Memory and social identity. Fivush, R. & Graci, M. In Bernecker, S. & Michaelian, K., editors, The Routledge Handbook of Philosophy of Memory, pages 268–280. Routledge, New York, 2017.
abstract   bibtex   
[first paragraph] We are the stories we tell about ourselves. Of the many ways to characterize “the self,” we argue that narrative practice is a necessary component. Our identity is critically defined by the narratives we create about ourselves, and this narrative self affords a sense of emotional coherence and continuity in life, that is, a sense that one is the same person with the same inner life, same goals, values, and commitments across time (Barnes 1998; Conway et al. 2004; Fivush 2010; Habermas and Reese 2015; McAdams 2001). In this chapter, we examine psychological theory and empirical evidence demonstrating that a coherent narrative identity is created in everyday social interactions, beginning early in child development, and that individual narrative identity is very much an evolving socially constructed process. We use the term “self” and “identity” interchangeably to refer to the sense of personal continuity and emotional coherence conferred by the narrative life story. We make no claims that this is the only definition or aspect of self; only that this is a critical aspect of self/identity that is created through storying our lived experience.
@incollection{Fivush2017,
abstract = {[first paragraph] We are the stories we tell about ourselves. Of the many ways to characterize “the self,” we argue that narrative practice is a necessary component. Our identity is critically defined by the narratives we create about ourselves, and this narrative self affords a sense of emotional coherence and continuity in life, that is, a sense that one is the same person with the same inner life, same goals, values, and commitments across time (Barnes 1998; Conway et al. 2004; Fivush 2010; Habermas and Reese 2015; McAdams 2001). In this chapter, we examine psychological theory and empirical evidence demonstrating that a coherent narrative identity is created in everyday social interactions, beginning early in child development, and that individual narrative identity is very much an evolving socially constructed process. We use the term “self” and “identity” interchangeably to refer to the sense of personal continuity and emotional coherence conferred by the narrative life story. We make no claims that this is the only definition or aspect of self; only that this is a critical aspect of self/identity that is created through storying our lived experience.},
address = {New York},
author = {Fivush, Robyn and Graci, Matthew},
booktitle = {The Routledge Handbook of Philosophy of Memory},
editor = {Bernecker, Sven and Michaelian, Kourken},
file = {:Users/michaelk/Library/Application Support/Mendeley Desktop/Downloaded/Fivush, Graci - 2017 - Memory and social identity.pdf:pdf},
pages = {268--280},
publisher = {Routledge},
title = {{Memory and social identity}},
year = {2017}
}

Downloads: 0