Reconceptualizing the Model of Multiple Dimensions of Identity: The Role of Meaning-Making Capacity in the Construction of Multiple Identities

Abstract

We reconceptualize Jones and McEwen's (2000) model of multiple dimensions of identity by incorporating meaning making, based on the results of Abes and Jones's (2004) study of lesbian college students. Narratives of three students who utilize different orders of Kegan's (1994) meaning making (formulaic, transitional, and foundational, as described by Baxter Magolda, 2001) illustrate how meaning-making capacity interacts with the influences of context on the perceptions and salience of students' multiple social identities. Implications for theory, research, and professional practice are discussed.

Women in Distance Doctoral Programs: How They Negotiate Their Identities As Mothers, Professionals, and Academics In Order to Persist

“…Thus, this concept is not only consistent with the view of multiple identities (Abes et al, 2007;Jones & McEwen, 2000) in that it purports that that identities are formed in relation to one another and the process of merging various identities is transformative, but it also highlights the idea that context and social interaction are influential in the development and intersection of identities. In other words, Jones and McEwen's model (2000) and intersectionality highlight the importance of exploring how women EdD students shape, balance, and intersect their multiple identities as they develop their academic identity and transition from student to scholar during the doctoral journey.…”

“…Strategies used to integrate and negotiate various identities, giving rise to persistence were also documented. Consistent with identity literature (e.g., Abes et al, 2007) and Corbin and Strauss' (2015) systematic grounded theory procedures, it became quickly apparent that the identities developed and changed within a social process. Thus, in the Excel matrix, a column was added to provide more information about the context for the development of these strategies and processes.…”

“…Jones and McEwen (2000) provide such a conceptualization as they suggested that individuals have multiple social identity dimensions that intersect. Within this model and its extensions (e.g., Abes, Jones, & McEwen, 2007), identity is characterized as dynamic and complex. The core sense of self, "an individual's values and most valued attributes and characteristics" (Jones, 1997, p. 383), is at the center.…”

“…Identities are illustrated as intersecting circles around the core sense of self, signifying that "no one dimension may be understood singularly; it can be understood only in relation to other dimensions" (Jones & McEwen, 2000, p. 410). The development and salience of each identity is dynamic, influenced by personal filters, context, and experience (e.g., family, sociocultural conditions, academic disciplines) (Abes et al, 2007). Meaning-making is especially important and a filter for contextual factors that influence the self-perceptions of identities and the relationships between each.…”

LGBTQ+ Young Adults on the Street and on Campus: Identity as a Product of Social Context

“…Processes of identity formation take on unique forms and intersect with varying social domains, making identity especially complex in the college environment (Abes, Jones, & McEwen, 2007). Sexual minority college students may also express more fluid identities if they do not conform to heteronormative expectations of roles and statuses (Abes & Kasch, 2007).…”