Developing a Sociological Model for Researching Women's Self and Social Identities

Abstract

For those interested in researching the consequences of strong ideologies on women's identities, an empirical model that focuses our research attention on the self-identity and social identity of individual women may be helpful. Such a model was devised to assist the author in recognising elements of self-identity and social identity in single women's narratives of their lives. Supported by examples from women's narratives and focusing on the constituent elements of self-identity in particular, the investigative model is presented in this paper. It is argued that self-identity can be a locus of change with the potential for effecting transformation in women's social identities.