scholarly journals Personal Identity Development in Cultural Context: The Socialization of Master Narratives about the Gendered Life Course

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kate C. McLean ◽  
Samantha Boggs ◽  
Alexandra Lowe ◽  
Chelsea Fordham ◽  
Kristin Gudbjorg Haraldsson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Identity Development ◽  
Gender Identity ◽  
Life Course ◽  
Gender Equality ◽  
Emerging Adults ◽  
Emerging Adult ◽  
Master Narrative ◽  
Master Narratives ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Personal Experiences

The present studies focused on the role and socialization of biographical master narratives – cultural narratives that prescribe the types and ordering of events that should occur in one’s personal life identity narrative – by focusing on adolescent and emerging adult gender identity development. We employed a combined explanatory and triangulation mixed methods design. Study 1a (n = 414) was a survey study examining the expected biographical master narrative events for men and women, and the content of master narrative deviation and conformity in an emerging adult sample. In Study 1b (n = 14) we interviewed participants from Study 1a about their conformity and deviation narratives, as well as their socialization experiences regarding gendered biographical master narratives. In Study 2 mothers and adolescents (n = 11 pairs), engaged in conversation about expected life course events, as well as a follow-up interview about their conversation. We first found that there are more gender differences in the personal experiences of conformity to and deviation from master narratives compared to the expectations of the life course (Study 1a). Second, deviating is related to more engagement in identity processes (Study 1a). Third, emerging adults report contradictions in retrospective reports of socialization messages regarding expectations (Study 1b), a finding confirmed in a discourse analysis of mothers and their adolescents (Study 2). Overall, across the studies, we see that 1) adolescents and emerging adults are engaged in a delicate balance of negotiating between various cultural and familial messages, as well as personal experiences, about gender identity particularly in regards to gender equality and, 2) there is a complex relation between socialization messages about gender equality that may make some biographical master narratives about the expected life course events for men and women more resistant to change.

scholarly journals Personal identity development in cultural context: The socialization of master narratives about the gendered life course

2019 ◽  
Vol 44 (2) ◽  
pp. 116-126
Author(s):  
Kate C. McLean ◽  
Samantha Boggs ◽  
Kristin Haraldsson ◽  
Alexandra Lowe ◽  
Chelsea Fordham ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Identity Development ◽  
Gender Identity ◽  
Life Course ◽  
Gender Equality ◽  
Emerging Adults ◽  
Emerging Adult ◽  
Master Narrative ◽  
Master Narratives ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Personal Experiences

The present studies focused on the role and socialization of biographical master narratives – cultural narratives that prescribe the types and ordering of events that should occur in one’s personal life identity narrative – by focusing on adolescent and emerging adult gender identity development. We employed a combined explanatory and triangulation mixed methods design. Study 1a ( n = 414) was a survey study examining the expected biographical master narrative events for men and women, and the content of master narrative deviation and conformity in an emerging adult sample. In Study 1b ( n = 14) we interviewed participants from Study 1a about their conformity and deviation narratives, as well as their socialization experiences regarding gendered biographical master narratives. In Study 2 mothers and adolescents ( n = 11 pairs), engaged in conversation about expected life course events, as well as a follow-up interview about their conversation. We first found that there are more gender differences in the personal experiences of conformity to and deviation from master narratives compared to the expectations of the life course (Study 1a). Second, deviating is related to more engagement in identity processes (Study 1a). Third, emerging adults report contradictions in retrospective reports of socialization messages regarding expectations (Study 1b), a finding confirmed in a discourse analysis of mothers and their adolescents (Study 2). Overall, across the studies, we see that (a) adolescents and emerging adults are engaged in a delicate balance of negotiating between various cultural and familial messages, as well as personal experiences, about gender identity particularly in regards to gender equality and, (b) there is a complex relation between socialization messages about gender equality that may make some biographical master narratives about the expected life course events for men and women more resistant to change.

scholarly journals Master Narratives, Gender Identity, Socialization Processes

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kate C. McLean ◽  
Chelsea Fordham ◽  
Samantha Boggs ◽  
Staci Byers ◽  
Kristin Gudbjorg Haraldsson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gender Identity ◽  
Life Course ◽  
Gender Equality ◽  
Emerging Adults ◽  
Emerging Adult ◽  
Master Narrative ◽  
Master Narratives ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Identity Processes ◽  
Personal Experiences

Gender Identity and Master NarrativesThe present studies focused on the role and socialization of biographical master narratives – cultural narratives that prescribe the types and ordering of events that should occur in one’s personal life identity narrative – by focusing on adolescent and emerging adult gender identity development. We employed a combined explanatory and triangulation mixed methods design. Study 1a (n = 414) was a survey study examining the expected biographical master narrative events for men and women, and the content of master narrative deviation and conformity in an emerging adult sample. In Study 1b (n = 14) we interviewed participants from Study 1a about their conformity and deviation narratives, as well as their socialization experiences regarding gendered biographical master narratives. In Study 2 mothers and adolescents (n = 11 pairs), engaged in conversation about expected life course events, as well as a follow-up interview about their conversation. We first found that there are more gender differences in the personal experiences of conformity to and deviation from master narratives compared to the expectations of the life course (Study 1a). Second, deviating is related to more engagement in identity processes (Study 1a). Third, emerging adults report contradictions in retrospective reports of socialization messages regarding expectations (Study 1b), a finding confirmed in a discourse analysis of mothers and their adolescents (Study 2). Overall, across the studies, we see that 1) adolescents and emerging adults are engaged in a delicate balance of negotiating between various cultural and familial messages, as well as personal experiences, about gender identity particularly in regards to gender equality and, 2) there is a complex relation between socialization messages about gender equality that may make some biographical master narratives about the expected life course events for men and women more resistant to change.

scholarly journals Master Narrative Identity Development in Cultural Context: The Role of Deviating from Master Narratives.

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kate C. McLean ◽  
Jennifer Lilgendahl ◽  
Chelsea Fordham ◽  
Elizabeth Alpert ◽  
Kathryn Szymanowski ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Identity Development ◽  
Cultural Context ◽  
Personality Development ◽  
Great Majority ◽  
Master Narrative ◽  
Master Narratives ◽  
Identity Processes ◽  
Shared Stories ◽  
Group Experiences ◽  
Relative Neglect

Objective: The great majority of research on identity and personality development has focused on individual processes of development, to the relative neglect of the cultural context of development. We employ a recently articulated framework for the examination of identity development in context, centered on the construct of master narratives, or culturally shared stories. Method: Across three studies we asked emerging and mid-life adults (n = 512) to narrate personal experiences of deviations from these master narratives. Results: Across three quantitative studies we show that 1) those who elaborated their deviation experiences were more likely to be in structurally marginalized positions in society (e.g., ethnic or sexual minorities); 2) those who elaborated an empowering alternative to the master narrative were more likely to be engaged in identity processes; and 3) master narratives maintain their rigidity by the frequency of their use. In qualitative analyses, we illustrate the rigidity of master narratives, as well as the degree to which they take shape in social and group experiences. Conclusions: These studies emphasize the importance of cultural context in considering personality and identity development.

scholarly journals Applying the Master Narrative Framework to Gender Identity in Emerging Adulthood

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kate C. McLean ◽  
Hannah Shucard ◽  
Moin Syed
Keyword(s):  
Identity Development ◽  
Gender Equality ◽  
Personal Identity ◽  
Personal Narratives ◽  
Master Narrative ◽  
Identity Exploration ◽  
Discourse Processes ◽  
Content Domain ◽  
Narrative Framework ◽  
Cultural Components

We applied a novel framework to identity development, capturing both content and process, and personal and cultural components of identity in the content domain of gender. We examined master (and alternative) narratives: ubiquitous, powerful cultural stories with which individuals negotiate in constructing personal identity. Study 1 was a quantitative investigation of personal narratives about gender (n = 245); Study 2 was a qualitative study of discourse processes concerning gender roles (n = 12). Employing three approaches to identity development (status, narrative, and discursive) in a mixed methods-design, we found that most individuals position themselves around a newer, alternative narrative about gender equality. However, in social interactions this narrative got less airtime, in favor of narratives representing either traditional views, or gender equality. Further, those who were exploring their identities were more likely to employ the less traditional narrative, suggesting a link between changing master narratives and personal identity exploration.

Applying the Master Narrative Framework to Gender Identity Development in Emerging Adulthood

2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 93-105 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kate C. McLean ◽  
Hannah Shucard ◽  
Moin Syed
Keyword(s):  
Identity Development ◽  
Gender Identity ◽  
Emerging Adulthood ◽  
Master Narrative ◽  
Narrative Framework

scholarly journals Gender Identity Construction Through Traditional and Modern Lenses: Rwandan Narratives and MDGs Perspectives

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 95
Author(s):  
Jean De Dieu Amini Ngabonziza ◽  
Emmanuel Sibomana ◽  
Epimaque Niyibizi ◽  
Irenée Ndayambaje
Keyword(s):  
Gender Identity ◽  
Gender Equality ◽  
Millennium Development Goals ◽  
Power Relations ◽  
Cultural Norms ◽  
Women Empowerment ◽  
Traditional Beliefs ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
Different Parts

While there is an on-going debate about what constitutes current policies and practices on gender equality between men and women in Rwanda, there is general agreement that Rwandan traditional beliefs and cultural norms have produced a patriarchy ideology and unequal power relations between women and men. Such traditional beliefs are not only observed in Rwanda, but in different parts of the world as well; and it is still problematic to assess a framework in which current gender policies are redesigned to allocate equitable power between women and men. This study focuses on the analysis and comparison of issues of gender identity and power relations as embedded in the Rwandan short narratives and in the Millennium Development Goals on gender equality. More specifically, this study investigates the design and redesign of the issues related to power relations and their effect on gender identity conception and assumption. Analysed from Marxist theories of power and Thompson’s modes perspectives, the findings suggest that Rwandan traditional narratives view men as more powerful than women and the society expects more from men in terms of responsibilities. As for the Millennium Development Goals, they focus on women empowerment only and thereby create a new imbalance between men and women. The paper recommends equality in terms of a maleness and femaleness ideology from policy to legislation and other domains.

scholarly journals Personal, Master, and Alternative Narratives: An Integrative Framework for Understanding Identity Development in Context

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kate C. McLean ◽  
Moin Syed
Keyword(s):  
Identity Development ◽  
Personal Identity ◽  
Master Narrative ◽  
Cultural Narratives ◽  
Master Narratives ◽  
Case Examples ◽  
Integrative Framework ◽  
Individual Agency ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Future Work

In this paper we propose a model for examining personal identity development that moves attention from a relatively exclusive examination of the individual, to an examination of the intersection between self and society. We propose that a master narrative model of identity development allows researchers to 1) align the study of culture and individual on the same metric of narrative, 2) investigate the processes of negotiating personal and cultural narratives, the latter of which are embedded within the structures of society, and 3) investigate the internalization of those structures in personal identities. In laying out this model we define a narrative approach to identity development, five principles for defining master narratives (ubiquity, utility, invisibility, rigidity, and their compulsory nature), three types of master narratives (life course, structural, and episodic), and case examples of each type. This model brings attention to the interaction between self and society, as well as to the constraints on individual agency to construct a personal identity. We conclude by raising questions that emerge out of this framework that we hope will inspire future work on the relation between self and society in the study of identity development.

scholarly journals Living With Parents and Emerging Adults’ Depressive Symptoms

2015 ◽  
Vol 38 (16) ◽  
pp. 2254-2276 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer E. Copp ◽  
Peggy C. Giordano ◽  
Monica A. Longmore ◽  
Wendy D. Manning
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Life Course ◽  
Emerging Adults ◽  
Emerging Adult ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Parental Home ◽  
Economic Independence ◽  
Adolescent Relationships ◽  
Nuanced Understanding ◽  
The Life Course

Whether moving back home after a period of economic independence or having never moved out, the share of emerging adults living with parents is increasing. Yet little is known about the associations of coresidence patterns and rationales for coresidence for emerging adult well-being. Using the Toledo Adolescent Relationships Study ( n = 891), we analyzed depressive symptoms among emerging adults who (a) never left the parental home, (b) returned to the parental home, and (c) were not currently living with a parent. About one fifth of emerging adults had boomeranged or moved back in with their parents. Among those living with parents, nearly two fifths had boomeranged or returned to their parental home and they reported significantly higher levels of depressive symptoms. Among coresident emerging adults, both intrinsic and utilitarian motivations (i.e., enjoy living with parents and employment problems) partially mediated the association between coresidence and depressive symptoms. Returning to the parental home was associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms only among emerging adults experiencing employment problems. These findings are especially relevant because the recession hit emerging adults particularly hard. The ability to distinguish boomerang emerging adults and emerging adults who have never left home provides a more nuanced understanding of parental coresidence during this phase of the life course.

Negotiating Emerging Adulthood With Master and Counter Narratives: Alcohol-Related Identity Trajectories Among Emerging Adults in Performance-Oriented Neoliberal Society

2021 ◽  
pp. 074355842110529
Author(s):  
Jukka Törrönen ◽  
Eva Samuelsson ◽  
Filip Roumeliotis ◽  
Josefin Månsson
Keyword(s):  
Identity Development ◽  
Emerging Adults ◽  
Heavy Drinking ◽  
Sociodemographic Factors ◽  
Master Narrative ◽  
Governmental Organizations ◽  
Non Governmental Organizations ◽  
Positioning Analysis ◽  
Narrative Framework ◽  
Changes Over Time

This study analyzes how emerging adults negotiate their relation to alcohol in the context of declining youth drinking and how this relationship changes over time. The sample consists of longitudinal qualitative interview data ( N = 28) with 9 boys and 19 girls aged 15 to 21. The participants were recruited through schools, social media and non-governmental organizations from mainly the Stockholm region and smaller towns in central Sweden to reach a heterogeneous sample in terms of sociodemographic factors and drinking practices. We interviewed the participants in-depth three times between 2017 and 2019. Thematic coding of the whole data with NVivo helped us select four cases for more detailed analysis, as they represented the typical trajectories and showed the variation in the material. We used the master narrative framework and Bamberg’s narrative positioning analysis to examine the data. The analysis demonstrates what kinds of narrative alignments in identity development encourage heavy drinking, moderate alcohol consumption, and fuel abstinence. The results suggest that the decline in youth drinking is produced by a co-effect of multiple master narratives that intersect and guide the identity development away from heavy drinking.

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