Constructivist conceptions of self: A discussion of emerging identity constructs

Abstract

A significant feature of the postmodern turn in the sociobehavioral sciences focuses on the way self or identity is understood. In particular, postmodern scholars have challenged modernist notions of an essentialized self and have paved the way for the emergence of various constructivist conceptions of selfhood. In this article different constructivist theories of self are reviewed and discussed in relation to the current postmodern zeitgeist–self as (a) self-theory, (b) evolving process, (c) transcendent, (d) narrative, and (e) social/economic/political/construction. Critical points of convergence and divergence among these theories are discussed.