IDENTITY IN NARRATIVES

Abstract

The theoretical framework relies on the constructionist approach, which defines identity as manifested in individuals’ social actions, developed in discourse, and fluid (De Fina and Gerogakopoulou 2013, Benwell and Stokoe 2006, Cohen 2010, Bamberg, de Fina and Schiffrin 2007). Thus, social identity is considered as a participant’s resource, indexical, local and occasioned (Antaki and Widdicombe 2008). Out of the many types of identities advanced, the paper focusses on the institutional and interactional ones. Identities, often expressed in narratives, have several functions – to understand the world and the self, to make our lives meaningful and coherent. In research interviews narratives are considered as a co-construction achieved by the interviewer and the interviewee, where the narrative produced is an explanation of the experiences lived. The data used for the analysis come from an interview conducted with seven interviewees, who were asked to narrate an experience that made them feel that they are students; the conclusions focus on the narrative structure and on the identity features expressed.