Transformation of Person, Identity and Understanding: A case study

Abstract

The notion of identity is commonly utilised by individuals as a shorthand, both to describe themselves and other individuals or groups of people. While I show that descriptive uses of identity are valuable for explanatory purposes, they are of limited use in elucidating the tranformational relation between social and structural change and individual personhood through which young people come to understand themselves and the world around them. Focusing upon a single case study, I show that identity is not simply a product or outcome of change, but is itself an input into the processes that produce change. The 2-year period between the ages of 15 and 17 was a critical period for Lesley, during which she challenged and questioned previously accepted ways of knowing and doing. Lesley did not ignore her experiences or her understanding of them. She utilised her new self-understandings and the meanings that she associated with them to construct and produce a sustainable and coherent self-narrative for her future use.