Identity studies and identity construction

2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (2-3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rong Chen

Abstract In this paper, I report on a quasi-case study of U.S. presidential identity based on Donald J. Trump’s presidency, demonstrating that Trump is considered by the American public as an antithesis of presidentiality. I then discuss the insights from this study on several critical issues that face identity studies, an expansive area of investigation which has attracted the attention of students from a diverse range of disciplines. I demonstrate that identity is a set of attributes the formation of which is based on the mission of the group and the expected behaviors of members of that group, that the construction of identity is largely a bottom-up and gradual process, and that identity is both preexisting and emergent.

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 67-87
Author(s):  
ZAFER KUŞ ◽  
MERT HİLAL

Although there are differences in identity construction depending on countries and periods, some courses have come to the fore in the education system in each per i od. In Turkey, the education system in general, and history, geography, citizenship and social studies courses, in particular, have instrumental importance in the construction of identity. When the literature is examined, it can be observed that there are many studies on history, social studies and citizenship lessons for identity construction. However, there is a limited number of studies on identity construction for the geography curricula. The main purpose of this research was to examine the secondary education geography curricula in Turkey in terms of identity and citizenship construction. The study was planned and carried out as a qualitative case study. Case studies often describe the exploration of a bounded system. In this research, the sample was limited to the 2005 and 2018 geography course curricula, and a detailed description was made by using “content analysis” based on the research purpose. As a result of the research, it was determined in both curricula that the national identity theme had the most expressions, and national identity was aimed to be built by presenting details about the geography of the homeland. In addition to national identity, it was determined that there were also contents related to social identity, ecological identity, universal identity, and a limited number of digital identity and religious identity themes.


2013 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 58 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Burke

The formation of identity is inextricably linked to powerful meaning-makers in a child’s young life.  In the 21st century, this typically involves engagement in virtual play worlds.  This case study reports on the identity construction of young gamers in a classroom as perceived through an I/identity framework (Rowsell & Abrams, 2011), associative I/identity framework (Abrams, 2011) and informed by New Literacies through a socio-cultural lens.  Children engage in Discourses (Gee, 2007; 2008; 2009) to experiment with early rehearsals and re-enactments, navigating fluidly among different roles and virtual world experiences.  This study shows how children form affinity groups and social connections with other players in their real world play spaces and online, thus creating a meaningful interplay of their real world and virtual I/identities in a variety of ways.


2013 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 115-145 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew D. Wong

This article explores the creative use of unconventional spelling in brand names. Using insights from the indexical approach to the linguistic construction of identity, it demonstrates how unconventional spelling produces a myriad of effects and meanings, which in turn help construct brand identities. First, it identifies the various strategies of unconventional spelling, investigates their potential to convey distinctiveness, and examines other effects and meanings that they produce. It then presents a case study to further illustrate how unconventional spelling works with other marketing materials to create a unique brand identity. Unconventional spelling, because of its polarizing nature, can be a risky resource for constructing brand identities. Not only does this study contribute to an under-researched area in the sociolinguistics of orthography, but it also broadens the range of identities and linguistic resources examined in the sociolinguistic investigation of identity construction.


2017 ◽  
Vol 45 (5) ◽  
pp. 873-892 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emilia Pawłusz ◽  
Abel Polese

This article surveys the official narrative on representation of Estonian identity and Estonianness through the tourism strategy implemented by Estonia from 2007 to 2015. Gathering material from brochures and documents targeting foreigners produced by the Estonian Institute and “Enterprise Estonia” (EAS) and analyzing the logic behind the interior design of Tallinn Airport, we engage with current debates on identity construction in post-Soviet spaces. In particular, we suggest that along with an established body of literature looking at the role of state actors in the construction of identity, studies should consider the role of nontraditional or non-state actors in identifying and promoting identity markers.


Author(s):  
Burak Pak

This paper aims at discussing the potentials of bottom-up design practices in relation to the latest developments in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) by making an in-depth review of inaugural cases. The first part of the study involves a literature study and the elaboration of basic strategies from the case study. The second part reframes the existing ICT tools and strategies and elaborates on their potentials to support the modes of participation performed in these cases. As a result, by distilling the created knowledge, the study reveals the potentials of novel modes of ICT-enabled design participation which exploit a set of collective action tools to support sustainable ways of self-organization and bottom-up design. The final part explains the relevance of these with solid examples and presents a hypothetical case for future implementation. The paper concludes with a brief reflection on the implications of the findings for the future of architectural design education.


2017 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-31
Author(s):  
Francisco Xavier Morales

The problem of identity is an issue of contemporary society that is not only expressed in daily life concerns but also in discourses of politics and social movements. Nevertheless, the I and the needs of self-fulfillment usually are taken for granted. This paper offers thoughts regarding individual identity based on Niklas Luhmann’s systems theory. From this perspective, identity is not observed as a thing or as a subject, but rather as a “selfillusion” of a system of consciousness, which differentiates itself from the world, event after event, in a contingent way. As concerns the definition  of contents of self-identity, the structures of social systems define who is a person, how he or she should act, and how much esteem he or she should receive. These structures are adopted by consciousness as its own identity structures; however, some social contexts are more relevant for self-identity construction than others. Moral communication increases the probability that structure appropriation takes place, since the emotional element of identity is linked to the esteem/misesteem received by the individual from the interactions in which he or she participates.


2021 ◽  
pp. 019251212110192
Author(s):  
Trix van Mierlo

Oftentimes, democracy is not spread out evenly over the territory of a country. Instead, pockets of authoritarianism can persist within a democratic system. A growing body of literature questions how such subnational authoritarian enclaves can be democratized. Despite fascinating insights, all existing pathways rely on the actions of elites and are therefore top-down. This article seeks to kick-start the discussion on a bottom-up pathway to subnational democratization, by proposing the attrition mechanism. This mechanism consists of four parts and is the product of abductive inference through theory-building causal process tracing. The building blocks consist of subnational democratization literature, social movement theory, and original empirical data gathered during extensive field research. This case study focuses on the ‘Dynasty Slayer’ in the province of Isabela, the Philippines, where civil society actors used the attrition mechanism to facilitate subnational democratization. This study implies that civil society actors in subnational authoritarian enclaves have agency.


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