A Sociological Approach to Self and Identity

Stets, Burke

In this chapter, discussed how people act to verify their conceptions of who they are. A scientist, for example, may act in ways that make it clear to herself, as well as to others, that she is careful, analytical, logical, and experimentally inclined. She may engage in a variety of actions and interactions to convey these images. These are individual patterns of behavior and help us understand the individual scientist. These same patterns of behavior may be part of a larger social structure.