ABSTRACT Identity research has become a prominent field of study in the social sciences, but the conceptualization and measurement of the construct of identity remains contested. Although Erikson’s theoretical work has been extremely influential in directing theory and research over the past 50 years, the theory has elicited a variety of criticisms. In this article, we critically reflect on the application of Erikson’s theory in contexts of social and political struggle. We engage with Eriksonian theory in terms of the debate regarding the relationship between society and the individual. We develop a view of identities as historically contingent contextual discursive performances. Empirical material from two South African studies is presented to illustrate our argument about how the sociopolitical context of struggle and threat shapes and structures the identity aspirations and decisions of young people.

中文翻译：

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政治斗争背景下身份研究的未来方向：对埃里克森的批判性评价

摘要 身份研究已成为社会科学的一个突出研究领域，但身份建构的概念化和测量仍然存在争议。尽管过去 50 年来埃里克森的理论工作在指导理论和研究方面具有极大的影响力，但该理论引起了各种批评。在本文中，我们批判性地反思了埃里克森理论在社会和政治斗争背景下的应用。我们在关于社会与个人之间关系的辩论方面使用埃里克森理论。我们将身份视为历史上偶然的上下文话语表演。