The Distinctiveness Principle: Identity, Meaning, and the Bounds of Cultural Relativity

By Vivian L. Vignoles, X. Chryssochoou, G. Breakwell. 2000

317 citations recorded by the source corpus.

Extending theories of distinctiveness motivation in identity (Breakwell, 1987; Brewer, 1991; Snyder & Fromkin, 1980), we discuss the precise role of distinctiveness in identity processes and the cross-cultural generality of the distinctiveness principle. We argue that (a) within Western cultures, distinctiveness is necessaryfor the construction of meaning within identity, and (b) the distinctiveness principle is not incompatible with non-Western cultural systems. We propose a distinction among three sources of distinctiveness: position, difference, and separateness, with different implications for identity and behavior. These sources coexist within cultures, on both individual and group levels of selfrepresentation, but they may be emphasized differently according to culture and context.

Subfields: Social Psychology, Sociology and Political Science

View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/9e1580d4ebafde4dfde6d84c86889e2cc4d497ce

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Citations in the corpus

Perceptions of ‘coming out’ among British Muslim gay men (2011, background): “For Usman to be regarded through the interpretive lens employed by his mother to make sense of his sister’s behaviour, namely that counter-normative behaviour results from ‘learning stuff off White people at college’, may threaten his sense of differentiation from (significant) others (Vignoles et a”
Customers' need for uniqueness theory versus brand congruence theory: The impact on satisfaction with social network sites (2020, unknown): “tinctive from others for a meaningful self-identification (Vignoles et al., 2000).”
News Selection Patterns as a Function of Race: The Discerning Minority and the Indiscriminating Majority (2008, background): “As a result, people often think and behave in ways that emphasize their distinctiveness from others ( Vignoles, Chryssochoou, & Breakwell, 2000 ).”
Group Identities: The Social Identity Perspective (2011, background): “And although we can of course be personally distinctive from other individuals (see also Vignoles, Chryssochoou & Breakwell, 2000 ), group distinctiveness implies distinctiveness at the intergroup level.”
Evaluating Models of Identity Motivation: Self-Esteem is Not the Whole Story (2002, background): “…to others are associated with negative affect, positive evaluation of scarce experiences, and greater identi®cation with distinctive groups; and people generally describe themselves as less similar to others than others are to themselves (for an extensive review, see Vignoles et al., 2000).”
Marks of Distinction (2015, background): “To garner attention when there is competition, analysts need to develop distinctiveness (Porac, Thomas, and Baden Fuller, 1989; Deephouse, 1999)—a sense of differentiation from others (Vignoles, Chryssochoou, and Breakwell, 2000)—as an alternative path to audience appreciation.”
Identity Education: A Conceptual Framework for Educational Researchers and Practitioners (2011, background): “Sometimes personal identity is used to refer to those identifiers that other people recognize as distinctive; more often the concept is used to refer to an individual's self-defining personal attributes used to differentiate oneself from others in daily interaction (Vignoles, Chryssochoou, & Breakwe”
Using differentiated brands to deflect exclusion and protect inclusion: The moderating role of self-esteem on attachment to differentiated brands (2013, background): “…with brands can help consumers connect with others, reduce their feelings of social exclusion, and strengthen their belongingness to social groups (Escalas and Bettman 2003, 2005; Fournier 1994, 1998; Loveland, Smeesters, and Mandel 2010; Reed 2004; Swaminathan et al. 2007; White and Argo 2009).”