Features of identity

1
Features of identity

• Starting from da Fina, Schiffrin, et al, 2006,

2
What social constructionism assumes

• Identity construction is a process that
• takes place in concrete interactions
• yields constellations, repertoires, not single or
  monolithic constructs
• results from social processes of negotiation
• is embedded in social practices that frame how
  people position themselves
• incorporates categorization and membership
  definition
• (Introduction, 2-3)

3
Identities are performed

• Identities are acts they are enacted and
  embodied through linguistic and non-linguistic
  means
• Identities are anti-essentialist that is,
  people can perform identities that differ from
  visible characteristics and they can display
  polyphonous identities they can present
  voices associated with different identity
  categories
• Researchers often use Conversation Analysis or
  Critical Discourse Analysis to locate
  identity-work and face-work

4
Identity reinforcement in all kinds of places

• Cohen-Mansfield et al, 2006 The Gerontologist
  46. Dressing of cognitively impaired nursing home
  residents
• Purpose Getting dressed is an activity that is
  of particular difficulty for many persons with
  dementia, given the need for hand-eye
  coordination, fine motor skills, and overall
  planning skills. Despite several studies
  concerning interventions to improve dressing
  behavior, very little is known about the dressing
  process as it is currently performed. The purpose
  of this study is to characterize the dressing
  activity of daily living (ADL) of nursing home
  residents suffering from dementia and thereby
  identify ways to improve the dressing process.
• Design and Methods We analyzed videotapes of
  dressing of 20 special care unit residents to
  describe the dressing process and the interaction
  between residents and staff members.
• Results Staff members completely dressed the
  residents in the majority of cases. Interaction
  between the staff members and the residents was
  considered insufficient in most sessions.
• Implications The study identified possible
  intervention techniques, assistive devices,
  organizational routines, and environmental
  changes that may improve the dressing process.
  The results have implications that nursing homes
  may consider in their policies, care activities,
  staff training, and environment to facilitate
  safety, comfort, and satisfaction during the
  dressing process.

5
Salient self Identity and agitation

• To date, little research has systematically
  explored the retention of self-identity in
  dementia and its potential use for the
  individualization of care. The purpose of this
  study is to determine the impact of
  role-identity-based treatment for persons with
  dementia. We recruited a total of 93 elderly
  persons with dementia (mean Mini-Mental State
  Exam score 10.58) for this study. Experimental
  (treatment) group participants were engaged in
  activities designed to correspond to each
  participant's most salient self-identity. The
  treatment group showed a significant increase in
  interest, pleasure, and involvement in
  activities, fewer agitated behaviors during
  treatment, and increased orientation in the
  treatment period. The experimental treatment had
  effects that were superior to those of the
  non-experimental activities. The results
  highlight the powerful roles that perception of
  self and fulfillment of self-identity play in
  overall well-being.

• Jiska Cohen-Mansfield, Aleksandra Parpura-Gill
  and Hava Golander 2004 Utilization of
  Self-Identity Roles for Designing Interventions
  for Persons With Dementia. The Journals of
  Gerontology Series B Psychological Sciences and
  Social Sciences 61P202-P212 (2006)

6
Closing the circle salient self-identity
Ellemers et al 2002. Self Social Identity.
AnnRevPsych 53161-86