Identity Claims Research Articles

Incongruent Patterns of Organizational Identity Crafting by Different Organizational Actors

Organizational identity research emphasizes that multiple identities can coexist in an organization. With a qualitative study of four firms in the German watchmaking industry, we analyze how and why multiple identities emerge. Our findings show that the orchestration of organizational identity claims differs regarding the organization as a social actor and the organizational members. Moreover, we find that differences in the conceptualization of identity claims by both levels of actors are less competing but rather have a symbiotic relationship in the sense of reinforcing the firm’s uniqueness. Exploring this finding in more detail, we observe that rhetorical history is not only applied by incorporating different episodes but also that episodes are emphasized differently with respect to the rhetorician.

Successfully Articulating National Constitutional Identity Claims: Strait Is the Gate and Narrow Is the Way

Article 4(2) Treaty of the European Union (TEU) has not played any autonomous role up to now. Cases involving that provision have not been handled differently by the Court than cases involving derogations to free movement. In this article, after an analysis of the existingcase law on Article 4(2) TEU, I make the case for a bolder and exceptional use of Article 4(2) TEU where genuine national constitutional identity claims (NCI claims) directly clash with provisions of EU law. I provide a normative framework of analysis to identify genuine NCI claims and determine how the Court should address them. ‘Strait is the gate and narrow is the way’ is certainly a relevant metaphor to capture the possibility for genuine NCI claims to be successful. In view of its own mission and constraints, the Court is only to accept well motivated, narrow claims that are strictly based on crucial and distinctive features of national law that are embedded in the national Constitution and do not run against the own constitutional identity of the Union. Member State constitutional identity, Article 4(2) TEU, Extraordinary function, Constitutional conflicts, Instructions for use, Constitutional courts, Court of Justice, Balancing between national identity and fundamental rights, European Union constitutional identity, National and European constitutionalism

National Identity and the Protection of Fundamental Rights

The article asks whether the European Union (EU)’s duty to protect national identities is a useful way to address diverging conceptions of fundamental rights, and it argues that it is not. On the basis of an examination of the text of Article 4(2) TEU, its history and the practice of the Court of Justice, it is argued that the concept of ‘national identities’ under Article 4(2) TEU does not cover particular national conceptions of fundamental rights, but admits that it may be difficult to make a clear separation between the more organizational or structural elements of national identity and their impact on the fundamental rights of individuals. The article then proceeds to look at national approaches, where fundamental rights tend to be included in the concept of constitutional identities to be protected by national courts. It is argued, however, that arguments based on constitutional identity under national law are not conducive for deciding cases on EU fundamental rights. Such identity claims operate as trump cards. Yet, there are other ways to accommodate diversity among the Member States in the area of fundamental rights. If these are used and respected also by the Court of Justice, unilateral recourse to constitutional identity is not needed. Constitutional identity – national diversity – protection of fundamental rights – identity review – divergence – harmonization of fundamental rights protection – national choices

Review: Cookbook Politics, by Kennan Ferguson

Review: <i>Cookbook Politics</i>, by Kennan Ferguson

Dharamsala: A tourist hub caught between identity claims and tourism development

Figure : The streets of Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh, India. October 2018 Taken in the tourist hub of Dharamsala in northern India, this photograph raises the question of the relationship between Tibetan identity claims and international tourism. Strolling along the main streets of this hub located at the foot of the Indian Himalayas, casual tourists cannot miss an urban landscape covered with murals, posters, and slogans. This visual patchwork is sometimes made up of advertisements promotin...

Gender Stereotypes and Their Manifestations in Kate Chopin’s «Elizabeth Stock’s One Story»

The article deals with the peculiarities of gender stereotypes in Kate Chopin’s work «Elizabeth Stock’s One Story». The Feminist criticism statements aiming at the revealing of femininity manifestation in a text are analysed. Characteristic features marking «female writing» are given, among them besides specific woman’s life experience, gender identity and ecstatic communication with the world, peculiar «two voice» discourse is also distinguished (it traces its roots back to the Mikhail Bakhtin’s ideas about «someone else’s» word through the French poststructuralists). «Elizabeth Stock’s One Story» is the only example of Chopin’s reference to the problem of women’s creativity. The assessing voice of the society intensifying clichés of the woman’s «natural role» can be detected in heroine’s ironical presentation of her own literary experience. The heroine is interested in literature and it’s not only an art for her but also a means of self-expression and a way to self-identity. Despite of the intimacy of Elizabeth’s story her narration is filled with the description of public morality and details which join it into the social life of the whole country. In Chopin’s short story the heroine’s claim of identity being through traditionally men’s forms of self-identification is truly significant.

Emotional Rhetoric in Tea Advertising

Drawing on rhetorical and pragmatic (Relevance Theory) approaches to emotions, this article examines claims of cultural and patriotic identity in British tea websites as examples of emotional rhetoric. I hypothesise that such claims operate as persuasive strategies designed to elicit empathy towards the product in potential consumers and ultimately to persuade them to identify with it. Results indicate that cultural identity in the form of patriotism, understood as social identity, collective memory and a feeling of belonging to or pride in one’s country, can fulfil a threefold creative effect: at a rhetorical level, it contributes to the design of a stylistically pleasing text; at an informative level, it introduces an unexpected or foreign element into the advertisement; and at a pragmatic level, it involves potential addressees in the recovery of a message that can be tailored to suit their specific individual experiences.

Reconceptualising the interpreter’s role

Abstract The interpreter’s role and performance in interpreting-facilitated interactions have attracted considerable scholarly attention since the 1970s. Seminal field research on interpreting in courtrooms, in hospitals, and in war zones describe interpreters as active participants. Nevertheless, Hale (2006) and Pöchhacker (2006) critique that much data-driven research in the area suffers from a lack of theoretical conceptualisations, and is short of diversified sociocultural and linguistic contexts for investigation. To strengthen the theoretical background to research on the interpreters’ role, this study draws on social psychology theories of social identity and optimal distinctiveness, and the sociolinguistic notion of face, to develop an interdisciplinary framework for conceptualising how identity claims may influence interpreters’ choice of linguistic strategies in delivery. The English-Mandarin political press conference interpreting context is examined to illustrate how the proposed framework may shed light on our understanding of interpreters’ behaviour in action.

Abusing Constitutional Identity

AbstractIncreasingly, populists and authoritarians have discovered for themselves the notion of constitutional identity as a practical excuse to sidestep transnational legal obligations, as well as to vindicate their constitutional projects on the whole from concerns about the rule of law and other shared European values. This has led some scholars to highlight the “dangers of constitutional identity,” brandishing it as an “inherently dangerous concept,” and suggesting that the concept ought to be abandoned. This Article argues that the anti-pluralist critiques of constitutional identity, while rightly criticizing the authoritarian appropriations of constitutional identity, ultimately go too far and draw the wrong conclusions. Simply dismissing the concept of constitutional identity will not lead to the disappearance of the meanings imparted through it. The authoritarian and populist appropriations of constitutional identity must be identified and understood as abuses of the concept. By eliding constitutional identity with its abuse, the anti-pluralist critique sacrifices a more intimate understanding of the realities of constitutional identity abuse to a likely unattainable normative vision of uncontested EU law primacy. In advancing this critique, I will further outline three potential avenues for understanding constitutional identity abuse, differentiating between its substantive, generative, and relational aspects. Constitutional identity claims can be abusive by virtue of their substantive content, how they have come about, as well as how they are advanced.

Dynamics of entrepreneurial belonging among Mexican female entrepreneurs

PurposeUnderstanding belonging provides a better insight into the structural, political, cultural and gendered elements of entrepreneurship. This paper aims to focus on Mexican female entrepreneurs’ (MFE) experiences in managing material and affective aspects of entrepreneurial belonging during the start-up and transition phase to become an established business owner.Design/methodology/approachThe narrative analysis is based on qualitative interview data with 11 MFE in Mexico.FindingsThe analysis reveals that MFEs’ sense of belonging evolves from self-oriented to more socially-oriented identity claims. In the former, the need to “fit in” and achieve material aspects of belonging is intertwined with gender and family responsibilities. In the latter, the need to “stand out” and achieve affective aspects of belonging is intertwined with validating entrepreneurial achievements by challenging gendered assumptions and helping others through the notion of “sisterhood.”Originality/valueThe paper extends the understanding of the relation of material and affective aspects of belonging as an “evolving” process from the nascent stage to the established stage of entrepreneurship. Within the evolving process of entrepreneurial belonging, a shift from material to affective aspects unveils a theoretical framework that relates belonging, gender and entrepreneurship in context. This process seems to regulate entrepreneur’s agency in what they interpret as acceptable while standing up against challenges and legitimizing belonging through the emergence of a “sisterhood.”

Recognising and ReconstitutingGàidheilEthnicity

This article analyses some claims made about the Gàidheal identity in Scotland, with particular reflection on a distinct ‘sociolinguistic turn’ within Gàidhlig studies and related research over the last two decades. Through critical analysis of a major sociological survey on the structuring of various markers in framing Gàidheal identity, a normative basis is provided to then assess other identity classifications made by some academics whose work is focussed on the single identity-marker of the Gàidhlig language. It is argued that identity claims predicated on the specific nature of the Gàidhlig sociolinguistic turn fail to capture the complex reality and living histories of actual Gàidheal identities (and claims on those identities), in particular, the socio-cultural importance of place-based practices and understandings. Recent proposals for a Gàidheal ethnolinguistic assembly may enable modes of articulation and recognition to develop which better capture those realities, as well as supporting societal and linguistic regeneration among the indigenous group.

The Marketing of Female Escorts: A Gendered Perspective of Online Companionship Advertisements.

Advancement of technology has broadened possibilities for people working in the sex industry. Specifically, sex workers' use of online classified advertisement websites to market companionship and escort services has increased in recent years, yet research has lagged behind these developments. This study addresses the gap in research by examining female companionship advertisements on one of the most popular websites: Backpage.com. The lead author qualitatively analyzed over 1,500 advertisements to identify common themes and patterns in how escort companions were described. This study explores the type of identity claims escort companions make and how they formulate advertisements to appeal to a broad client base. Research on gendered stereotypes is used to interpret escort companions' use of language, symbols, and photography, through covert and overt messaging. Study results revealed that women offering companion services promoted and reinforced traditional gendered stereotypes through their online advertisements. Findings may be used to understand the context of sex work.

Nonprofit Online Responsiveness: An Exploratory Field Experiment in China

This article assesses sources of nonprofit responsiveness and identifies potential drivers for responsiveness, using an online field experiment involving philanthropic foundations in China ( N = 3,254). Baseline requests were sent out to the foundations through emails and vignettes were applied to treatment groups by inserting different identity claims or prompts into the contents of the emails. Experimental results showed that, compared with the control group, potential donors were more likely to receive responses, claims concerning government ties or media backgrounds resulted in fewer responses, and citing legal obligations could increase the odds of receiving satisfactory responses. Interpreting the results with reference to stakeholder salience theory, we argue that potential donors are the most salient stakeholders to foundations. Donor requests and legal obligations are the most effective forces driving foundations’ responsiveness in China.

Sound artefacts as containers. The materiality of rhythm in ancient Mesoamerica

This paper focuses on the role played by rhythmic instruments in Aztec ritual performances, combining the study of sound related artefacts as primary archaeological record with other contextual sources, using a multidisciplinary approach. Two categories of Aztec percussion instruments (huehuetl and teponaztli) will be analyzed, trying to get closer to the emic point of view, the indigenous concept of drums as containers of non-human entities. This will offer a better understanding of their role within the ceremonial context. Another important aspect here stressed is the importance of considering the materiality of these sound related artefacts, entangled with humans in a dialogical way to shape the ritual soundscape. Finally, a brief excursion in ethnography, will show how ancient percussion instruments are today re-signified in a totally changed ritual context, where their enduring materiality becomes a field of negotiation and claim of identity for the members of indigenous communities.

Reconfiguring China: an analysis of history textbooks in the Republic of China (1912–1949)

ABSTRACT Nation-building in modern China at the beginning of the twentieth century had to manage the strain between ethnic nationalism and the claim of a multi-ethnic national identity. This study focuses on how history textbooks defined China and addressed this paradox. Based on the qualitative content analysis of eight popular middle school history textbooks about imperial China, this paper demonstrates how Han nationalism and the multi-ethnic nationality of China evolved in the textbooks. While these two features of national concept contradict each other, the thesis of Hanhua may serve as a bridge between them within the symbolic framework of Chinese nationalism.

Disentangling varieties of French nationalism, why does it matter?

National identity claims have taken a growing importance in the French political landscape these last decades. While representations of French national identity have long been scrutinised from an elite perspective, much less is known about “What is it to be French?” from a citizen’s perspective. This article aims at filling this gap. Using the European Values Study data, from 1981 to 2018, it first offers a general measure of change in French people national claims during that period. Building on a classification, it then proposes to disentangle five different types of French nationalism. Finally, the article tests the explanatory power of these types of nationalism on support for attitudes and a few policy preferences which involve representations of the in-group and the out-group such as immigration and solidarity policies.

(Im)mutable Race?

Courts rarely question the racial identity claims made by parties litigating employment discrimination disputes. But what if this kind of identity claim is itself at the core of a dispute? A recent cluster of “reverse passing” scandals featured women—Rachel Dolezal and Jessica Krug among them—who were born white yet who were revealed to have lived as members of Black, Indigenous, or Person of Color (BIPOC) communities. These incidents suggest that courts will soon have to make determinations of racial identity as a threshold matter in disputes over employment discrimination and contract termination. More specifically, courts will have to decide whether racial identity can change. This Essay offers a framework for thinking about the legal disputes that will arise from accusations of reverse passing. It makes a normative sociological statement about how we should understand changes in racial identity, as well as a positive doctrinal statement about what that means for law. Social science and theory have long questioned the claim that race is a stable identity marker such that there can be a fixed, objective, and observable truth. Law, conversely, has generally rejected the possibility of racial transformation even as it grapples with the mutability of other seemingly immutable traits. I show that, particularly in light of the Supreme Court’s 2020 decision in Bostock v. Clayton County, social science and law are not as far apart as we may think. The doctrinal foundations needed to account for racial identity transformation already exist, and the analytic means of doing so are largely there as well. What is left for courts to do is to cultivate attentiveness to race in a way that realizes these legal principles and social science insights. The Essay concludes with suggestions for how courts can cultivate a greater attentiveness to the ways in which race is performed and experienced: a kind of analysis that courts already conduct, but could conduct better.

Scalable Behavioral Authentication

A Behavioral Authentication (BA) system constructs a behavioral profile for a user and uses it to verify their identity claims. It is primarily used as a second factor in user authentication. A BA system starts with an initial database of user profiles, and uses a verification algorithm to accept or reject a verification request, that consists of a claimed identity and behavioral data by measuring the distance between the profile of the claimed identity and the presented behavioral data. As new users join the system, the size of profile database grows and for a user u, the probability of other users with “close” profiles increases, and this results in an increase in the error probability of verification algorithm. We analyze this problem in distance-based verification systems, and introduce the notion of scalability of BA systems that requires the system error probability to remain (almost) unchanged as the size of the profile database grows. To achieve scalability, we propose personalization of verification algorithm. More specifically, for a user u the verification algorithm considers a set of doppelgangers that consists of users that have “close” profiles to u, and uses the set to form additional verification checks for verification requests against u. We use extensive experiments to validate the above, including the increase in the verification error with the increase in the database size, and implement and evaluate our proposed scalable verification algorithm in reducing this error. To our knowledge, this is the first systematic treatment of scalability of BA systems. Our notion of scalability and the approach to achieving it are general and applicable to other distance-based authentication systems.

Entrepreneurial organisational identity in the Sharing Economy: an identity claims and legitimacy granting approach

Entrepreneurial organisational identity in the Sharing Economy: an identity claims and legitimacy granting approach

There is no actual problem of other minds

I shall argue that you can substantially refute the most persuasive variety of solipsism by taking its most plausible version seriously, and then showing that it is not rational to hold, once one understands the nature of metaphysical commitments. In the first section, I argue that the only viable form of solipsism involves de dicto self-reference. In the second, I argue that this position involves a claim of contingent identity, for which some actual worlds are those where solipsism is not the case. The basis of the argument is a conception of metaphysics which treats the study of reality as the study of the universal features of actually possible worlds (i.e., realistic necessity).