Identity Construction: New Issues, New Directions

TLDR

Identity studies, rooted in Cooley and Mead, have evolved from a microsociological focus on the individual “me” in the 1970s to contemporary research that emphasizes collective, discursive, mobilizing, and virtual dimensions of identity. The essay examines the agenda raised by key works since 1980. The author concludes by proposing future trajectories that synthesize traditional and contemporary concerns.

Abstract

The study of identity forms a critical cornerstone within modern sociological thought. Introduced by the works of Cooley and Mead, identity studies have evolved and grown central to current sociological discourse. Microsociological perspectives dominated work published through the 1970s. Sociologists focused primarily on the formation of the “me,” exploring the ways in which interpersonal interactions mold an individual's sense of self. Recent literature constitutes an antithesis to such concerns. Many works refocus attention from the individual to the collective; others prioritize discourse over the systematic scrutiny of behavior; some researchers approach identity as a source of mobilization rather than a product of it; and the analysis of virtual identities now competes with research on identities established in the copresent world. This essay explores all such agenda as raised in key works published since 1980. I close with a look toward the future, suggesting trajectories aimed at synthesizing traditional and current concerns.