Process Of Identity Construction Research Articles

Torn between socio-political mandates and professional identity: Teachers’ collaborative reflection on their identity tensions

Although the construction of language teacher professional identity is situated in a social, political, and ideological context, scant attention has been paid to tensions emerging from the nexus between identity construction and these contextual variables. To address this gap, this study drew on English language teachers’ collaborative reflection to provide an emic perspective on the role of the socio-cultural context in the formation of teachers’ professional identity. Eight novice and experienced English language teachers participated in two separate collaborative reflection panels (four teachers in each panel) to reflect on the role of the socio-cultural context in Iran in their professional identity construction and identity tensions. Analysis of teachers’ reflection showed that three sets of interrelated socio-cultural variables impacted the participants’ professional identity tensions: (1) macro state-level variables; (2) meso institutional-level variables; and (3) micro individual-level variables. The findings also indicated that the participating teachers took different positions to resolve the tensions they experienced between their personal ideologies and external expectations at these three levels. The main implication of this study is for institutional administrators and teacher educators to devise plans to lessen the degree of tensions that teachers might experience in their process of professional identity construction and to afford them the agency to resolve these tensions.

The logic of appropriateness of unity in diversity: the institutionalization of a city network in global governance

ABSTRACT Conceptualizing city networks as institutionalized organizations allows unveiling the internal dynamics beneath their increasing dynamism in global politics. The article taps into the insightful yet uncharted theoretical framework of sociological institutionalism to analyze United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG). The logic of appropriateness of unity in diversity drives the process of institutionalization of UCLG, constructing the common and unifying identity of the membership, while simultaneously controlling the potential multiple struggles deriving from the myriad of members’ self-interests in an organization fraught with diversity. The process of identity construction of UCLG members as global policy actors revolves around the legitimacy that stems from their governmental nature, democratic mandate, and proximity to their communities. Yet the call to unity in diversity cannot be upheld without the definition and implementation of rules that organize the interactions among members.

Editing gender and editing life: DIY, digital artivism and new forms of pedagogy in the contemporary Portuguese society

In this article, we propose a theoretical-empirical cross-section of three basic themes: female migration, DIY practices and decolonial digital artivism. Adopting the case study typology and based on the use of a qualitative methodology, fostered by an indirect autobiographical interview, we proceed to sociologically analyse the migration trajectory of Tila Capelletto, a Brazilian activist responsible for the creation of Wiki Editoras Lx. We intend to discuss digital artivism and the DIY and DIT practices and ethos promoted by Tila and Wiki Editoras, as a formula for promoting processes of diasporic identity (re)construction, resistance, existence and social change, drawing parallels with the Global South and semi-peripheral countries such as Portugal, which are embodied in the editing of Wikipedia to combat the invisibility of women in contemporary societies.

When “branding” meets “building:” the consequences of nation branding on identity in Kyrgyzstan and Estonia

ABSTRACT Despite the growing attention to the everyday, nation-building literature has paid insufficient attention to the ways in which national identity is strengthened as a side effect of measures that are not initially conceived of as nation-building activities. This article examines contemporary examples of such non-traditional processes of nation-building by reviewing the unintended consequences of political measures not directly targeting identity construction. We focus on processes of identity construction in Kyrgyzstan and Estonia that have emerged as a side effect of nation branding. In both cases, the primary goal of the national government was not necessarily to boost national identity but rather to re-brand the country for international audiences. We argue, however, that these efforts at external image projection and change have also influenced the ways in which national identities are understood, perceived, and reproduced by domestic populations.

Resisting right-wing populism in power: a comparative analysis of the Facebook activities of social movements in Italy and the UK

ABSTRACT This paper aims to present a comparative study of the civil society reaction to right-wing populism in power through social media, by looking at cases in Italy and the United Kingdom. The research question is how social movements are implementing a process of reactive political identity construction – i.e. political identification – and a political counter-strategy by opposing right-wing populism in power through their Facebook official accounts. It implements a mixed-method research design with in-depth semi-structured interviews and a two-step quantitative text analysis based on Topic Model and Dictionary Method.

Novices’ professional identification awakened: Uncovering the impact of positive profession‐spotlighting events

AbstractMany professions experience unique events that highlight their relevance and value. These positive profession‐spotlighting events may significantly influence employees’ professional identification, especially for novices in the highlighted professions. In this paper, we aim to gain a comprehensive understanding of this phenomenon. Drawing on the identity construction process model, we investigate how and why positive profession‐spotlighting events influence novices’ professional identification. In Study 1, using 10‐wave longitudinal data (five waves before and five after the outbreak of COVID‐19) collected from 322 new graduate nurses, we use discontinuous growth modeling to investigate the impact of the pandemic as a positive profession‐spotlighting event on their increase in professional identification. We found that new graduate nurses’ professional identification gradually fell during their initial months in professional practice but rose dramatically after the onset of COVID‐19. We also found that sensegiving and moral elevation during the event led to an increase in professional identification. We further theorize an increase in work meaningfulness as the core mechanism for the hypothesized relationships and obtain supporting evidence from one experiment (Study 2) and two quasi‐experiments (Studies 3a and 3b). Our research reveals the significant influence of positive profession‐spotlighting events on both the identity construction and socialization processes and offers practical implications for how to manage such events.

Giving voice to young adopted women of Chinese origin: Searching for origins and identity

The emerging adulthood of women adopted from China is understudied. This study aims to explore the search for origins and the adoptative and cultural identity among these girls, integrating these dimensions. A qualitative study based on grounded theory was conducted. A total of 31 young women (Mage = 21.4) participated in individual interviews. Regarding the search for origins, four categories emerged: no interest in the search for origins, initiation of the search for origins, the search for cultural origins and the search for family origins. Specifically, three-quarters of the sample initiated some form of search for family or cultural origins, with a particular emphasis on bonding with other adopted Asian girls. With respect to identity, the main categories were the preadoptive history, adoptive identity, cultural identity and ethnoracial identity. Some subcategories emerged such as the dichotomy between perceiving adoption as an act of love versus abandonment, and acceptance versus rejection of physical traits. It was more common to find girls with integrated adoptive identity and a Spanish cultural identity. Regarding the relationship between searches for origins and identity, we identified three groups, unexplored, controversial and constructed identity and origins, which ranged from no interest in the search for origins and desire for disengagement from China to the active search for origins, integrated adoptive identity or accepted ethnoracial identity. In conclusion, these results contribute to a comprehensive framework on the processes of origin search and identity construction during emerging adulthood. Significant topics emerge that should be addresses in future studies concerning the well-being of these women, such as the interpretation of adoption as abandonment or the desire for disengage from China.

Identity (re)construction, return destination selection and place attachment among Chinese academic returnees: A case study of Guangzhou, China

As Chinese cities are issuing talent attraction policies for foreign-educated professionals, there have been waves of Chinese academic migrants returning to the homeland. By using the transnationalism/trans-locality framework and based on 30 in-depth interviews in Guangzhou, this paper studies the identity (re)construction process of skilled Chinese returnees and their integration into destination cities after returning. First, the identity negotiation of academic returnees from the time when they were overseas is investigated, and how their reconstructed identities affect their return destination choice is explored. Meanwhile, the academic returnees' dual place selection rationale is analyzed, how a globalizing city and intellectual gateway like Guangzhou in a developing country acts to attract talents is revealed, and whether its sociocultural environment facilitates or hinders returnees' integration and attachment to the city of residence is uncovered. This paper contributes to the broader migration literature by providing a micro-level detailed analysis of skilled migrants' professional and daily experience after they return to their home country in the Global South. Also, it provides some talent policy implications for higher-education administrations and local governments.

When Tricycles Speak: Language Practices and Ideology in Tricycle Texts in Nigeria

This article investigates the sociocultural aspects of street-related linguistic practices on commercial tricycles in Uyo metropolis, south-eastern Nigeria. Marginal urban texts on tricycles reveal a process of identity construction and the quest for ideological distinctiveness of the grassroots in articulating their spatial street wisdom. The study offers contextual analyses of tricycle texts to unpack how they reflect riders’ social conditions, and problematise how riders relate their subjectivities to the audience in the mobile urban space. We conclude that tricycle texts bring to light creative aspects of a local subculture that lends a voice to a marginalised segment of the society.

חרדיות מודרנית בישראל: מבטים על הפילנתרופיה היהודית באמריקה

In this paper, we explore modern Haredi identity by focusing on the views of the new Haredi civic leadership in Israel (the homeland) on Jewish-American philanthropy (the diaspora). Drawing on ethnographic data, collected through interviews with 10 Haredi civic leaders and participant observation in a workshop that joined representatives of the two groups, we uncover the tensions which seem to constitute the symbolic boundaries of modern Haredi identity. One boundary relates to the dialectics of preservation and transformation: maintaining Haredi culture while pursuing a change in Haredi society in order to set it back on the right path. Another boundary refers to the dialectics of integration and distinction: the new Haredi civic leadership believes that Haredim can contribute to Israeli society as a whole but they should be able to do so while maintaining their Haredi values and Haredi way of life. The third boundary consists of the dialectics of differentiation and cooperation: The rejection of liberal Judaism (which Israeli Jews associate with American Jewry) alongside the willingness to cooperate with Jewish-American philanthropy. This study sheds new light on the issue of modern Haredi identity as it looks at how Haredi views of the diaspora serve identity construction processes in the Haredi society.

Clivage au Moi à l’adolescence : du retrait social à la menace de perte du lien au monde interne

ObjectiveThe aim of this article is to re-examine the concept of ego splitting proposed by R. Roussillon in the psychopathological and psychoanalytical fields, based on a clinical case of a teenage hikikomori. In a conceptual approach, our article addresses a specific form of splitting which, beyond a vision, only focuses on its defensive and deficient aspects, can also be understood as a first form of self-appropriation. It then becomes a part of a process of identity construction. MethodBased on a qualitative analysis of several clinical interviews with an adolescent, this article aims to demonstrate the extent to which the therapeutic encounter setting in a Care Center, with the support of virtual mediation, can allow for the reappropriation of some parts of the self that were initially split off. Additionally, a conceptual exploration of ego splitting, notably through the notion of verwerfung as well as the reading of a profound splitting proposed by S. Ferenczi, allows us to better understand its manifestations, depending on whether it is seen as a developmental need or a psychopathological disorder. ResultThe developmental stakes associated with ego splitting in adolescents are multiple. Sometimes very similar to a peritraumatic dissociation, ego splitting illustrates the subject's defenses when faced with an event which the psyche cannot deal with, and thus severs an entire part of his subjectivity. It is also about the experience of the newly pubescent body and the adolescent's rejection of it, which was emphasized in the concept of developmental breakdown. Finally, it can lead to a form of withdrawal or social isolation such as with the hikikomori disorder, and certainly other outcomes depending on the subject's evolution. In all cases, this evolution remains uncertain. If different forms of psychopathology can manifest themselves, ego splitting however can signify a form of self-immersion, in an attempt to reappropriate certain painful or unsymbolized elements from his past history. DiscussionThere is a type of splitting, which is not only a defense that can lead to feelings of fragmentation and derealization in the worst-case scenarios. It can also be inscribed in the borderline process of identity construction, a form of temporary dissociation of the patient, or schize, allowing parts of the self to return in a sort of retroactive loop, as an informer of the current state of the ego. In adolescence, this process is particularly active, due to the integration of the newly pubescent body. Either the subject, depending on his psychoaffective maturation, will enquire about the ongoing processes in progress in his inner world (his phantasmatic life, integration of the sexual body, etc.); or the splitting reduction takes place through a receptive and transformational function of the object, aligning this process with a form of “crossed” intersubjectivity. ConclusionThinking about the subject, especially during in his teenage years, as he encounters forms of dissociations which are not only the expression of a vulnerability, allows us to maintain a clinical vision which supports a potential for growth, a resilient capacity of the ego. The way we consider different outcomes of ego splitting in this article supports a dynamic approach of the psychological functioning, which places the subject in a continuum between what is normal and what is pathological. Splitting of the ego, as a borderline process, allows for a different reading of the underlying stakes of the contemporary expression of narcissistic and identity-related suffering. It also gives a dynamic perspective to what is usually a nosographic approach.

Видеоматериалы о беджа в интернете: локальные и глобальные измерения идентичности

Introduction. The article considers the processes of identity manifestation and construction of the Beja people on the Internet. Materials and methods. The study was carried out as part of an interdisciplinary research of the history, anthropology, geology, and ethnography of the Atbay region in northeastern Sudan, initiated by Lomonosov Moscow State University. The authors emphasize the importance of the online space for the identity manifestation of stateless cultures. The analysis of online sources is preceded by a consideration of the historical conditions and special traits of Beja self-perception. Comments from YouTube video hosting users on videos dedicated to the history and culture of the Beja people are involved as sources for the study. Results and discussion. As a result of their analysis, four main patterns of Beja identity are determined: supra-ethnic cooperation with the “Arab world”; the association of Beja with the "pancushitic" community; and "ethnic identity" limited by the boundaries of the Beja community itself. The authors conclude that the Beja identity on the Internet is constructed in two dimensions: "global" and "local". The "global" level is represented by mainly the African diaspora, the "local" one – by Internet resources that are used by residents of the East African region. The findings made in the online study are compared with the ethnographic materials collected by the authors in Atbay region among the Beja Bishariin, physical anthropology data and historical evidence. Some excerpts from an interview with Mr. Onur, who comes from the Beja Ertega tribe (acted as Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Republic of Sudan to the Russian Federation until 2022) are also included in analysis. Conclusion. As a result of comparing all types of data, the authors conclude that the Beja identity exhibits a high degree of lability. It is suggested that the reasons for such lability may be related to the historical conditions of the Beja ethnogenesis on the periphery of ancient civilizations and to the significant heterogeneity of the historical population of the Eastern Desert in all the historical periods under consideration. @ 2023. This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 license

Scaling and the formation of borderland subjectivities: A study of identity construction among Chinese international students in the United States

AbstractBased on two representative cases drawn from a larger multi-sited ethnographic project, this study examines the process of identity construction among Chinese international students in the U.S.A., focusing on how the students (re)negotiate their subject positions vis-à-vis their home and host societies. Building on a conceptualization of the students as borderland subjects, the study brings to the fore a critical and creative state of in-betweenness characterizing the positioning of the students, putting into question the paradigm of adjustment and adaption that has long dominated research on international student migration (ISM). To unveil the subtleties behind the students’ formation of borderland subjectivities, the study draws on the notion of scale. By examining the scaling practices of the students, the study provides a nuanced account of how the students discursively index and connect multiple spatial–temporal contexts to guide their journey toward becoming borderland subjects. By combining the notion of scale with the borderland trope, the study sheds light on an emerging avenue of research that aims to uncover the transformative and fluid underpinnings of ISM.

Spanish in the Southeast: What a Swarm of Variables Can Tell Us about a Newly Forming Bilingual Community

The southeastern United States has experienced rapid growth in the Hispanic population in recent decades, giving rise to a newly forming bilingual community. The present study builds on previous work by the authors via expansion of a “variable swarm”: the analysis of multiple linguistic variables simultaneously for the same set of speakers, with the goal of understanding patterns of accommodation and change within the community. The initial study included four linguistic variables (prosodic rhythm, bilingual discourse markers, the realization of /bdg/ and vowel space), and the present study adds an additional four variables (bilingual filled pauses, subject pronoun realization, code switching, and the labiodental realization of orthographic <v>) for 23 speakers of Mexican and Central American origin across two sociolinguistic generations (G1 vs. G2). Results for individual speakers show a pattern of adoption of some features by speakers of both generations (such as English-influenced prosodic rhythm and phonological filled pauses), while other, possibly more salient forms directly integrated from English (English discourse markers and code switching) exhibit later, highly variable rates of adoption, suggesting that speakers may consciously manipulate these variables as part of a process of active identity construction. Likewise, G1 speakers show fewer correlations among linguistic variables than G2 speakers, and patterns reveal that some bilingual forms are incorporated in tandem due to shared phonological traits or discourse functions. The innovative swarm analysis further contributes to the advancement of techniques employed in sociolinguistic research by serving as a bridge between traditional first- and second-wave studies that focus on a single variable, and third-wave studies that focus more on variation at the individual level.

Sámi Literature in Norwegian Language Arts Textbooks

Sámi Literature in Norwegian Language Arts Textbooks

Memories of Home: The Belfast Films of Mark Cousins and Kenneth Branagh

This article discusses Mark Cousin’s I Am Belfast (2015) and Kenneth Branagh’s Belfast (2022) as autobiographical cinema. While acknowledging the multiple differences between each film, I argue that they also share many common themes and motifs. These include a determination to depict Belfast as a city shaped as much by a down-to-earth working class identified by their sense of community as by its official history of the Troubles. Both celebrate friendships across the religious divide, and both share a utopian sensibility, expressed as much through aesthetics as narrative devices. My argument centres on the imaginative construction of Belfast in both films, while also drawing attention to how devices, such as the inclusion of songs by Van Morrison, open the works up to a wider process of exilic identity construction. I also consider the issue of ‘cultural Protestantism’ as evidenced in Branagh’s film and how cinema’s own history intersects with the personal histories of both film-makers.

“Ain’t Nothin’ to It but to Do It”: The Process of Constructing an Identity as a Marginalized Subject in Maya Angelou’s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.

The aim of this thesis is to analyze the process of identity construction of a marginalized subject in autobiography. For this purpose Maya Angelou’s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings is studied taking into consideration gender and race as crucial aspects. A fluid approach of construction is proposed to move towards the goal of constructing a sense of identity that embraces the different positions the self may take. Through the analysis of this paper, the hidden ideologies of language are also analyzed as they represent the biggest challenge for the protagonist due to her belonging to the margins of discourse. This study shows that the construction of a sense of self is by no means easy and a marginalized subject may go beyond the hidden ideologies present in language to achieve it. Such task might be possible if the individual takes hold of language as a weapon to defend herself and refuses to be silenced.

Cancel Culture in Constructing National Identity of the Caspian Macro-region Countries (on the Example of Textbooks in Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan)

The process of the formation of independent states on the territories of post-Soviet republics raised the problem of the construction of their national identities. This process was propelled by the rejection of Soviet identity and the cultural legacy of the Soviet era. This rejection necessitated a reinterpretation of the historical past of the nations and a revision of the pantheon of national heroes. To achieve this goal, the mechanism of cancel culture was used, which aimed at rejecting the values of a certain culture and constructing a new worldview. In this research, we are interested in the Caspian macro-region, which is an object of interest both geopolitically and economically not only for the five international actors (Russia, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Iran, Azerbaijan) having access to the water area but also for more distant states (China, Turkey, the USA, and leading European countries) fighting for influence in the Caspian basin. In the Caspian region there is heightened tension, manifested in ethnic conflicts (Armenian-Azerbaijani, Kazakhstan, Iran, etc.), therefore the study of the process of national identity construction in each subject individually and in the whole region is not only a matter of scientific interest but also a strategic task to ensure both Caspian and Russian security. The main purpose of the article is to analyze the mechanisms of constructing a new national identity of the Caspian countries through the cancel culture, reconsidering their experience and historical development. This process can be seen most clearly in the example of changes in the educational systems of the Caspian region countries. To conduct a comparative analysis, we took history and local history textbooks from secondary schools and institutions of higher education in the republics of Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan. This research was limited to the study of textbooks published in the Russian language. The selection was made by random sampling. A series of research projects on the construction of national identity in the post-Soviet space through the mechanism of cancel culture starts with this article presenting the results of the study of two countries in the Caspian Sea region — Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan.

Trans(gender) journeys: rights and the (non-)recognition of "human".

A human right paradigm has been challenging the biomedical perspectives that tend to be normalized in the Western context concerning the lives of trans people. The aim of this study is to understand how trans people in Portugal and Brazil perceive the (non-)recognition of their socio-cultural, economic and political rights. Specifically, the study intends to know in what extent these perceptions influence the processes of identity (de)construction. For this purpose, 35 semi-structured interviews were conducted with people self-identified as trans, transsexuals and transvestites in Brazil and Portugal. The narratives of the participants were analyzed according to the thematic analysis method and the following six main themes emerged: (i) Who are the rights for; (ii) Types of rights; (iii) Paradigm of distribution of rights; (iv) Local or global rights; (v) Non-recognition of the "human"; and, (vi) Transphobias (and cissexism). The results allowed the knowledge of rights and the non-recognition of the "human" which is the central organizer of the analysis. Among the main conclusions of this study, we emphasize the circumscription of rights to certain international, regional and/or national contexts; the existence of local instead of global rights, since they are influenced by regional and international law, but they depend on the legislation in force in each country; and the way human rights can also be understood as a platform of invisibility and exclusion of other people. Based on a commitment to social transformation, this article also contributes to rethinking the violence that is exercised on trans people as a continuum, whether through 'normalizing devices' by medical contexts, family contexts, public space, or even through internalized transphobia. Social structures produce and sustain transphobias and, simultaneously, are responsible for fighting them by changing the paradigm about the conception of transsexualities.

I and We: Hannah Arendt, Participatory Plurality, and the Literary Scaffolding of Collective Intentionality

ABSTRACT This article examines Hannah Arendt’s contribution to notions of the “We” and tests key Arendtian concepts through relation and juxtaposition with philosophical and literary texts from different periods, thereby complicating discussions of (1) how individuals participate in, shape, and are shaped by various forms of “We”; (2) how, within collective participation, individuals come to care about being themselves; and (3) to what extent literary texts enable and encourage processes of identity construction and (re)configuration. For Arendt, the “place in the world which makes opinions significant and actions effective” (2017, 387–88) is “the result of our common labor, the outcome of the human artifice” (2017, 393)—the shared practices and institutions that Wittgenstein calls “forms of life” (2009, 15). In this article, the authors argue that by exploring and critiquing “forms of life” literature can expand the range of activities we recognize as fostering “participatory sense-making” (De Jaegher and Di Paolo 2007, 465). The three literary provocations presented here—Callimachus’s “Hymn to Apollo,” Thomas Mann’s The Magic Mountain, and Margaret Atwood’s Alias Grace—all interrogate the situated interactions of “I’s” and “We’s” that instantiate the “participatory plurality” of the shared world.