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The article considers paradoxical nature of identity that emerges from: 1)
the very concept of identity whose abstract generality unites various and
even opposite features; 2) the processual nature of reality that is easier
to express in the poetical metaphors or abstract principles than in
unambiguous conceptual networks; 3) the oppose relationship between being
and knowledge, mind and matter, subject and object, self and personality.
Entangled in the labyrinth which evade efforts to be conceptually defined,
the modern thinking of identity moves towards abandoning the idea of ?self?
on behalf of the ?ego? and towards the misapprehension of identity as being
identical. This corresponds to the ?time of the lost spirit? stretched
between the simultaneous need to find an identity and to give it up.

One of the most important topics in contemporary society, gender identity is a term many young people are familiar with and are using to express themselves. This thoughtful guide defines gender identity, explores the history of this topic, and examines the different ways gender identity is viewed today. By using recent data, expert opinions presented through annotated quotes, and critical thinking questions, readers are enabled to form their own opinions about gender identity. They will comprehend the issues associated with it and think more deeply about their own relationship with gender and its expression in the modern world.

"Nobody identifies with the same group or in opposition to the same set of 'others' all the time; everybody has more than one answer to the question 'Who am I?' To understand Minorities: Community and Identity we need to take serious account of the process of identity shift, and to recognize the implications of multiple identity options." (author's abstract)

AbstractFor some sufficiently long-standing institutions, such as the English Crown, there is no single thread, whether specified in terms of constitutive rules or assigned functions, that would connect the stages of that institution. Elizabeth II and Egbert are not connected by an unbroken chain of primogeniture and they have importantly different powers and functions. Derek Parfit famously sought to illuminate his account of personal identity by comparing a person to a club. If Parfit could use our intuitions about clubs to help motivate his neo-Lockean account of personal identity over time, which resists the idea that personal identity requires a common psychological thread, then I argue that an adapted version of his account of identity might, in turn, be reapplied to clubs and other institutions, such as the Crown.

Identity in Democracy. By Amy Gutmann. Princeton: Princeton
University Press, 2003. 264p. $35.00 cloth, $ 17.95 paper.What ought to be the role of identity groups in the politics of a just
democratic society? In her book, Amy Gutmann sets out to explore this
question. She does not offer a definitive answer to it; however, she does
offer evaluative criteria by which we may decide, on a case-by-case basis,
whether or not the political interventions of organized identity groups
are beneficial to a democratic society such as she presumes the United
States to be. When, Gutmann asks (p. 5), may the politics of organized
identity groups contribute to a society structured on what she identifies
as the three basic principles of democratic justice: civic equality (equal
standing as a citizen), liberty, and opportunity? Conversely, when are
they inimical to such principles?

Constitutional theorists have had relatively little to say about the identity of what they study. This article addresses this inattention with a philosophical and comparative exploration of the concept of constitutional identity. Without such attention, a major preoccupation of theorists—constitutional change—will continue to be inadequately considered. The argument is advanced that there are attributes of a constitution that allow us to identify it as such, and that there is a dialogical process of identity formation that enables us to determine the specific identity of any given constitution. Representing a mix of aspirations and commitments expressive of a nation's past, constitutional identity also evolves in ongoing political and interpretive activities occurring in courts, legislatures, and other public and private domains. Conceptual possibilities of constitutional identity are, herein, pursued in two constitutional settings—India and Ireland—that highlight its distinctive features.

This review presents an overview of research on identity politics. First, I distinguish between various approaches to defining identity politics and the challenges presented by each approach. In the process, I show that these approaches reflect competing theoretical understandings of the relationship between experience, culture, identity, politics, and power. These debates raise theoretical issues that I address in the second section, including (a) how to understand the relationship between personal experience and political stance, (b) why status identities are understood and/or portrayed as essentialist or socially constructed, (c) the strategic dilemmas activists face when the identities around which a movement is organized are also the basis for oppression, (d) when to attribute certain movement outcomes to status identities, and (e) how to link collective action to specific notions of power to help explain the cultural and political goals at which identity politics is aimed. I conclude by recommending some promising avenues for future research.

This paper is in response to recent calls to conceptualize and articulate Canadian perspectives and experiences in international social work, given that the Canadian standpoint has been lacking in international social work literature. This paper contends that it is imperative, first of all, to critically examine and unpack our 'Canadian' identity in order to practice international work that is socially just and anti-imperialist. Drawing on the work of post-colonial authors, critical race theorists, and those who study national myth-making, this essay revisits Canadian identity because it is this identity that Canadian social workers often carry into their international work.

This entry examines multiracial identity from each of the aforementioned perspectives, positing that classification entails more than individual claims and assertions; rather, the interactions between the state, multiracial groups, and personal decisions lead to a more nuanced understanding of the process of multiracial identification. The government plays a critical role in creating the "mark all that apply" (MATA) option on the census. The emergence and influence of multiracial activist organizations advocating for recognition of this population is significant now. Finally, there is considerable social psychological literature addressing mixed-race identity, focusing on the four largest pairings. Early research characterized this population as dysfunctional and pathological; however, current research posits that multiracial identity is fluid, contextual, and normal.