Processes of Identity Formation

This course foregrounds theoretical perspectives on meaning-making about “selves”—that is, how do “selves” acquire and/or form identities? In the context of contemporary Romanian society, students will engage with commonly circulating, socially salient identity framings (related to nationality, religion, ethnicity/race, class, sex/gender, sexual orientation, etc.) and consider how they take shape and evolve through social interaction. We will examine social processes including self/other recognition, use metaphor, traumatization and healing, memory-making, institutionalization of narratives, and migration.