Changing Identity, Changing Language

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Advances in Group Processes

ISSN: 0882-6145
Series editor(s): S.R.Thye and Edward Lawler

Subject Area: Sociology and Public Policy

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Document Information:
Title:	Changing Identity, Changing Language
Author(s):	Kathleen L. McGinn, Jeffrey T. Polzer
Volume:	28 Editor(s): Shane R. Thye, Edward J. Lawler ISBN: 978-0-85724-773-5 eISBN: 978-0-85724-774-2
Citation:	Kathleen L. McGinn, Jeffrey T. Polzer (2011), Changing Identity, Changing Language, in Shane R. Thye, Edward J. Lawler (ed.) Advances in Group Processes (Advances in Group Processes, Volume 28), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, pp.125-145
DOI:	10.1108/S0882-6145(2011)0000028008 (Permanent URL)
Publisher:	Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Article type:	Chapter Item
Abstract:	Environmental jolts and shifting membership challenge a group's efficacy and survival. Group identity is critical for a shared interpretation of and response to these challenges, but external and internal changes may require corresponding changes in a group's core identity. In a qualitative study of longshoremen in San Pedro, California, we observe an evolution in group identity as we track communication spoken and printed in the hiring halls, on the docks, and during casual social interactions. The emphasis in the shared language gradually shifts from safety and solidarity to safety, collaboration, and economic power. The newly developed language supports and shapes the longshoremen's identity and provides an interpretive guide for how to react to and benefit from disruptive external events.