What is Identity Group Theory?
Identity Group Theory (IGT) is a conceptual framework that explains how individuals navigate social life through membership in multiple identity groups. These groups—ranging from professions and families to nations, religions, and informal communities—structure how people act, think, and relate to others.
IGT views identity as a dynamic and strategic process, shaped by the interaction between individuals and the groups to which they belong.
What IGT Does
IGT aims to:
- Provide a structured model of identity and social behavior
- Integrate insights from sociology, psychology, and economics
- Enable empirical research into identity dynamics
- Bridge individual experience and social structure
What IGT is NOT
IGT is not:
- A moral or political doctrine
- A theory of identity “liberation”
- A prescriptive framework telling people how to behave
Instead, it is an analytical tool designed to describe and explain how identity operates in real-world contexts.
The ISIGT Initiative
The International Society for Identity Group Theory (ISIGT) supports the development of IGT as a research programme. Its aims include:
- Advancing theoretical and empirical research
- Building interdisciplinary collaboration
- Supporting applications across academic and applied fields
- Promoting critical engagement with identity and power