Tuesday, 25 August 2015

Contemporary Social Psychological Theories,
Ed. Peter J Burke, Stanford University Press, 2006,
Chapter 5 "Identity Theory" (pp. 88-110), page 89-90

Stet's fourth assertion starts to address the way that identities interact:

In role-based identities, there are different perceptions and action between individuals, as roles interact with counter-roles.

An obvious example might be a doctor and a patient, or a sales assistand and a customer. In fact, Stets continues:

Any role identity that a person claims in an interaction always has a related, alternative identity that is claimed by another. Thus any role identity is always related to a corresponding counter-identity.

It is because of that relationship, Stets adds that,

roles activate a sense of efficacy rather than a sense of self-worth as in group identities. It is what one does in one's role identity that is important compared to who one is on the basis of one's group identity.

What, I wonder, is a Mssianic Jewish identity? Is it a role identity or a social identity? Is it what we do - and we do do a lot of things - or who we are? And which leads which - are we because we do, or do we out of who we are?