Narrative Identity, Sense of Self and Meaning in Life in Emirati and U.S.-American Women

Abstract

ABSTRACT Coherent personal narratives employed for self-understanding (self function) and social proximity (social function) are theorized to inform life and the sense of self with meaning. Yet, it has not been tested whether this rather individualistic notion of narrative identity holds true across cultures. Therefore, this study investigates potential cultural differences in the extent to which narrative identity of Emirati and U.S.-American female undergraduates reflect and relate to meaning in life and the sense of self. Results showed that the U.S.-American narratives were more thematically coherent and served the self and social functions more than the Emirati narratives. Thematic coherence and self function related significantly to meaning in life in the Emirati subsample, but surprisingly not in the U.S.-American subsample. In both samples, the social function related to self-concept clarity and the sense of coherence. These results further our understanding on cultural differences in constructing meaning in life and the sense of self through narrative identity.