Identity Theory

Stryker

Among the many traditions of research on ”identity.” two somewhat different yetstrongly related strands of Identity Theory have developed. The first, reflected in thework of Stryker and colleagues, focuses on the linkages of social structures and identities.The second, reflected in the work of Burke and colleagues, focuses on the internalprocess of self-verification. The present paper reviews each of these strands, thendiscusses ways in which the two relate to and complement one another. Each provides acontext for the other: the relation of social structures and identities influencing theprocess of self-verification, while the process of self-verification create and sustain socialstructures. Examples of potentially useful applications of Identity Theory to other arenasof social psychology, and a discussion of challenges Identity Theory must meet in thefuture to provide a clear understanding of the relation between self and society, concludethe paper.