Identity Theory

The concept of identity has become widespread within the social and behavioral sciences, cutting across disciplines from psychiatry and psychology to political science and sociology. Introduced more than fifty years ago, identity theory is a social psychological theory that attempts to understand person's identities, their sources in interaction and society, their processes of operation, and their consequences for interaction and society from a sociological perspective.

Former Secret Service agent and star of Bravo’s Spy Games Evy Poumpouras shares lessons learned from protecting presidents, as well insights and skills from the oldest and most elite security force in the world to help you prepare for stressful situations, instantly read people, influence how...

Have you heard that language is violence and that science is sexist? Have you read that certain people shouldn't practice yoga? Or been told that being obese is healthy, that there is no such thing as biological sex, or that only White people can be racist? Are you confused by these ideas, and do you wonder how they have managed to challenge the logic of Western society? In this probing volume, Helen Pluckrose and James Lindsay document the evolution of the dogma that informs these ideas, from its coarse origins in French postmodernism to its refinement within activist academic fields.

Who am I? It's a question we all ask ourselves at some point. Depending on the season we focus our identity on our job performance, marital status, personality type, or social network, among other options. However, there's a larger question to consider. Who does the Bible tell me I am in Christ? From the wisdom and perspective of insightful authors, we'll seek to answer this question by: exposing our false notions of identity; understanding the biblical truth of our identity in Christ; and reflecting on what it looks like to live in our new (and true) identity.

In 2014, Francis Fukuyama wrote that American institutions were in decay, as the state was progressively captured by powerful interest groups. Two years later, his predictions were borne out by the rise to power of a series of political outsiders whose economic nationalism and authoritarian tendencies threatened to destabilize the entire international order. These populist nationalists seek direct charismatic connection to “the people”, who are usually defined in narrow identity terms that offer an irresistible call to an in-group and exclude large parts of the population as a whole.

Neuro-Forensic Duality Theory proposes that identity doesn't collapse under stress– it reorganizes. Through dynamic triangular clusters of self, observer, and memory, the mind preserves coherence even in fragmentation. Blending psychology, philosophy, and speculative neuroscience, A.C. Zito offers a bold new lens on resilience, identity, and the geometry of consciousness.

From a bestselling author, a "hauntingly original, impossibly clever and devilishly daring" thriller in which Scarpetta receives a message from beyond the grave…(Chris Whitaker, author of All the Colors of the Dark) Autopsies can reveal the secrets of the dead. And this victim is sending...

This classic work by psychologist and social philosopher Eric Fromm builds upon his previous popular book To Have or to Be? The Art of Being teaches us to avoid the tantalizing illusions of our consumer-driven world by learning to function as a whole person from a state of inner completeness or being. The transition from an identity of having to being creates a state of enlightened psychological and spiritual happiness.

Whether we aspire to become the best lawyer or charity worker, life partner or celebrity influencer, we emulate exemplars that exist in the world – hoping it will bring us happiness. But this often leads to a complex game of envy and pride. In Against Identity, philosopher Alexander Douglas seeks an alternative wisdom. Searching the work of three thinkers – ancient Chinese philosopher Zhuangzi, Dutch Enlightenment thinker Benedict de Spinoza, and 20th Century French theorist René Girard – he explores how identity can be a spiritual violence that leads us away from truth.

What if the life you’re chasing was never truly yours to begin with? Look closely at your desires. The promotion you want. The recognition you crave. The lifestyle you admire. The relationships you pursue. They feel personal—deeply personal. Yet beneath the surface, something far more powerful is at work. You are learning what to want by watching others. And once you see this, you begin to notice it everywhere. This book pulls back the curtain on one of the most overlooked forces shaping human behavior—and it changes the way you understand yourself, your relationships, and the world ...

Erik Erikson's Stages of Psychosocial Development: A Complete Guide to Understanding and Applying His Major Ideas in Everyday Life is your essential roadmap to mastering one of the most influential psychological theories of the 20th century. Whether you're a psychology student, educator, therapist, parent, or simply someone interested in personal growth, this comprehensive and reader-friendly guide helps you understand and apply Erikson’s 8 stages of psychosocial development in everyday life. Explore how trust, autonomy, identity, intimacy, and legacy shape who we become—from infancy to...

Few modern voices have had as profound an impact on the black identity and critical race theory as Frantz Fanon, and Black Skin, White Masks represents some of his most important work. Fanon's masterwork is now available in a new translation that updates its language for a new generation of listeners. A major influence on civil rights, anti-colonial, and black consciousness movements around the world, Black Skin, White Masks is the unsurpassed study of the black psyche in a white world.

This is a book about ideas. Specifically, this is a book about the evolution of a certain set of ideas, and how these ideas have come to dominate every important discussion about race, gender, and identity today. Have you heard someone refer to language as literal violence, or say that science is sexist? Or declare that being obese is healthy, or that there is no such thing as biological sex? Or that valuing hard work, individualism, and even punctuality is evidence of white supremacy?

Who are the Igbo? Where did they come from? How did they become one of Africa’s most dynamic, resilient, and culturally complex peoples? These questions have echoed across generations — from village squares in Eastern Nigeria to diaspora communities across the world; from the debates of scholars to the passionate claims of cultural enthusiasts; from Christian pulpits to the quiet reflections of families retelling their ancestral stories. For more than a century, the most popular answer has been dramatic and compelling: “The Igbo are descendants of the ancient Israelites.” This ...

Pioneers of Human Behaviour: Erik Erikson A Gateway to His Life, Theories, and Legacy Erik Erikson was more than a psychologist—he was a storyteller of the human lifespan. His theory of psychosocial development redefined how we understand identity, purpose, and the lifelong interplay between self and society. From the challenges of infancy to the reflections of old age, Erikson revealed that life’s central task is not merely to survive, but to grow through each stage with resilience and meaning. This concise, engaging volume distills Erikson’s remarkable journey—from his ...

Karen Horney Explained: Neurosis, Basic Anxiety, Feminine Psychology, Self-Realization, Cultural Influences, and the Struggle for Authentic Identity offers a clear and engaging exploration of one of the most influential thinkers in modern psychology. Karen Horney challenged the foundations of traditional psychoanalysis and introduced powerful new ideas about anxiety, personality, relationships, and the search for an authentic self. This book provides an accessible guide to her major concepts while explaining why her work continues to shape modern psychology, psychotherapy, and discussions ...

What if every “law” you’ve studied was optional — and the only law that ever mattered was your word? People argue endlessly about how reality works. Some swear by the Law of Attraction. Others fight for the Law of Assumption. Some point to karma, destiny, or God. But here’s the truth no one wants to admit: they’re all right — because reality bends to what each person believes. That’s why two people can follow completely opposite rules and both find proof they’re correct. Reality is not objective. It’s obedient. It reflects only the story you choose. In The Truth of ...

Who—or what—really shapes history? For centuries, modern thought has described the world as a system—structures, laws, and impersonal forces organizing social life. But what if this perspective misses the most decisive element? Subjectology: Sociology of Social Subjects offers a bold and original answer: history is not driven by systems alone, but by subjects. Individuals, societies, nations, and civilizations are not passive components of a structure. They are subjects that act, decide, remember, and transform reality. From Thomas Hobbes to contemporary debates on artificial ...

Comparing Erik Erikson: How His Theory of Psychosocial Development Aligns With and Differs From Piaget, Freud, and Modern Developmental Psychology offers a clear and comprehensive guide to understanding one of the most influential developmental theories of the past century. This book places Erik Erikson’s psychosocial model in conversation with the work of Jean Piaget, Sigmund Freud, attachment researchers, social learning theorists, and modern developmental psychologists. Through accessible explanations and practical insights, readers gain a full picture of how emotional, cognitive, and ...

One of the most talked-about scholarly works of the past 50 years, Judith Butler's Gender Trouble is as celebrated as it is controversial. Arguing that traditional feminism is wrong to look to a natural, "essential" notion of the female, or indeed of sex or gender, Butler starts by questioning the category "woman" and continues in this vein with examinations of "the masculine" and "the feminine." Best known however, but also most often misinterpreted, is Butler's concept of gender as a reiterated social performance rather than the expression of a prior reality.