ABSTRACT
This book has undertaken several tasks thus far. In chapters 1 through 5 we reviewed and analyzed the existing psychological and sociological literature on identity, pointing out its strengths, limitations, and points of potential synthesis. In chapter 6, we presented a formulation of Erikson’s work on ego identity, showing how it is part of a formal theory of identity formation compatible with symbolic interactionism. Then in chapters 7, 8, and 9, on this Eriksonian base we placed elements of a synthesis of psychological and sociological approaches to elaborate aspects of a social psychology of identity formation that is relevant to the conditions of late modern society. In this final chapter of the book, we look to the future of theory and research on identity, hopeful that we can apply lessons from the past without being constrained by it. Accordingly, we provide a set of recommendations regarding what we believe should be pursued to help the identity concept reach its full potential. This seems particularly appropriate at the beginning of a new millennium.
