Conclusion

Abstract

Social identities are changing. Symbolic Interactionist theorists have long argued that the self is a fluid, dynamic entity, which emerges through the course of social interaction in everyday life, as actors collectively define its meaning (Blumer 1969; Goffman 1959; Thomas & Thomas 1928). Identity is in a constant state of becoming, an unfinished narrative that can unfold in an infinite number of ways to create unique, individual stories of the self. Yet this does not occur in a cultural vacuum: actors are located in institutional sites that provide a wider context for identity formation, as well as discourses that help them to make sense of the process. These institutions range from the physically tangible — buildings, organisational premises, boundaried spaces — to the pervasive and nebulous — friendship networks, political movements, imagined and virtual communities — and have themselves changed over time. This book has explored how and why individuals in contemporary, western, late modern societies are increasingly seeking out institutional membership as a vehicle for identity change, and the extent to which they are able to control this process. It has also considered how these institutions have themselves changed in their form, structure and purpose, and the relationship between this and the lived experiences of their inhabitants.