Society and Identity: Toward a Sociological Psychology

by Andrew J. Weigert , J. Smith Teitge , Dennis W. Teitge

• ISBN13: 9780521033343
• ISBN10: 0521033349
• Edition: Revised
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2007-02-26
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Summary

Since the 1940s, there has been an explosion of writings, both scientific and nonscientific, about the question of 'identity' and what it means to be an individual in today's world. This book examines sociological perspectives on identity in order to illuminate the perennial problem of defining the human person, and to pose a new definition of identity based on its being socially constructed. Beginning with a review of previous studies of identity, the authors present a set of propositions for organizing the wide range of uses of the term, and for arriving at an adequate definition of it. Identity is then analysed in two contexts: gender identity, linked to present bodies; and prenatal and postmortem identities, linked to future and past bodies. Whereas gender identity reveals the powerful but breakable link between body type and identity, prenatal and postmortem identities illustrate the symbolic reality and partial independence of identity from any corporeal existence. This is an innovative and insightful study which will appeal to all those concerned with understanding the nature of human identity.

Table of Contents

Preface

The Story of Whence Identity and a Step Toward Theory

Identity: its emergence within sociological psychology

Sociological psychology and identity theory: a propositional essay

So What? Applying and Extending Identity Theory, and Back to Society

Applying identity theory to bodies: gender identity

Extending identity theory beyond bodies: prenatal and postmortem identities

Identity in a pluralistic society: some parting words

Bibliography

Index

Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved.