'The first edition of this book brought difficult questions about selfhood together with equally awkward issues of power and the 'social'. Not since Mead or Goffman, perhaps, had this been attempted in such a useful way, and in such an assured and accessible text...This completely reworked second edition retains all of these virtues, and takes the original analysis into new territory, not least with new chapters on gender and class...If you're interested in identity - particularly how identity 'works' - this book is essential reading' - Richard Jenkins, Professor of Sociology, Sheffield University 'This is a foundational book, beautifully framed for this new century. The old theories of self and identity must be revisited in these times of global and cultural transformation. What kinds of selves are now available to us? Which theories best help us make sense out of who we are today. Burkitt brilliantly charts a path through this complex set of issues, and we owe him a huge debt for doing so' - Norman K. Denzin, Distinguished Research Professor of Communications, Sociology and Humanities, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign This new, completely revised version builds on the popular success of the first edition. It seeks to answer the basic social question of 'who am I?' by developing an understanding of self-identity as formed in social relations and social activity. Comprehensive, jargon-free and authoritative, it will be required reading on courses in self and society, identity and personality formation. Praise for the First Edition: 'A masterpiece of scholarly analysis and a book that should be read by anyone interested in either personality or social behaviour' - Contemporary Psychology 'Burkitt deserves praise for the clarity with which he presents his overview of the relevant theories, for the cogency which he offers his own critiques of these theories, and for his commitment to thinking dialectically about the self' - Theory & Psychology 'A very valuable contribution to its field' - Sociology 'Burkitt offers a discerning discussion ! the volume is essential reading for anyone concerned with this challenging problem' - Choice
"A thoughtful, scholarly yet accessible account of emotion that speaks to current debates associated with the 'affective turn' in disciplines including sociology, cultural studies, geography and psychology... invaluable for anyone wanting to understand contemporary engagements with affect, emotion and feeling." - John Cromby, Loughborough University "A lucid, engaging, and thoroughly insightful review of current social scientific thinking on emotions in social life by a leading scholar in the field... The book is sure to become essential reading for both students and researchers interested in emotion" - Jason Hughes, University of Leicester "A masterful exposition of the links between emotions and social relations... Empirically rich and theoretically deep, this is a highly readable book. - Svend Brinkmann, University of Aalborg This book is a compelling and timely addition to the study of emotions, arguing that emotion is a response to the way in which people are embedded in patterns of relationship, both to others and to significant social and political events or situations. Going beyond the traditional discursive understanding of emotions, Burkitt investigates emotions as a complex and dynamic phenomenon that includes the whole self, body and mind, but which always occur in relation to others.
"A thoughtful, scholarly yet accessible account of emotion that speaks to current debates associated with the 'affective turn' in disciplines including sociology, cultural studies, geography and psychology... invaluable for anyone wanting to understand contemporary engagements with affect, emotion and feeling." - John Cromby, Loughborough University "A lucid, engaging, and thoroughly insightful review of current social scientific thinking on emotions in social life by a leading scholar in the field... The book is sure to become essential reading for both students and researchers interested in emotion" - Jason Hughes, University of Leicester "A masterful exposition of the links between emotions and social relations... Empirically rich and theoretically deep, this is a highly readable book. - Svend Brinkmann, University of Aalborg This book is a compelling and timely addition to the study of emotions, arguing that emotion is a response to the way in which people are embedded in patterns of relationship, both to others and to significant social and political events or situations. Going beyond the traditional discursive understanding of emotions, Burkitt investigates emotions as a complex and dynamic phenomenon that includes the whole self, body and mind, but which always occur in relation to others.
A theory of embodiment, which interprets modern individuals as complex bodies of thought, as embodied symbolic and material beings. Steering between constructionist and realist theories of the social actor, the work assesses Foucaultian, Eliasian, and feminist approaches to the body and provides a critique of post-Cartesian dualisms such as mind and body; thought and emotion; rationality and irrationality; and the mental and the material.
'The first edition of this book brought difficult questions about selfhood together with equally awkward issues of power and the 'social'. Not since Mead or Goffman, perhaps, had this been attempted in such a useful way, and in such an assured and accessible text...This completely reworked second edition retains all of these virtues, and takes the original analysis into new territory, not least with new chapters on gender and class...If you're interested in identity - particularly how identity 'works' - this book is essential reading' - Richard Jenkins, Professor of Sociology, Sheffield University 'This is a foundational book, beautifully framed for this new century. The old theories of self and identity must be revisited in these times of global and cultural transformation. What kinds of selves are now available to us? Which theories best help us make sense out of who we are today. Burkitt brilliantly charts a path through this complex set of issues, and we owe him a huge debt for doing so' - Norman K. Denzin, Distinguished Research Professor of Communications, Sociology and Humanities, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign This new, completely revised version builds on the popular success of the first edition. It seeks to answer the basic social question of 'who am I?' by developing an understanding of self-identity as formed in social relations and social activity. Comprehensive, jargon-free and authoritative, it will be required reading on courses in self and society, identity and personality formation. Praise for the First Edition: 'A masterpiece of scholarly analysis and a book that should be read by anyone interested in either personality or social behaviour' - Contemporary Psychology 'Burkitt deserves praise for the clarity with which he presents his overview of the relevant theories, for the cogency which he offers his own critiques of these theories, and for his commitment to thinking dialectically about the self' - Theory & Psychology 'A very valuable contribution to its field' - Sociology 'Burkitt offers a discerning discussion ! the volume is essential reading for anyone concerned with this challenging problem' - Choice
A theory of embodiment, which interprets modern individuals as complex bodies of thought, as embodied symbolic and material beings. Steering between constructionist and realist theories of the social actor, the work assesses Foucaultian, Eliasian, and feminist approaches to the body and provides a critique of post-Cartesian dualisms such as mind and body; thought and emotion; rationality and irrationality; and the mental and the material.
