science

Internarrative identity

Internarrative identity is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Internarrative identity rather than just read about it. In short: Internarrative identity is building upon the notion of Narrative identity, the idea that our identities are shaped by the accounts we give of our lives. The central tenet of internarrative identity is that the ability of individuals to shape their lives is extended by multiple autobiographical narratives with associative principles beyond temporality.

Key takeaways

Internarrative identity belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Internarrative identity to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Internarrative identity from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Internarrative identity is building upon the notion of Narrative identity, the idea that our identities are shaped by the accounts we give of our lives. The central tenet of internarrative identity is that the ability of individuals to shape their lives is extended by multiple autobiographical narratives with associative principles beyond temporality. This concept was developed in 1997 by Ajit K. Maan in the central text Internarrative Identity.

Overview While the foundation of Narrative Identity Theory is the holding together of life experiences in a unified structure, Internarrative Identity Theory celebrates what have previously been considered problematic areas of experience - conflict, marginalization, disruption, subversion, deviation - as places of possibility for self creation. Internarrative Identity Theory locates the solution of narrative conflict within the problem itself. Existence in-between authoritarian discourses and dominant cultures enables an extended form of agency wherein a subject is able to undermine traditional associations, assumptions, concepts, and at the same time, create links between otherwise incommensurable world views. Rather than being a passive recipient of dominant discourses the Internarrative subject is uniquely able to subvert regulatory identity practices.

See also Postmodernism Hermeneutics Feminism Deconstruction

Bibliography Ajit K. Maan, Internarrative Identity, second edition, Placing the Self, Rowman and Littlefield, 2010. Ajit K. Maan, Haunting Henry James, Infinity, 2009 A. Maan, "Narrative Authority: Performing the Postcolonial Self" Social Identities: Journal for the Study of Race, Nation and Culture. Routledge, May, 2007 A. Maan, "Post-Colonial Practices and Narrative Nomads:Thinking Sikhism beyond Metaphysics" Sikh Formations: Religion, Culture, Theory. Routledge, Dec 2005 Ajit K. Maan, Internarrative Identity, Rowman and Littlefield, 1999

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Internarrative identity

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Internarrative identity claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Internarrative identity before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Internarrative identity ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Internarrative identity

In research: Internarrative identity appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Internarrative identity in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Internarrative identity is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Conceptions of self, Social psychology stubs, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Internarrative identity outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Internarrative identity in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Internarrative identity means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Internarrative identity out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Internarrative identity in simple terms?

Why does Internarrative identity matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Internarrative identity?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Internarrative identity.