ABSTRACT
This chapter begins with a theoretical overview of identity, drawing on recent work in cognitive and affective science and social psychology. After treating general points about social identity, it turns to the most important recurring features in the American self-concept—specifically, the view of America as embodying the ideal of universal, democratic egalitarianism. From here, it considers the way that this self-concept was radically and obtrusively at odds with the actual social conditions of the nation. The discrepancy between America and the idea of America appears with particular force in relation to the status and treatment of Native Americans, African Americans, and women. The chapter goes on to consider some of the ways in which American authors tried to respond to race and gender biases, along with their consequences for national identity.
