Identity Flashcards
Empirical self
Reflects all the different ways we think about ourselves
William James, 1890
Zhao, 2014
Material self
All the material things that you reared as ‘my’ or ‘mine’
Tangible objects
People
Places
Social self
How we fell that we regarded and recognised by others
Behave differently in different contexts
Social identities change
No real genuine self
Social self: social identities
Deaux et al., 1995
Personal relationships
Ethnic/religion
Political affiliation
Stigmatised group
Vocation
Spiritual self
Inner psychological self
‘Me’ or ‘mine’ that is not tangible
Perceived abilities - self-efficacy, self-esteem
Attitudes
Emotions
Interests
Traits
Sociological approach
Stryker, 1980
Self emerges in and is reflective of society
Acting within the social context
Sociological approach: self concept
Ellis-Hill, 2010
Dynamic collection of self representations
Personal experiences
Interpretation of the environment
Change with different experiences
Sociological approach: self-identity
Specific common space
Taylor, 1989:35
Pre-reflexive aspects of identity
Pierre Bourdieu
Identities naturally
What is experiences as ‘normal’ is shaped by pre-reflexive relations of power
Habitus, inequalities and social class
Habitus - pre-reflexive disposition to act in a particular way
What we see as normal
Development on the basis of what is available to us and what we can afford
Identities, inequalities and embodied practice
Class-based, objective conditions
Class shapes out physical, social and cultural capital
How we feel about ourselves
What we feel comfortable, like and value becomes embodied practice
Interactional advantages and disadvantages in different fields
Independence of inequalities
Class based inequalities
Gender based inequalities
Ethnicity
Rights and obligations of the sick role
Not expected to fulfil normal social obligations
Not held responsible for their illness
Should want to get well
Steel and accept medical help
Parsons, 1951; Nettleton, 2020
Illness as a biological disruption
Self-image
Body practices
Social identities
Valued roles
Everyday patterns and routines
Mobilisation of resources to face changed situations
Can lead to ‘loss of self’
Negotiating illness and social identities
Disruption to - intimate relationships, career, personal development, valued activities, illness and conceal identity
Lack of fit with former health status - body failure, body-image, presentation of self, stigma
Stigma
Enacted stigma - discrimination based on perceived inferiority
Felt stigma - feeling shame because of fear of enacted stigma
Legitimacy of illness
Conceal condition
Need to justify - to oneself, others that we are entitled, formal diagnosis, visibility of illness
Attributing responsibility for the cause of illness
Meeting social expectations
Identity work
Identity needs to be maintained
Tensions avoided or negotiated
Narratives adapted
Shaped by level of social acceptability/stigma related to illness
Athletic identity
More a person identities with being an athlete, the more difficult it is to deal with athletic injuries
Lockhart, 2010
Athletic identity: elite athletes
Higher athletic identity
More likely to have a depressive reaction after a injury
Athletic identity: advantages
Strong athletic identity is a necessary requirement
Positive effect on performance
Athletic identity: disadvantages
Too strong athletic identity may result in over-commitment
Dysfunctional practice
Burnout and anxiety
Athletic identity: injury career and professional identity
Injury threaten habitus - of classical ballet dancers
Disruption to career
Required considerable changes and readjustment to everyday activities, your identity, your ambition
Athletic identity: importance of self-identity in other groups
Understanding changes to a persons self-identity
After a severe head injury, spinal cord injury or a stroke
Ellis-Hill (2008) life thread model - Life threads, parallel life threads, life threads frayed, life threads joined.
