Identity Development in the Lifecourse

This book offers a unique developmental perspective on identity construction in the context of mobility and transition to adulthood. Drawing upon semiotic cultural psychology, it embeds identity construction into the processes of meaning making; viewing identity as a field of hyper-generalised signs that are constantly reconstructed through encounters with social others in cultural worlds, and which allow individuals to make sense of themselves in relation to their lived pasts, experienced presents and imagined futures.
Märtsin invites the reader to travel with eight young adults as they embark on their developmental journeys and seek to make sense of issues that matter most to them: home, adventure and belonging, friendships, recognition, and future-planning. The book is an invaluable resource for students and researchers interested in understanding the experiences of emerging adults in contemporary globalized world, but also for those interested in identity processes from a semiotic, cultural and developmental perspective.

Discusses a novel conceptualism illustrated through case studies of eight emerging adults Explores social relationships, recognition, home, adventure and belonging, and future-planning Analyses identity from semiotic, cultural and developmental perspectives

Autorentext
Mariann Märtsin is Senior Lecturer at Queensland University of Technology, Australia and Research Fellow at Tallinn University, Estonia. She has written widely about identity processes and meaning making as these relate to experiences of education, mobility, and major life-course transitions in adulthood. Her recent publications include Culture in Education, Education in Culture: Tensioned Dialogues and Creative Constructions (co-edited with Pernille Hviid, 2019).

Inhalt

1. Introduction: Identity construction, mobility and transition to adulthood.- 2. Identity construction in a semiotic and cultural key.- 3. Studying identity construction: Merging theory and phenomenon in the methods.- 4. Home, adventure and belonging.- 5. Reconstructing relationships.- 6. Competence, self-confidence and recognition.- 7. Making plans.- 8. Conclusion: Moving forward.