Identity Networks as a New Frontier: Conceptualizing, Mapping, and Analyzing Identity Structures and Their Impact on Well-Being
Year: 2024
Type: article
Abstract: Sociological thought emphasizes the interdependencies between an individual's multipleidentities as crucial for understanding processes and outcomes at individual and societal levels.To describe such interdependencies, researchers often invoke the metaphor of a “network ofidentities.” However, sociology currently lacks a cohesive body of research that moves beyondthe metaphor to actually conceptualizing, measuring, and studying identity structures asnetworks, thus missing the potential benefits of this approach. In this article, we take a networks-based approach to capture identity structures and operationalize key concepts in the identitiesliterature. We use role theory and identity theory to derive hypotheses that link well-being withthe prevalence and intensity of interference and facilitation among identities. Using originalsurvey data, we find that both the prevalence and intensity of interferences between identitiesand the prevalence of facilitation between identities are associated with well-being. Our findingsdemonstrate the potential of identity networks to advance multiple areas of sociological work.
Source: Social Psychology Quarterly
Authors: Maria C. Ramos, Nicolas Restrepo Ochoa
Institutions: Florida State University, University of California, Davis
Language: English
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,450
OpenAlex ID: W4404595704