Within organizations there is reciprocal interplay between identity construction and learning. Processes of learning are enabled and constrained by identity practices; concomitantly, the possibilities for learning are shaped by the identity positions available to individuals. There is a dynamic between the impositions of organizations and people’s freedom to shape their identities and learning plays a crucial role in this. Our purpose in this special issue is to contribute to the understanding of the intersection of identity work and learning as a response to experiences of being different. Experiences of difference include moving into a new role, encountering a disjuncture with others while in a role or a difference in broader life which is reacted to as if it were a problem in an organizational setting. Being different produces a variety of challenges and the papers in this special issue trace how people cope with vulnerabilities, develop resilience and often collaborate in their learning. We focus on how people reflect on their own identity and learn and how, by learning together with people who have similar experiences, micro-communities can support, develop and enhance their insight and identity-positions.

在组织内部，身份构建和学习之间存在相互影响。学习过程受到身份实践的支持和约束；同时，学习的可能性取决于个人可用的身份地位。组织的强加与人们塑造其身份的自由之间存在动态关系，而学习在这方面起着至关重要的作用。我们在本期特刊中的目的是帮助理解身份工作和学习的交叉点，作为对不同经历的回应。差异的经历包括进入一个新角色，在担任角色时遇到与他人的脱节，或者在更广泛的生活中遇到差异，就像是组织环境中的问题一样。与众不同会带来各种挑战，本期特刊中的论文追溯了人们如何应对脆弱性、培养复原力以及经常在学习中进行协作。我们关注人们如何反思自己的身份和学习，以及如何通过与有相似经历的人一起学习，微型社区如何支持、发展和提高他们的洞察力和身份地位。