What Constitutes Identity Meanings? A Framework for Diverse Meaning Content in Identity Theory

• In Event: Social Psychological Theory

Abstract

In this article, I examine the concept of meaning in identity theory and develop an organizing framework for diverse meaning content. Both classic and more recent scholarship points to identity meanings as heterogeneous in content, including connotative meanings, behavioral expectations, “us” versus “them” distinctions tied to group identities, among others. At the same time, these types of content are neither consistently identified nor integrated into a systematic account. To address this gap, I propose a framework for diverse meaning content in identity theory. In developing the framework, I set out to accomplish four objectives. First, I survey the literature to clarify current distinctions in identity meanings. Second, I differentiate various types of identity meanings according to their kind of content. Third, I identify additional properties attached to meanings that remain underspecified in the literature. Finally, I explain the implications that different types of meaning and their properties have for identity verification and other identity processes.

Author

• Maria Cristina Ramos, Florida State University