ABSTRACT
The first year or two at Oxford were not the easiest times for the Henri Tajfels. Anne Tajfel described it as a ‘very awkward time’, caused mainly by what she regarded as some Oxford snobbery. By any standards, Henri’s first seven years at Oxford were unusually productive. Since obtaining his bachelors degree in 1954, Henri had needed to work to support himself and his family. Without doubt, though, Henri’s main professional preoccupation on his return to Oxford was the direction of the grant he had obtained from the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. In all other respects, though, Henri was a most considerate and supportive supervisor. Meanwhile, Henri’s position at Oxford took a decided turn for the better with the arrival of Chelly Halsey as Director of Barnett House in 1962. Amongst Henri’s papers is a four-page typed document entitled, ‘A Crisis of Identity’.
