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Establishing a sense of identity is a central task in human development. This research pursued questions about how adult, self-identified feminist women conceptualize their identity, the role of feminism in that conceptualization, and the interaction of feminism with race and sexual orientation. Forty women in five geographic regions across the United States were interviewed. The participants were faculty, administrators, classified staff, and graduate students affiliated with a university in the region. The interviews were completed during a week-long visit to each location; each interview lasted from 45 to 75 minutes. Interviews followed a semi-structured format, using a standard protocol. Questions in the interviews asked about the importance of feminism, occupation, relationships, religion, politics, race/ethnicity, and sexual orientation in the women's identities. The connection of feminism to each of the other identity areas was also asked of the participants. The women in this study conceptualized identity as consisting of multiple elements, organized in one of two ways: (a) a whole with multiple parts and (b) a collection of multiple parts. The first is an integrated identity, where all elements are connected to each of the other elements, and the second is a contextual identity, where the connection of elements can depend on situational variables. The multiple identities include traditional categories of occupation, relationships, religion, politics, race, and sexual orientation, but also add other areas such as age, socioeconomic class, avocational interests, and feminism. Women identify themselves as having multiple identities. The way participants in this study view feminism as an identity is organized in four categories: a set of values, a process to make meaning, a contextual identity, and an underlying construct. The categories of feminism vary in the degree to which feminism is connected with other identity elements. Women who view feminism as a set of values speak of it as a set of beliefs or an ideology that may or may not influence other identity areas. The participants who view feminism as a process to make meaning have either an interconnected or contextual view of feminism, with the added element of seeing feminism as a way to understand, interpret, and make decisions about experiences. Feminism as a contextual identity is connected with some parts of identity but not with all elements. For those whose view of feminism is as an underlying construct, feminism is interconnected and interactive with all of the other identity elements. This study adds to the literature about feminism and feminist identity in three ways. First, it suggests that for women who identify themselves as feminists, feminism is not only an ideology but also an important element of their identity. Second, it asserts that a shared definition of feminism is not critical to determining its role in identity. Third, this study's findings challenge the Downing and Roush (1985) model of feminist identity as the principal model. The Downing and Roush model focuses on feminist consciousness rather than identity; it employs a singular, liberal definition of feminism; it ignores multiple identities and their interactions; and it hinges its highest achievement on activist participation. Each of these assumptions of the Downing and Roush model are contradicted by the findings of this research. This study adds to the previous literature about identity in two ways. First, it expands the knowledge about adult women's identity by proposing a definition that takes into account the multiple identities that women have. Second, the findings challenge the limited areas by which identity has been traditionally defined. This study challenges the notion that identity is a singular, core construct based on traditional elements. Individuals must be allowed to identify the elements that make up their own identities. The results of this study also suggest that multiple identities, including race/ethnicity and sexual orientation, are mutually influencing and interconnected rather than independent or singular. Identity is constructed of multiple elements that must be examined together to understand the individual's own definition of self. ; Ph. D.

1. Identity matters -- 2. Similarity and difference -- 3. A sign of the times? -- 4. Understanding identification -- 5. Selfhood and mind -- 6. Embodied selves -- 7. Entering the human world -- 8. Self-image and public image -- 9. Groups and categories -- 10. Beyond boundaries -- 11. Symbolising belonging -- 12. Uncertaintly and predictability -- 13. Institutionalising identification -- 14. Organising identification -- 15. Categorisation and consequences -- 16. Identity and modernity revisited.

Written by one of America's leading political thinkers, this is a book about the good, the bad, and the ugly of identity politics.Amy Gutmann rises above the raging polemics that often characterize discussions of identity groups and offers a fair-minded assessment of the role they play in democracies. She addresses fundamental questions of timeless urgency while keeping in focus their relevance to contemporary debates: Do some identity groups undermine the greater democratic good and thus their own legitimacy in a democratic society? Even if so, how is a democracy to fairly distinguish betwee

Social Identity explains how identification, seen as a social process, works: individually, interactionally and institutionally. Building on the international success of previous editions, this fourth edition offers a concise, comprehensive and readable critical introduction to social science theories of identity for advanced undergraduates and postgraduates. All the chapters have been updated, and extra new material has been added where relevant, integrating the most recent critical publications in the field. As with the earlier editions, the emphasis is on sociology, anthropology and social p.

(Originally published in French in elements, 2004, 113, summer.) Contemplates the meaning & philosophies of identity. The problem of identity -- voiced through the question, "Who am I?" -- is representative of modern societies, & identity within traditional & pre-modern cultures is discussed. The concept identity was transformed during the Enlightenment & the relationship between identity & political ideologies is analyzed. Recognition, including mutual recognition, is deemed essential to one's personal & collective identities, & additional complexities of individual & collective identities are identified. The effects of postmodernism & globalization on identity are pondered. L. Collins Leigh

"How can we maintain a strong national identity without going too far? Having pride in one's country, its history and values, is important, but what happens when that is threatened by new immigrant groups? When a country becomes more diverse, whether it's race, ethnicity, or religious faith, does the nation's identity expand to accommodate those changes or does it become more rigid, setting the stage for an "us" and "them" conflict? Through diverse perspectives from countries around the world, this volume explores facets of national identity-its purpose, its benefits and dangers, and its future in a changing world"--

Written by one of America's leading political thinkers, this is a book about the good, the bad, and the ugly of identity politics. Amy Gutmann rises above the raging polemics that often characterize discussions of identity groups and offers a fair-minded assessment of the role they play in democracies. She addresses fundamental questions of timeless urgency while keeping in focus their relevance to contemporary debates: Do some identity groups undermine the greater democratic good and thus their own legitimacy in a democratic society? Even if so, how is a democracy to fairly distinguish between.

"All people derive their identities from the groups and social categories to which they belong in society, the roles they play out, and their personal characteristics they claim. Introduced more than fifty years ago, identity theory has become a central theoretical perspective in sociological social psychology. Now in a greatly expanded second edition, Identity Theory attempts to explain identities, their processes of operation, and their sources in and consequences for interaction and society. This book describes the origins of identity theory, its development, the research that supports it, and its future direction. It covers the central roles of meaning and resources in human interaction and purpose. It provides a detailed analysis of the nature and operation of identities. A central aspect of identities, identity verification, is discussed in terms of how it works, and its consequences for individuals. In addition, the book discusses the different bases of identities, and the multiple identities that individuals hold from their multiple positions in society. It also covers the way identities offer both stability and change to individuals. Co-authored by the originators of the theory, this book accessibly presents decades of research in a single volume, making the full range of this powerful theory understandable to readers at all levels"--

Throughout human history, societies around the world have developed varying concepts of gender that affect the roles its citizens play in their communities. There is an equally rich history of individuals who reject, subvert, expand, or explore the gender roles of their society. This book serves as an accessible introduction to the history of gender and conversations on gender identity happening today. It encapsulates complex social issues at a lower reading level while delivering content that appeals to a high school audience. High-quality photographs and interesting graphic organizers present important information in an appealing and engaging fashion.