ABSTRACT

Without social identity there is no society, because without such frameworks of similarity and difference people would be unable to relate to each other in a consistent and meaningful fashion. Richard Jenkins provides a clearly-written accessible introduction to this key concept for the study of society. Arguing that social identity must be seen as both individual and collective, Jenkins shows how the work of major theorists from Mead to Bourdieu can illuminate the experience of identity in everyday life.

Major concepts covered include:
* embodiment
* social groups and social categories
* difference and community
* categorisation and resistance

chapter 1|15 pages

IDENTITY MATTERS

chapter 2|12 pages

SIMILARITY AND DIFFERENCE

chapter 3|9 pages

A SIGN OF THE TIMES?

chapter 4|12 pages

UNDERSTANDING IDENTIFICATION

chapter 5|11 pages

SELFHOOD AND MIND

chapter 6|14 pages

EMBODIED SELVES

chapter 7|16 pages

ENTERING THE HUMAN WORLD

chapter 8|12 pages

SELF-IMAGE AND PUBLIC IMAGE

chapter 9|16 pages

GROUPS AND CATEGORIES

chapter 10|14 pages

BEYOND BOUNDARIES

chapter 11|16 pages

SYMBOLISING BELONGING

chapter 12|8 pages

PREDICTABILITY

chapter 13|13 pages

INSTITUTIONALISING IDENTIFICATION

chapter 14|15 pages

ORGANISING IDENTIFICATION

chapter 15|16 pages

CATEGORISATION AND CONSEQUENCES

chapter 16|7 pages

IDENTITY AND MODERNITY REVISITED