Social Position Research Articles

Die Autonomie der Literatur auf dem Prüfstand. Bourdieus feldtheoretischer Ansatz als Alternative zu soziologistischen Kurzschlüssen

Abstract The article responds to the postulate repeatedly articulated in recent years that the basic assumptions of autonomy aesthetics should be replaced with a »heteronomy aesthetics of modernity« (Marcus Hahn), which is supposedly more adequate to the conditions and practices of the latter and which is also sociologically or anthropologically founded. First, we present the central theories, hypotheses and reference texts (Annette Werberger, Fredric Jameson and especially Bruno Latour) claimed by the proponents of this endeavour (Hahn, Irene Albers and Frederic Ponten), which themselves do not engage in a deeper examination of the aesthetics of autonomy. Then, we contrast these theories with two established approaches to the critical sociologisation of aesthetic autonomy (Peter Bürger and Pierre Bourdieu). The analytical comparison of Bürger’s and Bourdieu’s theoretical designs reveals, on the one hand, significant differences and, on the other hand, reflects the fact that the German criticism of Bourdieu (Hans-Edwin Friedrich, Karlheinz Stierle, Gerhard Plumpe/Nils Werber), which is often based on systems theory, wrongly associates his theory with that of Bürger. Since the differences between Bürger and Bourdieu are reflected in their respective readings of Immanuel Kant, we will reconstruct the latter’s concept of ›disinterested pleasure‹. Bourdieu’s objectifying and relational reception of Kant is different from Bürger’s, which is more concerned with an ideology-critical unmasking and depotentiation. The resulting consideration of the discursive and social conditions of possibility for aesthetic autonomy not only reveals the reductionist understanding by Hahn et al. but also the fact that Bourdieu’s theoretical design already provides a much more differentiated set of analytical tools for the »consistently historically proceeding, unadjusted history of entanglement, function and practice« (Albers/Hahn/Ponten 2022, 13) of literature and aesthetics demanded by Albers, Hahn and Ponten as a »methodological redeployment«. From the perspective of field theory, the patterning of Friedrich Schiller’s theory of ›aesthetic education‹ demonstrates the generalizing fallacy that has already undermined older schools of ideology criticism (Hocks/Schmidt, Janz), to which Albers, Hahn and Ponten now nonetheless explicitly and affirmatively refer: On the one hand, they ignore the analytical differentiation between the object level and the meta-level, i. e. between the self-statements of the actors as ›stakes‹ (by which Bourdieu understands literary works that, according to him, are positional statements) and the scientific objectification of these statements. On the other hand, they ignore the related distinction between positionings on a symbolic and positions on a social level, i. e. in the present context between the assertion of autonomy and the corresponding social position, in short: between what authors say and what they ›are‹ or do. According to Bourdieu, such symbolic positionings and social positions are only mediated by a »homology between the two structures« that is by no means static, but must be specified for each historical situation. In this respect, the polemically derived project of a »heteronomy aesthetics of modernity« proves to be epistemologically one-sided and ill-conceived, especially as it ultimately does not correspond to Latour’s undertaking of a symmetrical anthropology, to which it affirmatively refers. It should be replaced by a differentiated theory formation that takes into account both the historical circumstances and the state of theoretical discussion, without having to abandon postulating a consistent sociologisation and historicisation of the aesthetics of autonomy.

Examining the health and wellness of solo self-employed workers through narratives of precarity: a qualitative study

BackgroundIn recent decades, there has been a significant transformation in the world of work that is characterized by a shift from traditional manufacturing and managerial capitalism, which offered stable full-time employment, to new forms of entrepreneurial capitalism. This new paradigm involves various forms of insecure, contingent, and non-standard work arrangements. Within this context, there has been a noticeable rise in Self-Employed individuals, exhibiting a wide range of -working arrangements. Despite numerous investigations into the factors driving individuals towards Self-Employment and the associated uncertainties and insecurities impacting their lives and job prospects, studies have specifically delved into the connection between the precarious identity of Self-Employed workers and their overall health and well-being. This exploratory study drew on a ‘precarity’ lens to make contributions to knowledge about Self-Employed workers, aiming to explore how their vulnerable social position might have detrimental effects on their health and well-being.MethodsDrawing on in-depth interviews with 24 solo Self-Employed people in Ontario (January – July 2021), narrative thematic analysis was conducted based on participants' narratives of their work experiences. The dataset was analyzed with the support of NVIVO qualitative data analysis software to elicit narratives and themes.FindingsThe findings showed that people opt into Self-Employment because they prefer flexibility and autonomy in their working life. However, moving forward, in the guise of flexibility, they encounter a life of precarity, in terms of job unsustainability, uncertainties, insecurities, unstable working hours and income, and exclusion from social benefits. As a result, the health and well-being of Self-Employed workers are adversely affected by anger, anomie, and anxiety, bringing forward potential risks for a growing population.Conclusion and implicationsNeoliberalism fabricates a ‘precariat’ Self-Employed class. This is a social position that is vague, volatile, and contingent, that foreshadows potential threats of the health and wellbeing of a growing population in the changing workforce. The findings in this research facilitate some policy implications and practices at the federal or provincial government level to better support the health and wellbeing of SE'd workers.

Homelessness and Intimate Partner Violence: Women's Experiences With Accessing Formal Support Services and the Impact of Their Intersecting Identities

Many women experiencing homelessness and intimate partner violence (IPV) often do not use formal support services due to barriers such as finances, inaccessibility, controlling partners, and stigma. The current literature lacks studies that examine the formal service experiences of women who have undergone both homelessness and IPV. Therefore, the current study used a qualitative-dominant design and explored the formal service needs of these women, barriers and facilitating factors associated with accessing services, and how the women's identities affected their experiences with formal services. Interviews with 10 women were conducted, and a reflexive thematic analysis was conducted using a critical feminist and intersectionality lens. The most common factors that led to homelessness were conflict and precarious circumstances leading to housing instability. Common barriers were systemic, psychological, dismissal, minimization, and financial barriers. The most common needs were health, finances, and basic necessities. The most common facilitating factors were support networks and resilience, growth, and proactivity. The social positionings most commonly affecting their experiences were class and race/ethnicity. These findings highlighted the voices of marginalized women and can be used to implement positive change in formal services that cater to this subgroup of women.

Most Orthodox Empire?


 
 
 This article explores a specific case of premodern social thought, the Middle Persian Zoroastrian system of estates, MP pēšagān, sg . pēšag, which originated in Sasanian Iran, and its link to the social position of priests in the empire. It is argued that Zoroastrian religious experts tried to impose a totalizing system of social organization and heuristic possibility in a situation characterized by competition for resources in a tributary society. Against a widely held belief, it will be shown that this system was only loosely based on an Avestan predecessor—an observation that should caution against broader attempts to project Middle Persian concepts onto the Avesta and vice versa. The findings also contribute to our understanding of the relationship between the Sasanians and the Zoroastrian tradition.
 
 

WHICH FRAME FOR WHAT GROUP? UNDERSTANDING DIFFERENTIAL FRAME RESONANCE THROUGH STANDPOINT: A CASE STUDY OF THE VEGAN MOVEMENT

Innovative methods are enhancing our ability to measure the impact of framing on public perception, yet our understanding of the factors influencing frame resonance remains incomplete. This study investigates the differential effects of frames on diverse groups, proposing that both social positioning and the cultural context, alongside the qualities of the frames themselves, are significant. Drawing upon framing theory and feminist standpoint theories, I examine the vegan movement to understand the immediate impact of frames and social locations on their resonance. I employ an intersectional approach to analyze varying responses across gendered racial demographics, especially in response to radical narratives, using data from a new national survey of 498 United States participants. The findings show that individuals facing multiple forms of marginalization are more inclined to respond to frames that challenge existing power structures than those with multiple privileges. This suggests the critical role of standpoint in evaluating the validity of claims, highlighting the complex ways in which frames resonate across different social locations.

The transformation of the figure of a maid in three adaptations of The Diary of a Chambermaid by Octave Mirbeau

This article discusses three adaptations of the novel Le Journal d’une femme de chambre (The Diary of a Chambermaid) by Octave Mirbeau, published in 1900, by Jean Renoir in 1946, by Luis Buñuel in 1964 and by Benoît Jacquot in 2015. It examines the effect of the time and, to some degree, the places where these films were made, on the representation of the characters and stories adapted by the respective directors. It is particularly interested in the transformation of the main character, Célestine, her labour and her sexuality, and the gender dynamics in the respective films, as reflection of the dominant discourses about gender roles pertaining to the times these films were made. It devotes most attention to the most recent film, due to the heaviest intertextual baggage which it carries and also given this adaptation has the most relevance to contemporary issues about women’s work and social position.

Fertility, family planning methods and autonomy among women in Delhi

Background: Women’s autonomy is defined as the ability to regulate one’s environment with the help of social and material resources. This autonomy is intricately linked to various reproductive health outcomes, including reduced fertility, increased contraceptive usage and access to prenatal care. It can be understood as the ability of women to oversee and manage their surroundings independently, allowing them to make decisions about their lifestyle, irrespective of societal opinions. Aims and Objectives: This study explored the association between fertility, family planning methods (FPMs) and autonomy amongst women in Delhi. Materials and Methods: The data for the present study were collected from 400 married women aged 15–45 years old residing in Delhi. A face to face interview was conducted using a semi structured schedule to collect quantitative and qualitative data. Results: The findings revealed that the autonomy level of women was found to be low (13.75%), medium (56.5%) and high (29.75%). Respondents with low autonomy status (47.27%) were illiterate or had a primary level of education. Women with low autonomy have a more significant number of conceptions than medium and high autonomy women, resulting in increased live births amongst low autonomy women. In addition, participants with low levels of autonomy were less aware of FPMs. The study underscored the influence of women’s social position, as reflected in factors such as education, occupation and the economic status of the family, on fertility and contraceptive usage. Conclusion: The findings of this study indicate that women exhibiting lower autonomy levels tend to possess lower educational attainment, experience a higher frequency of conceptions, demonstrate limited knowledge about contraception and show lower rates of employment.

The Legitimation Process of the Hilltop Youth

Abstract Over the years, the ‘hilltop youth’ have acted in opposition to both Israeli state authorities and the settler leadership. Israeli society viewed them as a group acting to realize an extremist religious ideology while violating Israeli law and ignoring the state's decisions. However, after coming to feel that their social position was making it difficult for them to realize their vision, they embarked upon a process of trying to gain political legitimacy. By turning to mass media and by disseminating messages with which the public at large could identify, they have worked to move closer to Israeli consensus opinion. We identify the steps through which this was carried out and trace its success. The process reached a significant point in 2023 when politicians identified with the hilltop youth took up important ministerial positions in government, marking their transition from actors who opposed the state to ones responsible for its decisions.

Making Saints, Making Selves: Narrative, Rhetoric, and Agency in the Diocesan Inquest into Jeanne-Marie de Maillé (1414–1415)

AbstractDrawing on the witness statements compiled as part of the fifteenth-century diocesan inquest petitioning for the canonization of Jeanne-Marie de Maillé (1331–1414), a French holy woman and mystic, this paper argues that the inquisitorial process of saint-making offered an opportunity for deponents to make use of authoritative legal spaces for their own social and religious ends, and that through their use of rhetorical and narrative devices, deponents could use this contact with institutional mechanisms to perform acts of self-construction and self-authorization, over and above the formal requirements of the process. Through an examination the statements of two witnesses – one a canon of the Basilica of St Martin, and the other a bourgeoise laywoman – this paper illustrates that deponents could make use of a wide range of narrative strategies, from deploying the evidence of gossip to negotiate their own social position, to rhetorically crafting their own experiences in order to comment on and establish their own piety and devotion. The use of these strategies highlights the complexity of the interaction between individuals and institutions, and the multiple possibilities that were enabled by engagement with the machinery of the cult of saints.

Who’s the scariest of them all? Depictions of evil women in Greek folktales

This study aims to investigate the portrayal of demonic women in Greek folktales and their significance in reflecting societal perceptions of femininity. We selected 17 editions of folktales in the Greek publishing industry as our primary source material and utilized content analysis as our method of analysis. Negative values such as ferocity, malice, brutality, wickedness, and ugliness were used as criteria to study the demonic woman's external appearance and personality. Vladimir Propp’s Morphologie du conte (1970) served as a reference for examining the demonic woman's qualities such as name, origin, social position, age, external characteristics, and peculiarity of her appearance. We also focused on the demonic woman's actions and relationship with the hero/heroine to highlight the terrifying aspects of her inner world. The study sheds light on how the representation of demonic femininity in Greek folktales reveals societal and traditional assumptions about female gender. Our findings aim to demonstrate the different faces of the diabolical women in Greek folktales and present a collective representation of the demonic.

‘Non-maternal’ educational practices of mothers: contents, features, barriers to implementation

Introduction. The issue of studying the educational practices that women use to maintain their social, political and economic positions during changes in their usual living conditions due to caring for small children is updated by the need to develop effective programs to support motherhood – a priority task in the unfavorable demographic situation of recent years. The study aims to characterize and create a typology of educational activities used by Russian mothers as ‘non-maternal’ practices and to identify problematic aspects implementing these. Materials and methods. Methodologically, the study is based on the gender social construction theory and the concept of ‘non-maternal’ practices of mothers. Women's statements in thematic online communities were analyzed (22 communities, 248 statements); in-depth interviews (N=20), survey (N=471) and interview with an expert on advanced training programs for mothers in Sverdlovsk Oblast (Russian Federation) were conducted. Research results. 62% of statements and 36% of questionnaires contain references to learning experience. 58% of participants see education as a way to develop their potential and capabilities, 71% of statements contain information about entrepreneurial and work initiatives implemented as a result of training. 37% of informants do not know of any educational programs to support mothers. The typology includes the following criteria: motives (investment, leisure, existential, instrumental); field of activity (beauty; cooking, making clothes; interior design; photography; web design, IT; psychology, coaching; business education; driving; foreign languages; pedagogy; music); financial accessibility (paid, free); implementation (formal, informal). Conclusion. Personality problems and obstacles such as inconsistency in the maternity support system at the political and program levels are highlighted. Recommendations for optimizing systems for supporting mothers’ education are as follows: taking into account the contents of practices when forming a portfolio of state support programs, developing informal education resources, modernizing the infrastructure of educational sites, taking into account the needs of women with incomplete education; mentoring; reforming communication channels; working with public opinion in the field of maternal education.

Reconstructing, Challenging, and Negotiating Sex/Gender in Sport: U.S. Public Opinion About Transgender Athletes’ Rights, Rights for Athletes With Varied Sex Characteristics, Sex Testing, and Gender Segregation

Using data from the National Sports and Society Survey (N = 3,993), this study considers U.S. public opinion about transgender athletes’ rights, rights for athletes with varied sex characteristics, sex testing, and gender segregation in sports. Social structural location, social group, and ideological characteristics are examined as predictors of these opinions. Results indicated that most U.S. adults seem to support transgender athletes’ rights and rights for athletes with varied sex characteristics and oppose sex testing and gender segregation in youth sports. Men, heterosexuals, older generations, those without a college education, Republicans, Christians, and rural residents, as well as those who exhibit more traditionalism and traditionally gendered beliefs in their ideologies, were more opposed to athletes’ rights and inclusivity on these issues.

Social structure of Ukrainian society under the influence of full-scale war: conceptual and empirical research

This research is devoted to analyzing the changes that took place in the social-group structure of Ukrainian society during a year and a half of full-scale war. In order to realize this goal, firstly, the author considers the experience and conceptual foundations of the study of the relationship between war and social structure in Western and Ukrainian science and proposes a concept of the impact of total war on the social structure of a society that resists external aggression. Secondly, several preconditions of social-group dynamics were clarified — both destructive (due to which Ukraine quickly acquired characteristic features of the social structure during the martial law), and constructive (which contributed to the reproduction of pre-war social positions of citizens and a high degree of stability of the social system in general). Thirdly, the dynamics of the distribution of social groups and classes was analyzed every six months of the war based on various open official sources and the data of sociological surveys (in particular, the project “Social Inequality: Wartime Monitoring”, which was initiated by the researchers of the Department of Social Structures of the Institute of Sociology, NAS of Ukraine). The author proves that during the year and a half of the full-scale war, significant (both objective and subjective) socio-structural changes took place among the economically active population, though not linear ones, but with certain fluctuations (a rapid and significant transformation in the first six months and a movement towards gradual recovery over the next year). In particular, a significant (three-fold) increase in two groups (members of the armed forces and the unemployed), which were outside economic activity and accounted for almost a third of the working-age population in September 2022, and a quarter — a year later. The most noticeable changes among the employed population were the reduction in the number and restructuring of the working class and the class of owners, including the oligarchs. Fourthly, the author makes a forecast of further social-group dynamics under favorable and unfavorable developments: how will the quantitative distribution and internal structure of the main classes and groups change, as well as the social structure of the country in general.

Impact of Socioeconomic Factors on Academic Performance A Gender-Based Study among University Students

The study examined the effect of gender and socioeconomic characteristics on the academic performance of university students, as measured by their academic scores. The study aimed to i) examine the socioeconomic factors affecting undergraduates, ii) investigate the academic performance of undergraduates, and iii) analyze the comparative impact of socioeconomic factors on the academic scores of undergraduates. Data from 480 students enrolled in the BS program at three selected universities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was collected using a questionnaire that investigated the socioeconomic status of their parents. The data analysis indicated that factors such as parental qualifications, parental income, parental work type, and the family's social position do not influence academic performance based on gender. Regardless of parents’ social class, the quality of learning facilities impacts student’s academic success, indicative of parents’ involvement in the studies. It is suggested to provide scholarships and establish assistance programs aimed at enhancing the academic performance of undergraduates whose parents possess fewer resources due to poor income and job positions.

Adapting an Adolescent and Young Adult Program Housed in a Quaternary Cancer Centre to a Regional Cancer Centre: Creating Equitable Access to Developmentally Tailored Support.

Adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with cancer, representing those between 15 and 39 years of age, face distinctive challenges balancing their life stage with the physical, emotional, and social impacts of a cancer diagnosis. These challenges include fertility concerns, disruptions to educational and occupational pursuits, issues related to body image and sexual health, and the need for age-appropriate psychosocial support within their communities. The Princess Margaret Cancer Centre (PM), a quaternary care center, established a specialized AYA program in 2014, offering holistic and developmentally tailored psychosocial support and currently, efforts are underway to expand this to other regions in the province to address the need for equitable access. The establishment process involves securing funding, conducting an environmental scan, identifying service gaps, developing clinical pathways, and implementing AYA supportive care. An accessible AYA program should also consider social determinants of health, social location, intersectionality, and an interdisciplinary health approach in understanding health inequities in AYA oncology care. This paper describes the processes implemented and challenges faced in creating a community-based AYA program beyond major resource-rich cities and efforts to address intersectionality.

Fugitive Figurations of Chronic Disability: Reconstructing Black Disability Politics in Frances Harper’s Iola Leroy

Abstract “Fugitive Figurations of Chronic Disability: Re-Constructing the Black Disability Politics in Frances Harper’s Iola Leroy” fills a gap in nineteenth-century Black disability histories that have overlooked questions of chronic disabilities. In Iola Leroy, Harper writes from the perspective of the chronically disabled and offers fugitive figurations that exceed, resist, and stand apart from nineteenth-century representations of white true women’s invalidism and racial pathologizations. Harper uses Iola’s and other characters’ chronic debilities as a social location for imagining an alternative Black epistemology of the chronic with its own “phraseology” to testify to the inseparability of racial and disability justice as a part of Black freedom struggles. As part of its fugitive figurations of chronic disabilities, Iola Leroy also unbinds Black bodies and minds from a disciplinary individualistic productive capitalist time; and it centers an inclusive postbellum Black community of collective mutual care that exposes the limitations of a liberal (white) sentimental politics of sympathy. Harper’s fugitive figurations of chronic disability in Iola Leroy raise important questions about the methods critics use to recover Black disability in nineteenth-century US literature, methods which too often mine for present-day models of disabled medical verisimilitude and visibility rather than excavating the alternative figurations that Black writers such as Harper employed as part of twinned anti-ableist and anti-racist liberation and care practice.

Intersecting Inequities in COVID-19 Vaccination: A Discourse Analysis of Information Use and Decision-Making Among Ethnically Diverse Parents in Canada.

Little is known about how intersecting social privilege and disadvantage contribute to inequities in COVID-19 information use and vaccine access. This study explored how social inequities intersect to shape access to and use of COVID-19 information and vaccines among parents in Canada. We conducted semi-structured interviews on COVID-19 vaccination information use with ethnically diverse parents of children ages 11 to 18years from April to August 2022. We purposefully invited parents from respondents to a national online survey to ensure representation across diverse intersecting social identities. Five researchers coded transcripts in NVivo using a discourse analysis approach informed by intersectionality. Our analysis focused on use of vaccine information and intersecting privileges and oppressions, including identifying with equity-denied group(s). Interview participants (N = 48) identified as ethnically diverse non-Indigenous (n = 40) and Indigenous (n = 8) Peoples from seven Canadian provinces. Racialized minority or Indigenous participants reflected on historical and contemporary events of racism from government and medical institutions as barriers to trust and access to COVID-19 information, vaccines, and the Canadian healthcare system. Participants with privileged social locations showed greater comfort in resisting public health measures. Despite the urgency to receive COVID-19 vaccines, information gaps and transportation barriers delayed vaccination among some participants living with chronic medical conditions. Historicization of colonialism and ongoing events of racism are a major barrier to trusting public health information. Fostering partnerships with trusted leaders and/or healthcare workers from racialized communities may help rebuild trust. Healthcare systems need to continuously implement strategies to restore trust with Indigenous and racialized populations.

Perceived social position, active engagement with life, and depressive symptoms among older adults

RationaleDespite the existing literature on the relationship between perceived social position (PSP) and depressive symptoms, there remain gaps in our understanding, particularly regarding the potential for asymmetric effects of increases and decreases in PSP and the underlying mechanisms involved. ObjectiveThis study aims to examine whether increases and decreases in PSP are differentially associated with depressive symptoms and to explore the potential mediating role of active engagement with life in these associations. MethodsThis study utilized data from the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging (KLoSA), collected between 2008 and 2018, involving a sample of 3506 individuals aged 65 or older. Asymmetric fixed effects (FE) models were employed, which enable the estimation of differential effects for increases and decreases in PSP, while accounting for unobserved individual-level heterogeneity. To assess the mediating role of active engagement in life, Sobel mediation tests were conducted. ResultsThe asymmetric FE estimates revealed a stronger association between decreases in PSP and increases in depressive symptoms compared to the association between increases in PSP and decreases in depressive symptoms. The Sobel mediation tests indicated that formal social activities had the most substantial mediating effect, explaining 14% and 9% of the total effect mediated for increased and decreased PSP and depressive symptoms, respectively. Leisure/hobby activities explained 10% and 4% of the total effect mediated for increased and decreased PSP and depressive symptoms, respectively. ConclusionThis study provides evidence that increases and decreases in PSP have differential effects on depressive symptoms among older adults in Korea. Policy interventions aimed at improving the psychological well-being of older adults should prioritize efforts to both enhance PSP and minimize declines, as the latter can have a stronger negative impact on depressive symptoms. Active engagement in life may serve as a potential pathway for achieving the desired effects.

What shapes parental feeding decisions over the first 18 months of parenting: Insights into drivers towards commercial and home-prepared foods among different socioeconomic groups in the UK

Infants born into families experiencing socioeconomic disadvantage follow a high-risk trajectory for obesity and poor health in later life. Differences in early childhood food experiences may be contributing to these inequalities. This study aimed to explore the factors that influence parental decisions on when, how and what food to introduce over the first 18 months of their child's life and identify differences according to families' social position. Particular attention was given to social and environmental determinants within and outside the home. This research utilised a longitudinal qualitative methodology, with interviews and photo-elicitation exercises completed by participants when their children were 4–6; 10–12 and 16–18 months of age. Participants were parents (61 mothers; 1 father), distributed across low, medium and high socioeconomic position (SEP). During analysis, observable differences in factors directing parents to home-prepared or commercial foods were identified. Factors that undermined the provision of home-prepared meals included lack of time after returning to work, insufficient support from partners, uncertainty around infant and young child feeding (defined as the introduction and provision of solids) and an implicit trust in the messaging on branded products. These factors directed parents towards commercial foods and were most persistent among families experiencing socioeconomic disadvantage due to barriers accessing formal childcare, less flexible working conditions and fathers being less involved in infant feeding. To facilitate an enabling environment for healthy infant and young child feeding practices and address dietary inequalities, immediate steps that policy makers and healthcare providers can take include: i) changing the eligibility criteria for shared parental leave, ii) aligning claims on commercial infant food labels with international best practices, and iii) improving access to formal childcare.

Social Positioning and Learning Opportunities in One Student’s Textual Transition to College Writing

Developing academic writers must continually position themselves discursively as they negotiate institutional, programmatic, and disciplinary contexts. The inextricable relationship of writing and identities raises questions of access to social identities in schools, a particularly salient issue when considering the complexities and challenges of the high school to college transition for students from historically marginalized groups. This study focuses on Jain, a first-generation Latino college student, as he positions himself as a writer over 18 months in response to a range of school-based writing tasks. My analysis finds that Jain’s identity negotiations are influenced by a history of social positioning in schools, as his stance-making patterns and sense of self as a writer reflect resources and opportunities he encounters. This study adds to research demonstrating the role teachers and institutions can play in (in)validating certain aspects of students’ identities and influencing belonging in school spaces, indicating a need for educators and researchers across K-12 and college contexts to continue to challenge the standardization of school writing and the prevalence of assessments that limit curricula and constrain identities.