Identity Construction Research Articles

Linguistic means of identity construction in media texts (comparative analysis of political interviews)

he study aimed to determine and explain the influence of discourse of political interviews on audience identity construction and their understanding of social and political processes. Methods of cross-cultural analysis, Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), the method of linguistic analysis of identity markers in media text, and the method of linguistic analysis of identity markers were used in the study. The reliability of the methods was checked with Cronbach's alpha. The increase in the importance of media and social networks in identity construction indicates reorientation of the modern society towards digital platforms as a key factor of public position determination. Increased individualization was fixed in identity formation, where personal choices and clarity are important factors affecting the self-determination process. The study confirms that identity formation in media texts is a complex and multifaceted process, which includes the interaction of different aspects as individual, group, cultural and political identities. Further research perspectives are the study of the role of new technologies, including artificial intelligence and large data analysis in identity construction and interaction with the audience in the digital environment.

“We are the Revolution, Abroad”: Diaspora Protests, Identity Construction, and the Remaking of Citizenship in the 2019 Lebanese Thawra

Abstract Diasporas are often viewed as mirrors for their homeland’s politics. The Lebanese diaspora’s involvement in the 2019 Thawra, however, established the diaspora as a locus for autonomous and disruptive political action. Through an analysis of the spatialities of protest, this paper analyses the diaspora’s involvement in the Thawra, its implications for the protest movement, and for the diaspora itself. It argues that diaspora protests gave rise to new tactics and protest repertoires. These mirrored protest activity on the ground, supported protestors in Lebanon, and constituted the diaspora as a locus for contestation and claims-making. Moreover, the diaspora’s mobilization in the Thawra contributed to the consolidation of diasporic identity and the construction of alternative societal imaginaries and conceptions of citizenship that challenge Lebanon’s state-centric and sectarian citizenship regime. This paper thus makes the case for reassessing the autonomous political role of diasporas to gain a fuller understanding of transnational protest dynamics, solidarities, and citizenship beyond the boundaries of the nation-state.

Enabling and inhibiting doctors transitions: introducing the social identity resource and belonginess model (SIRB).

The transition into postgraduate medical training is complex, requiring an integration into the workplace, adjustment to new identities, and understanding of the social and organisational structure of healthcare. Studies suggest that social resources, including a sense of belonging, inclusivity from social groups, and having strong social identities can facilitate positive transitions. However, little is known about the role these resources play in junior doctors' transitions into the healthcare community. This study aimed to explore the implications of having access to social resources for junior doctors. This study undertook secondary analysis from a longitudinal qualitative study which followed 19 junior doctors (residents within two years of qualification) for nine months. Data were thematically analysed using an abductive approach, with the social identity resource and belongingness (SIRB) model as a conceptual lens to explore how social networks of support act as identity resources (IRs) for junior doctors as they experience transitions. The doctors narrated that having accessible IRs in the form of supportive workplace relationships enabled an integration and a sense of belonging into healthcare practice, supported the construction of new professional identities, and strengthened career intentions. Those with inaccessible IRs (i.e. poor workplace relationships) expressed a lack of belonging, and casted doubt on their identity as a doctor and their career intentions. Our study indicates that SIRB model would be beneficial for medical educators, supervisors, and managers to help them understand the importance and implications of having IRs within the workplace environment and the consequences of their accessibility for healthcare staff experiencing transitions.

Healthcare professionals’ well-being at work: a professional and organizational identity perspective

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to test a model of healthcare professionals’ well-being seen as a consequence of a process of motivated professional identity construction, a variable that mediates the influence of the organizational identity (utilitarian or normative) and the perceived reputation of the profession on well-being.Design/methodology/approachCross-sectional design, based on a survey of 384 healthcare professionals. Structural equation modeling with latent variables was used to test the model.FindingsThe data provide empirical evidence supporting the proposed model. We find that organizational identity (utilitarian and normative) and perceived professional reputation positively relate to professional identity, a variable that positively relates to well-being. Professional identity mediates the relationship between organizational identity (normative and utilitarian) and perceived professional reputation and well-being. Utilitarian organizational identity and perceived professional reputation are also directly related to well-being.Originality/valueThis research significantly departs from the current focus of explaining the well-being of healthcare professionals by resorting mainly to individual factors and introduces organizational and institutional determinants.

Consuming and retailing fashion: South Asian diaspora negotiating clothing practices, identities and community making in Glasgow

ABSTRACT This article explores South Asian diasporic fashion retail spaces and sartorial practices in Glasgow. Drawing on ten months of ethnographic research, it investigates how fashion and clothing contribute to identity construction, community building, and cultural blending among British South Asians. Utilising patchwork ethnography and city walking, the article presents the lived experiences of shopkeepers and consumers, demonstrating the interplay of gender, migration, spaces, and religion in sartorial practices. The findings reveal that fashion and sartorial practices are not merely about personal expression but also about negotiating hybrid and multiple identities and fostering community solidarity amidst the challenges of migration and cultural preservation. The article also contributes to the broader discourse on transnational fashion, advocating for a decolonial perspective that addresses ethical, moral, and environmental sustainability within diverse fashion systems.

AB-Türkiye İlişkileri Bağlamında Ermenilerin Kimlik İnşasına Yeniden Bakış

This article critically analyses the reconstruction of the Armenian identity in the context of reforms in Turkey's European Union (EU) accession process. Within the scope of the research, in order to understand the cultural, ethnic and religious identity construction processes of the Armenian community in Istanbul, the existing academic literature on Armenians in Turkey has been analysed in detail, and field research based on observation and in-depth interviews has been conducted. In line with the historical background ranging from the Ottoman millet system to the Republic's policies of creating a homogenous nation, from the democratisation movement to the EU accession process, the construction process of Armenian identity has been analysed in three stages in the light of the relevant theoretical debates. Firstly, the historical development of different legal statuses evolving from non-Muslims to minorities is analysed; secondly, the reform process brought about by the EU membership process is examined. While analysing this process, the basic dynamics that contributed to the formation of Armenian identity were first identified. Secondly the prominent changes in the legal, political, social and cultural fields that accelerated the reconstruction of the Armenian community's identity by the EU reform process were tried to be identified. Finally, the social dilemmas experienced in the aftermath of the reforms are analysed and the ongoing identity struggle of the Armenian community is outlined. While the EU membership process allows the Armenian community in Turkey to express their identities more openly and freely, social insecurity and dilemmas prevent this process from being fully realised. The study analyses the theoretical approaches to identity construction and the political, economic, social and cultural transformations experienced by the Armenian community in Turkey and offers suggestions on the processes of identity struggle. In particular, it is emphasised that overcoming social insecurities and dilemmas is critical for the sustainable survival of Armenian identity. In this context, it is concluded that more inclusive and supportive policies should be developed in order to preserve the Armenian identity and increase its social acceptance. Key Words: Identity, European Union, Türkiye, Armenian identity, minority

Only a cog in a machine?: Reappraising institutionalized EAP teacher identities in a transnational context

Language teacher identity (LTI) research, critical approaches to language education, and English for Academic Purposes (EAP), have each grown into considerable areas of scholarship. However, not many studies have addressed topics at the intersection of these triple areas. Therefore, adopting a critical perspective on LTI construction within predominant language ideologies, this study aimed to investigate EAP teachers' professional identity formation in response to institutional policies in a Sino-British university in China. As part of a larger project, data bodies were collected through a narrative survey completed by 77 faculty members and semi-structured interviews with 36 of them at this transnational English-medium university. The analysis of narratives and interview transcripts through qualitative coding procedures revealed three major aspects of the participants' institutionalized identities: ‘The EAP teacher’ (comprising three roles: a cog in a machine, a British acculturation agent, and a mock monolingual role model); ‘The safe researcher’ of trendy topics; and ‘The service provider’ seeking promotion. The findings contribute insights into EAP LTI from a critical perspective by documenting how EAP teachers (are obliged to) construct institutionalized identities in relation to language ideologies and educational policies in a transnational higher education context.

Exploring constructions of female surgeons' intersecting identities and their impacts: a qualitative interview study with clinicians and patients in Ireland and Scotland.

While many studies have explored surgeons' personal and professional identities separately, our study is the first to examine intersecting female surgical identities. We explore intersecting surgical identities constructed by self and others (colleagues and patients) within two healthcare systems and their perceived impacts answering the research question: How do female surgeons' constructed identities intersect, and what influences do those intersections have on their surgical lives? We employed qualitative methodology drawing on semi-structured biographical narrative interviews underpinned by social constructionism. We employed intersectionality theory as an analytical lens. We adopted maximum variation sampling to identify diverse participants, including 38 surgeons (29 female; 9 male), 9 non-surgical colleagues (8 female, 1 male), and 13 patients of female surgeons (7 female, 6 male). Our 29 female surgeons also included six who had transitioned out of surgery. We analyzed the dataset using a five-step Framework Analysis approach. We captured talk about identities, as well as identity talk (constructions of identity through participants' talk). Multiple intersecting personal (not just gender) and professional identities were constructed and reported to have multiple impacts on female surgeons' lives (including their education, training, and success). We present intersecting identities and their impacts relating to gender through four primary intersections: (a) gender + ethnic identities; (b) gender + parenthood identities; (c) gender + age identities; and (d) gender + professional identities (namely carer, competent, mentor/mentee, role model and leader). Our findings particularly highlight the challenges experienced by female surgeons of color, who are mothers, who are younger and/or who are leaders, illustrating diversity in women's experiences beyond that of gender alone. Finally, we found unexpected insights into male surgeons and fatherhood. Intersectionality theory offered a novel analytical lens to extend existing knowledge on female surgical identities. Further research is warranted exploring intersecting identities of female surgeons of color, younger female surgeons, and male surgeons who are fathers, as well as identities unexplored in this study (e.g., diverse sexualities). We need to raise awareness of intersecting identities and their impacts in surgery, as well as providing training, allyship, and policy revision that is sensitive to intersectionality.

#Sportsball anti-fandom as identity performance on X: The case of Australian Football League Women's (AFLW)

This article identifies a novel form of sports anti-fan identity present amongst X (formerly Twitter) followers of The Australian Football League Women's (AFLW) competition – #sportsball fans – whose nascent attachment to women's Australian Rules football is publicly performed as an ironically detached becoming-a-fan-ness, often rooted in a self-identified, pre-existing aversion to both sport and sports fandom. The term #sportsball serves as a shorthand for these types of new fan identities, for whom ironic distancing and expressions of surprise at their sudden affective attachment to football serve as a bridging device for traversing different textualities, for protecting the curated online self, and for managing expectations within pre-existing online communities. Identified via a corpus-assisted discourse studies (CADS) analysis of 71,332 posts drawn from official match day hashtags for the AFLW's inaugural 2017 season, #sportsball fans represent a significant contribution to our understanding of mediated fan practices and online identity construction.

Abyssus Abyssum Invocat: Victim/Criminal Dynamics in the Construction of Successful Criminal Identities

ABSTRACT This study explores the interplay between victim and perpetrator identities in the construction of successful criminal personas. Through detailed interviews with individuals who transitioned from victims to perpetrators within criminal contexts, the research identifies three critical themes: “Influence, Charisma, and Respect,” “Adaptive Leadership and Strategic Management,” and “Morality and Power-Driven Relativism.” The findings reveal that victim identity significantly contributes to the development of traits essential for criminal success, such as resilience and empathy, which enhance leadership and authority. Furthermore, the strategic manipulation of these identities allows criminals to navigate complex social dynamics and maintain control. The study emphasizes the importance of understanding the duality of victim and perpetrator identities in the broader discourse on criminal self-conception, highlighting the nuanced psychological and relational aspects that underpin successful criminal careers. This research extends existing theories on criminal success by incorporating the dynamics of victim identity, offering a more comprehensive framework for analyzing criminal behavior and identity formation.

From EMI to CLIL: negotiating teacher identity

ABSTRACT In English-medium instruction (EMI), students learn content knowledge through their additional language. Despite the implicit English learning goals, EMI content subject teachers have been urged to provide more language support for their students. Such expectations may not be something that EMI teachers were professionally prepared for. It is then worth examining how EMI teachers (re)construct their identity when facing such new expectations. Based on Wenger’s [Wenger, E. (1998). Communities of Practice: Learning, Meaning, and Identity. Cambridge University Press] identity construction framework, this qualitative multiple case study reveals how three EMI teachers in Hong Kong and Mainland China secondary schools negotiated their identity when being supported to incorporate language teaching in their content lessons. From data collected in co-planning meetings, lesson observations and interviews, all the teachers were engaged in constructing the identity of language aware content teachers, but some of them appeared to experience identity conflicts. The contrast of the three cases reveals that teachers’ professional training, school context and curriculum requirement are important in shaping teachers’ professional identity. Teachers’ agency also impacts on how teachers negotiate their identity, especially when facing contextual constraints. These findings underscore the importance of preparing teachers both psychologically and practically in EMI teacher education.

The role of emotional tensions in English language student teachers’ identity construction: an activity theory perspective

ABSTRACT Despite the recent growth of attention to language teachers’ emotions, knowledge about how emotional tensions contribute to student teachers’ identity construction is still under-developed. In response to this gap, the present study explored the role of emotional tensions in seven Iranian English language student teachers’ identity construction over a semester-long period. Theoretically grounded in activity theory, the study was conducted through collecting data from pre-course interviews, during-course reflective journals, and post-course interviews. Data analysis revealed three major themes: (1) emotional tensions as a source of marginalisation, (2) emotional tensions as a motivator of professional investment, and (3) emotional tensions as a fund of identity. We found that beyond positive and negative contributions for student teachers’ identity construction, emotional tensions could play a mediatory role in identity development when they interact with system-related discourses and participants. Based on the findings, we provide implications for teachers and teacher educators to turn emotional tensions into a positive contributor to interpersonal and organisational development.

Gender fluidity and “other left-wing superstitions”: problem representations in the inquiry report on the NSW Parental Rights Bill

ABSTRACT Policies and other governance initiatives that attempt to limit or prohibit gender diversity inside (and outside of) schools are increasing in frequency. One core discourse that has been deployed to restrict curricular engagements and school policies around gender and sexuality diversity in schools is that of “parental rights”, which seeks to position any discussions of these matters as requiring consent of parents. This paper reviews an inquiry report into proposed legislation that sought to enshrine “parental rights” in education and prohibit the teaching of “gender fluidity” in schools in New South Wales, Australia. Produced in 2021, the inquiry report included inputs from advocacy groups, citizens, and lobbyists alongside substantial contributions from politicians, representing multiple constructions of gender, identity, young people, and schooling. Using Bacchi and Goodwin’s “What is the problem represented to be” framework, this paper analyses the conceptual logic and prominent discourses within the Report. Three key problem constructions dominated: “gender fluidity”, unsafe schools and radical teachers. We argue that the Report engaged in a moral panic of gender diversity as contagious, teachable, and dangerous. The logic of the Report depended upon the imagined but often cited crisis of teacher quality and a subscription to antiquated discourses that frame children as innocent, asexual, and cisgender. Findings demonstrate that the Report silenced the perspectives and experiences of transgender and gender diverse children and adults. Ultimately, the Report reproduced and amplified transphobic discourses that proliferate in international publics that seek to limit and admonish gender diversity and gender diverse young people.

Living both here and there: a study of identity construction among Korean-Chinese elites in an international metropolis

ABSTRACT This study explores how college graduates from an ethnic minority group, bilingual Korean-Chinese, negotiate and reconstruct their identities in the scale-changing process as they move from ethnic minority communities to an international metropolis in China. Drawing on the notion of scale, this study used data collected from semi-structured interviews with 24 bilingual Korean-Chinese participants in Shanghai to explore their lived experiences. Their language use in social media was also tracked and recorded over a period of four months. The findings reveal that most of the participating bilingual Korean-Chinese elites flexibly moved across the spatial–temporal scale and the social scale, situationally adapting their language use to the environment and for various communicative purposes. As such, they retained their ethnic identity while accommodating new identities, achieving a reconciled ‘amphibious identity’ by ‘living both here and there.’ The remainder of the participants chose to use either Chinese or Korean, under the influence of their monolingual language ideology, and developed a marginalised or replacement identity. This study contributes a more fine-grained and non-reductionist understanding of ethnic minority migrants’ construction of identity in a situation of mobility and its relation to their language practices across different scales.

EFL Writer Identity Construction in Academic Writings: A Systematic Review

English, as the most widely used language in academic publications, poses great challenges for novice EFL researchers not only in the language competence, but also in constructing authorial identity in academic writing because the codes for the construction of writer identity is implicit. This paper reviews the research on identity construction in academic writing among EFL writers published in key applied linguistics journals between 2000 and 2024, and summarizes the current research status of writer identity construction in academic writing and delves into the characteristics and influencing factors of identity construction. Through in-depth analysis of the theoretical framework and the characteristics of the EFL writers, we have selected representative papers, including empirical studies, theoretical discussions, and case studies, to ensure the comprehensiveness and accuracy of this review.The study found that the construction of writer identity in academic writing is a complex and multifaceted process. It is not only influenced by the English language proficiency of the writer but also by a combination of factors such as individual experiences, academic background, and sociocultural factors. These factors collectively shape the writer’s identity and recognition by others in the academic community, thereby affecting their status and influence in the academic field. This paper aims to provide valuable references and inspirations for future research on academic writing and writer identity construction.

Exploring Intercultural Communication Through Identity Construction: A Case of YouTube Comments

This exploratory study examines the strategies used by commenters in the YouTube comment section to facilitate intercultural communication through identity construction in the digital space. Based on critical discourse analysis and the framework of identity regarding indexicality and othering, the study has analyzed 8 extracts selected from 7, 000 comments under one YouTube video talking about political stuff. The findings suggest that individuals could employ explicit ethnicity labeling, rhetorical questioning, othering processes, and humor as key strategies to showcase their cultural identity in intercultural arena. The purpose is to seek support or challenge viewpoints through personal experiences, with the aim of achieving acceptance. The study highlights the challenges posed by digital spaces in intercultural communication and emphasizes the need for further research to address the potential misunderstandings arising from cultural differences.

Between two states: Cultural relation in frontier area Indonesia-Philippines

This article aims to describe and analyze pattern of management learning communities in frontier area Indoensia-Philippines. The relationship between Indonesia-Phlippines in frontier area represents a unique intersection culture and dynamic interplay onf interaction. The people in frontier area were relating by the historical events in the past. This article using historical methods; heuristic, critics/verification, interpretation and historiography were to emphasize the utilization of primary sources. The primary source collected from the oral tradition between Indonesia-Philippines people in frontier area. This article employs a social scientific approach to elucidate the cultural relationships within border communities. Cultural relationships are indicative of an extensive process that exerts influence on communal living practices in the management of their existence as a unique identity. This study provides a comprehensive analysis of the cultural relations in the frontier area between Indonesia and the Philippines. The findings offer insights into the intricate interplay of factors shaping cultural dynamics in border regions, contributing to a deeper understanding of cross-border interactions and the construction of cultural identities.

The discursive construction of identity as resistance: life stories of urban Mapuche women in Chile

Este artigo busca compreender como a resistência a discursos de estigmatização se manifesta nas avaliações presentes na construção discursiva da identidade étnica de mulheres mapuche urbanas. A análise, a partir dos Estudos Críticos do Discurso, é realizada com ferramentas analíticas do sistema de avaliatividade (Martin e White, 2005), fundamentada na teoria da Linguística Sistêmico-Funcional. A metodologia é qualitativa e a técnica de coleta é a entrevista em profundidade. O corpus é composto por 18 entrevistas com mulheres mapuche urbanas, a fim de mostrar seu papel nas lutas de resistência e reivindicação de seus direitos étnicos. Os resultados mostram aspectos da resistência, como uso de vestimentas tradicionais, práticas ancestrais, a discriminação, o vazio de identi- dade e a ferida colonial. A inclusão de diversas posições nas narrativas dá origem à flutuação de engajamento que refletem um posicionamento dilemático na configuração da identidade étnica.

Identification strategies in poststructuralist anthropology by Philipрe Descolа

The article is devoted to the study of identification strategies claiming to be universal, proposed by the French representative of poststructuralist anthropology Philippe Descola. Speaking of identification, it implies a scheme for establishing the identity and difference of “I” and “others”, based on identifying analogies and detecting discrepancies in appearance, behavior, as well as specific features attributed to oneself and others. A person perceives himself as a set of physical and internal properties necessary in order to recognize or deny the presence of other properties in others. Thus, combining the properties of the “inner” world and physical properties, Descola comes to four possible identifications: animism (recognizes the similarity of the inner worlds and the difference in physical properties); totemism (recognizes the similarity of the inner worlds and the similarity of physical properties); naturalism (recognizes the difference of the inner worlds and the similarity of physical properties) and analogism (recognizes the difference between the inner worlds and the difference in physical properties). On the basis of ethnographic studies of the peoples of Central and South America, the features of identification mechanisms according to these strategies are revealed. It has been found that these principles of identity construction do not exclude each other, but may occupy a dominant position at a particular historical moment. The digital environment, acting as a natural and cultural continuum, is considered, to which the proposed by P. Descola is an identification strategy of analogism. Conclusions are drawn about the prospects of the “human” in the studied identity strategies.

Socio-Cultural Factors Influencing Language Use and Identity Construction Among Women in Kitui West Constituency, Kenya

This research seeks to examine and describe the complex interaction between language and identity in the lives of the women of Kitui West Constituency, Kitui County, Kenya. Grounded in ethnography, this study explores the cultural and social factors that inform language variations and identity construction in diverse women’s collectives. The targeted institutions include church-related organizations, SACCOs, and informal community-based organizations. The combined focus on qualitative and quantitative methodology: in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, and sociolinguistic questionnaires fills a gap in knowledge pertaining to language and identity in multilingual African settings and provides impetus for reflections on language policy as well as women’s rights and emancipation reveal the gendered interdependence between the patterns of language choice and societal factors such as education, religion, urbanization, and economic activity. The analysis of the data provided shows that women in Kitui West have diverse linguistic resources that they negotiate every day while juggling between cultural and socially imposed roles and rights. Consequently, it fills a gap in knowledge pertaining to language and identity in multilingual African settings and provides impetus for reflections on language policy as well as women’s rights and emancipation.