From Self to Collective: What Has Identity Theory Taught Us?

Abstract

Identity is a matter that social sciences have been working on for over a hundred years. The literature, which emerged with the interaction between psychology and sociology to a large extent and has aimed to shed light on the mutual interactions between individuals, groups, and social structures, has now reached a remarkable volume. Besides, identity has taken a key place in the research and analysis of different disciplines of social sciences. However, the extent to which this expanding literature contributes to a deeper understanding and explanation of identity is a matter independent of quantity. This paper theoretically discusses how far identity theory has advanced and which aspects of the concept have become better understood today, compared to the beginning of the studies, by reviewing the studies that we can call the cornerstones of the literature. In connection with this, it addresses the references of the individual, social and collective dimensions of the identity term. In addition, it critically evaluates the recent debates on whether identity is a useful concept for social analysis today and attempts to briefly expound why it is still relevant and significant for social sciences.