ABSTRACT
This chapter argues that the procedures of establishing, displaying, and communicating identities in institutional contexts involve certain pervasive problems connected to specific traits of the institutional context. It focuses on interaction and conversations between social workers and clients at social welfare agencies in Sweden. Identities are displayed, negotiated and established in activities, in joint activities in face-to-face interaction. Assuming an identity through an implicit social categorisation is the most common way to assume identities in the social worker material. If speakers establish identities by shifting use of pronouns in order to make various aspects relevant for the interaction, a central question is what these aspects are. The dependence of identity on the organisation of the participant frameworks is made very clear in cases where mistakes or confusion over identity are present. A specific type identity that appears to be uniquely tied to institutional and administrative contexts is the administrative identity and the procedures for establishing this identity.
