ABSTRACT
One of the key debates within the social sciences which was identified in Chapter 1 was the relationship between the personal and the individual, on the one hand, and the social, on the other. What links are there between individuals and the societies in which they live? How does the one influence the other? Is it possible to distinguish between one and the other? This issue has been addressed within the social sciences through the concept of identity. Identity offers a means of thinking about and of understanding how the personal and the social are connected.
