In the 1970s and 1980s, identities seemed to be 'fixed' through categories of class, 'race', ethnicity, gender, sexualities and religion. These days we have begun to recognise the diversity, fragmentation and fluidity of identities, but how do we create and shape our own?
The book shapes a new language of social theory that allows people to embody their differences with a sense of dignity and self-worth. It draws on diverse traditions from Marx, Weber and Durkheim, as well as more recent traditions of critical theory and post-structuralism, and will be of interest to sociology, politics, social work, philosophy and cultural studies students.
Contents: Introduction: fragmented identities/social theories; Identity, culture and modernity; Identity, dignity and self-worth; Bodies, fears and differences; Feminisms and masculinities; Gender, self-rejection and recognition; Identities, 'race' and modernity; Shame, fear and hatred; Language, ethics and transformation; Language, technology and media images; Virtualities, imagination and globalisation; Memories, objects and global migrations; Special textbook features and pedagogy; Definition of the market.