ABSTRACT
Changes in our social context are ever occurring around us and thus it is important to understand how these changes influence individuals. There needs to be an understanding of how people adapt (or not) to the social changes that abound them. However, it is the groups that we belong to that influence our behaviour. That is, the way we define ourselves is based on identifying with others who share our common attributes. Theories of social identity (Tajfel & Turner, 1986) emphasise the importance of collective membership and the significant effects that group membership can have on behaviour. Social changes usually result from collective, rather than personal, behaviour based on how people appraise certain situations and thus how they respond to these situations, especially due to concerns about the future.
