Sunday, 30 August 2015

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

Stets sums up her assertions with this:

We need to think of social, role and person identities as simultaneously operating in situations. Within groups, there are roles and persons play out these roles in different ways. For example, the role identity of teacher is within the larger category or group of academics (the in-group) compared to non-academics (the out-group). When enacting the role of teacher, some teachers are dominant while others are submissive. Some are kind and compassionate while others are unkind and hard-hearted. Which identity we focus on will make salient some issues and not others in the situation.

Is there, underneath, one overall identity that defines who we are that then underpins and colours all others? How could Paul say, "I have been crucified with Messiah - it is Messiah who lives in me", if there is not one core self which is fundamentally changed by being in relationship with G-d and which then affects everything else in life?