Blackwell Reference Online

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Identity theory is a social psychological theory based on the tenets of structural symbolic interactionism (Stryker 1980). Similar to other work influenced by this type of symbolic interactionism, identity theory treats society as stable rather than erratic – the result of repeated, patterned behaviors of individuals. The theory examines the self and how actors attach meanings to the multiple roles they play; research within this theoretical framework addresses how identities are embedded within social structures, and how social structures influence what it means to be an individual. Identity theory examines how micro-level processes create and maintain the meanings actors have for themselves and others, and how these meanings perpetuate themselves to maintain the social order. This perspective sees the self as emergent from social interaction and portrayed to others through identities that are appropriate in specific situations. The term “identity” is used in various ways in sociological literature, and usually concerns one of the following contexts (Stryker & Burke 2000). First, identity is sometimes used in reference to culture , where it encompasses a population's values and common traits. In cultural references to identity, distinctions between identity and ethnicity are often blurred or disregarded altogether. Second, identity is also used to refer to common identification ... log in or subscribe to read full text