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Identity Change in Northern Ireland: A Longitudinal Study of Students' Transition to University
Author(s) -
Cassidy Clare,
Trew Karen
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
journal of social issues
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.618
H-Index - 122
eISSN - 1540-4560
pISSN - 0022-4537
DOI - 10.1111/j.0022-4537.2004.00370.x
Subject(s) - salience (neuroscience) , religious identity , identity (music) , longitudinal study , social psychology , identity formation , psychology , national identity , identity change , gender studies , sociology , self concept , political science , law , politics , religiosity , physics , feeling , acoustics , cognitive psychology , statistics , mathematics
This two‐wave longitudinal study followed a cohort of young people in Northern Ireland (N = 124) to examine how the transition to university impacts on identity change. Drawing on Stryker's (1968, 1987) identity theory, we examined salience, affective and interactional commitment for five identities: family member, friend, student, national and religious identity. The relative salience of national and religious identities did not change over time, but an absolute increase in the salience of religious identity was indicated at Time 2. Regression analysis provided some support for identity theory but suggested a difference between Catholics and Protestants in relation to religious identity. The implications for the identities of young people in Northern Ireland, and, more generally, for identity theory are discussed .