Night-school students (1° state): a study of his/her social identity and of his/her self-concept

Abstract

This work was meant to investigate the social identity of night-school students and to establish which elements of such an identity are part of their self-concept. Some students from two state schools in a city in the North of Paraná were selected as subjects. The experimental procedure, which explains the contents of self-concept and was developed by Zavalloni, was used in this work. Sixteen night-school students and sixteen day-time students were selected as subject-groups. Each member of these two groups was supposed to establish characteristics for his/her in-group and out-group and point out those which were part of his/her own self-concept. The difference between 'We" and 'they" was outstanding. Each subject, by means of comparison, rated "We" more positively than "they" and presented more positive than negative characteristics for his/her own self-concept. The prevailing and essential characteristic for the social indent and sell-concept of the night-school student was "interested in studying", for s/he sees it as a "way for social advancement'. The data support the need for comparison between the groups in order to form their social identity and also support the role of this identity in the formation of sell-concept.