ABSTRACT
As change occurs across the globe, it is suggested here that identities are not only increasingly multiple but also that they are tethered in diverse ways. In the past identity and self were seen as static entities. It is now recognized that this was misplaced and that context is important in understanding identity in higher education. In the 1970s and 1980s learning context was recognized as being important in supporting students in developing their ability to learn effectively. The work of Bernstein was influential in arguing for the importance of pedagogic identities and the ways in which they are influenced within the academy. Haraway and Hayles have been at the forefront of discussions about identity in digital spaces, and Ito et al. have been influential by examining how youth culture and identity might be understood. Thus, along with the raft of sociologists who have examined identity, there is a broad literature on this subject, but relatively little that has analysed tethered identities and what this might mean for learning in higher education.
