrated that with a victim from a different social group, the offender was more likely to perceive him in terms of his social identity prior to mediation and displayed lower levels of empathy for him prior to mediation. During the mediation process, however, the victim was more likely to be perceived in his personal identity by the offender, who also expressed greater empathy for him. This shift in the offender's perception of the victim's identity from social to that of personal is crucial, as it influences the offender's level of cooperation to resolve the conflict, which subsequently contributes to the success of the mediation process.
Findings of the three studies suggest the utility of both social identity and self-categorization theories as frameworks for explaining the peer mediation process. Future research involving a programme evaluation of peer mediation in Singapore is also necessary as one is able to assess the different aspects of the intervention that contribute to different outcomes in a programme evaluation. Some aspects of the intervention may need to be enhanced to achieve their intended outcomes while other aspects found to be unnecessary and would thus be eliminated (Durlak, 1995). Through programme evaluation, effective components of the intervention are thus highlighted so that positive outcomes of the intervention can be enhanced. This research provides impetus for exploring the mediation process in relation to shame and the field of psycholinguistics.
Social identity theory states that individuals affiliate and identify with others whom they perceived to be similar to them, and categorize them as part of their in-group through social comparison. In their own social groups, group members would engage in inter-group comparison in an effort to achieve positive in-group distinctiveness and subsequently, a positive social identity. If individuals in conflict are perceived to belong to the same in-group, it is hypothesized that they would be more positive in resolving their conflicts amiably. The parties involved in a peer mediation session include a student mediator whose role is to facilitate and help resolve the conflict between the aggressor or offender and his victim who are both directly involved in the conflict. Whether the offender perceives the mediator and victim as in-group or out-group members during mediation is important for the successful resolution of conflicts.
Study One showed how the offender would identified more with the mediator who is an ex-gang member (or ex-gangster) with a similar social identity, than with a mediator who is a school prefect with social identity that is different from his, during a mediation session. The offender also had more positive perceptions about the outcome of the mediation session when the conflict was mediated by the mediator who used to be a gang member than when it was mediated by the prefect. The salience of the social identity was further demonstrated in the Study Two where the offender had higher levels of identification and more positive perceptions of the mediation outcome, for a victim who is an ex-gangster (similar social identity) than for a prefect victim (different social identity). Significantly higher levels of empathy were expressed by the offender for the ex-gangster victim during mediation. The study also established the salience of the victim's identity during peer mediation. It was observed that regardless of the mediator's social identity, the offender's response to the mediation of conflict was influenced by the victim's social identity. Therefore, results from Studies One and Two of this thesis established the importance of matching the social identities between the offender and those involved in the mediation process, for effective mediation of conflicts in the mediation process.
However, conflicts are more likely to occur between youths of different social identities. Another argument put forward by this thesis is that unless the offender perceives the victim in terms of his personal identity instead of his social identity (which is different from the offender's), successful mediation of conflicts between these two youths might be impeded. The third study demonstrated that with a victim from a different social group, the offender was more likely to perceive him in terms of his social identity prior to mediation and displayed lower levels of empathy for him prior to mediation. During the mediation process, however, the victim was more likely to be perceived in his personal identity by the offender, who also expressed greater empathy for him. This shift in the offender's perception of the victim's identity from social to that of personal is crucial, as it influences the offender's level of cooperation to resolve the conflict, which subsequently contributes to the success of the mediation process.
Findings of the three studies suggest the utility of both social identity and self-categorization theories as frameworks for explaining the peer mediation process. Future research involving a programme evaluation of peer mediation in Singapore is also necessary as one is able to assess the different aspects of the intervention that contribute to different outcomes in a programme evaluation. Some aspects of the intervention may need to be enhanced to achieve their intended outcomes while other aspects found to be unnecessary and would thus be eliminated (Durlak, 1995). Through programme evaluation, effective components of the intervention are thus highlighted so that positive outcomes of the intervention can be enhanced. This research provides impetus for exploring the mediation process in relation to shame and the field of psycholinguistics.
Date Issued
2005
Call Number
LB1027.5 Hua
Date Submitted
2005