| Abstrakt: |
Conventional psychological theories of identity formation argue that normal developmental processes result in a consolidated, stable, core identity. Instability or confusion with respect to one's identity is thought to have a detrimental effect on emotional well-being. In contrast, constuctionist theories of identity, including symbolic interactionism and postmodernism, argue that, in recent decades, there has been a dramatic and sustained shift away from fixed, stable self-concepts and toward more fluid, fragmented ones. These theories argue that flexible identities are better adapted to the institutional instability, the rapid social change, and the evolving nature of social relations that characterize contemporary society. It follows that individuals who have more fluid identities will have higher levels of emotional well-being than individuals who have more stable identities. In this research, we use survey data collected from a convenience sample of 1,679 students enrolled in four postsecondary institutions to test for significant variation in emotional well-being as a function of fluidity in two categories of identities, namely social identities and role identities. We find that both social identity fluidity and role identity fluidity are significantly and negatively associated with well-being, net of recent identity fluctuations (change) and other controls. Thus, as it relates to the competing theoretical perspectives on identity formation and maintenance, our findings support the conventional psychological perspective and oppose the constructionist perspective. We conclude by situating these findings within ongoing theoretical work on identity. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
