PREFERENCE FOR SOCIAL MOVEMENTS AND SUBCULTURES IN THE STRUCTURE OF PERSONAL IDENTITY

Abstract

In the modern society offering many variants for identification, the question of forming
preference for and choosing social movements and subcultures is acute. This paper aims to
identify the different types of preferences for social groups, as well as their relationship with
psychological self-regulation, identity, well-being and coping behavior. On a sample of 268
adult respondents, three types of preferences were revealed having different motivational
grounds. The choices of political and religious movements as well as the desire to become a
sports fan have common traits with to the choice of radical movements. These preferences can
be characterized as non-conformal ones, associated with the desire for demonstrated or real influence
on global events and with the formation of identity by the type of identity fusion. Regardless
of age, it is associated with greater hostility, signs of paranoia and use of denial in a
stressful situation. Interest to most subcultures often could be classified as choice of hobby,
providing the opportunity to participate in joint activities and self-presentation, but not limiting
other life spheres and values. Most relevant for adolescence, it can contribute to a safe "trying"
of the self in various roles, especially in those having psychological difficulties – and is associated
with a wide range of complaints about psychopathological symptoms and mental disengagement.
Interest to the volunteer movement is based on the prosocial motivation and importance
of close interpersonal relationships and more typical for women. It is associated with
positive self-esteem, better positive reformulation and planning, but also with complaints of
predominantly anxious-phobic nature and concentration on emotions. The connection between
the preferences of social groups with well-being and coping is moderated by the psychological
self-regulation in two ways: a perpetuation of the existing difficulties of self-regulation and a
compensation of existing difficulties. In the first case, the preference of the group is particularly
closely related to specific psychopathological complaints or coping strategies in those with
low levels of self-regulation. The second case is revealed only with respect to prosocial choice,
which is more closely associated to active coping and positive self-esteem in people with low
rates of access to the self and volitional regulation, respectively.