Real Communication An Introduction

Chapter 15  Informative Speaking 459

Speaking Outline

Anna Davis

Social Media, Social Identity, and Social Causes

General Purpose: To inform

Specific Purpose: To inform my audience members about how social

media sites help shape their sense of identity.

Thesis Statement: Today I’d like to share with you how social media is

being used, not only to help students connect, but also as a powerful tool

to advance social causes and motivate us to act on their behalf.

Introduction

I. Attention Getter: How I learned about my roommate via Face-

book/Twitter

II. School-sponsored online forums helped me connect with like-

minded others.

III. “These online connections and groups helped my college friend-

ships develop quickly and meaningfully, and gave me a sense of

belonging on campus before I even arrived.”

IV. Speech Thesis: Today I’d like to share with you how social media is

being used, not only to help students connect, but also as a powerful

tool to advance social causes and motivate us to act on their behalf.

A. Preview main points

B. Social identity theory

C. Popularity of social media

D. How activists harness social media

Body

I. Social identity theory drives us to connect with others.

A. Definition: Social identity refers to how you understand your-

self in relation to your group memberships.

1. Michael Hogg, a professor of social psychology at Clare-
   mont University


2. Group affiliations provide us with an important source of
   identity, and we therefore want our groups to be valued
   positively in relation to other groups.
   B. Social psychologist Henry Tajfel. Group affiliations help an-
   swer the question, Who am I?


3. Tajfel’s 1979 book The Social Psychology of Intergroup
   Relations. We associate with certain groups to help resolve
   the anxiety brought about by the question of identity.
   C. Social media sites provide a platform for social identity formation.