Context and identity formation: A theoretical analysis and a case study

This article examines the possible implications of reintegrating the concept of context
into identity theory. Through the analysis of a case study of one individual attempting to
form an identity within the larger juxtaposed sociocultural contexts of premodernity,
modernity, and postmodernity, the article demonstrates how diversity of sociocultural
context is reflected not only in identity content but also in identity structure, suggesting
multiple diverse identity structures and developmental trajectories. Erikson's concept of
identity configuration is reintroduced as a concept that can deal with the diversity and
dynamics of the identity of the individual-in-context. The article claims that identity
development should be redefined as the configuration of identity elements in a goaloriented
structure negotiated and co-constructed within context