ABSTRACT
As already stated, the concept of identity has always been both a psychological and a sociological matter, and Erikson, in his now classic understanding, regarded the identity as a connecting link between the individual and society. In the two previous chapters the psychological approaches have been the main focus, but it has at the same time been clear that societal conditions to a growing extent have been of importance as the background to general changes in the identity development, not least in connection with the discussions on narcissism and social constructionism. However, during the 1980s and 1990s the sociological approach to the understanding of identity came to the forefront, whereas the psychological perspectives have to some extent receded into the background.
