Identity:SociologicalPerspectives

Questionsaboutwhoweare,whowecanbe,andwhoislikeandunlikeusunderpinavastrangeofcontemporarysocialissues.Whatmakesourfamiliessoimportanttous?Whatdotheoftenstarkdifferencesbetweenhowweself–identifyandthewayothersseeanddefineusrevealaboutoursocialworld?Whydoweattachsuchsignificanceto′beingourselves′?Inthisneweditionofherpopularandinvitingintroduction,StephLawlerexaminesarangeofimportantdebatesaboutidentity.Takingasociologicalperspective,sheshowshowidentityisproducedandembeddedinsocialrelationships,andworkedoutinthepracticeofpeople′severydaylives.Shechallengestheperceptionofidentityasbelongingwithintheperson,arguinginsteadthatitisproducedandnegotiatedbetweenpersons.Chapter–by–chapterherbookexplorestopicssuchastherelationshipsbetweenlivesandlife–stories,thecontinuingsignificanceofkinshipinthefaceofsocialchange,andhowtasteworkstodefineidentity.Inparticular,theupdatededitionhasanewchapteronidentitypolitics,aswellascarefullycompiledguidesforfurtherreadingthatreflectthebroadimportanceandimpactoftheseideas,andthefactthat,withoutunderstandingidentity,wecan′tadequatelybegintounderstandthesocialworld.Thisbookisessentialreadingforupper–levelcoursesacrossthesocialsciencesthatfocusonthecompellingissuessurroundingidentity.