ABSTRACT
The definition of identity we are using in this volume has many implications that are further explained below as well as in the various chapters. Briefly we will try to introduce them by saying that identity, as we understand it, is inextricably linked to the sense of belonging. Through identity we perceive ourselves, and others see us, as belonging to certain groups and not others. Being part of a group entails active engagement. Identity, therefore, is
not a static thing, but a continual process (literally, that of identification, cf. Hall 1996). Identities are constructed through interaction between people, and the process by which we acquire and maintain our identities requires choice and agency. Through agency we define who we are. We are potentially able to choose the groups we want to identify with, although this selection is always constrained by structures beyond our control such as boundaries and our own body. The active role of the individual leads to identities being historical, fluid, subject to persisting change. They are also socially mediated, linked to the broader cultural discourse and are performed through embodiment and action. The concept of identity deployed in this volume, therefore, is not an essentialist, but a strategic and positional one. Identities can be hybrid or multiple and the intersection between different types of identities is one of the most enriching aspects of this new field of study.
