Constructing Identities

This book provides a distinctive overview and analysis of the place of social construction in social psychology. The author's arguments revolve around two key questions: how can social constructionism account for changes in human identities?; and in what ways might social constructionism accommodate a role for nonhumans - whether technological or "natural" - in the constitution of identity? With interdisciplinary breadth the book locates these questions between recent innovations in social psychology and the highly influential contributions of actor-network theory, which has come to dominate the sociology of scientific knowledge. The fruitful mix of these perspectives sustains a clear and coherent discussion of how issues around agency, hybridity, marginality and the "other" can contribute to a better understanding of human identity. "Constructing Identities" should be of value to students and academics in social psychology, the sociology of scientific knowledge and anyone addressing the central concept of identity.