Friendship Talk As Identity Work: Defining The Self Through Friend Relationships

Keywords

emerging adulthood; friendship; identity work; narrative self-identity; othering

Abstract

This paper places friendships at the center of individuals' identity work, examining how individuals construct self-identities through their talk about friend relationships and networks. We conceptualize this "friendship talk" as a subcategory of identity talk. From interviews with emerging adults, we find three strategies of friendship talk: envisioning self through others, betterment distancing, and situating with networks. These strategies demonstrate unique ways identity construction occurs through talk about friends. Individuals verbally connect with and separate from friends while constructing desired selves and moral identities. We suggest that friendship talk strategies may be generic social processes that apply beyond emerging adulthood.

Publication Date

2-1-2015

Publication Title

Symbolic Interaction

Volume

38

Issue

1

Number of Pages

64-82

Document Type

Article

Personal Identifier

scopus

DOI Link

https://doi.org/10.1002/symb.138

Socpus ID

84922401333 (Scopus)

Source API URL

https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/84922401333

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