Glynis M. Breakwell

Coping with Threatened Identities - Psychology Library Editions: Social Psychology Glynis M. Breakwell 1.º edición

Marc Notes: People cope with threats to their identities in many different ways. Until the original publication of this title in 1986, there were few theoretical frameworks within which to analyse their strategies for doing this, or to examine the nature and impact of the threatening experiences themselves. Glynis M. Breakwell proposes an integrative model which explores the structure of identity and the principles directing its development. Focusing on examples of threat such as unemployment, sexually atypical employment and ethnic marginality, she examines the relation of the individual to social change, and through the sensitive use of case studies, enables the victims of threat to speak for themselves about their experiences and feelings to illustrate her framework. Publisher Marketing: People cope with threats to their identities in many different ways. Until the original publication of this title in 1986, there had been no theoretical framework within which to analyse their strategies for doing this, or to examine the nature and impact of the threatening experiences themselves. In this elegant and original book, Glynis Breakwell proposes an integrative model which explores the structure of identity and the principles directing its development. Focusing on examples of threat such as unemployment, sexually atypical employment and ethnic marginality, Breakwell examines the relation of the individual to social change. Through her sensitive use of case studies, she enables the victims of threat to speak for themselves about their experiences and feelings. Their reactions illustrate her proposed framework of three levels of coping strategies intra-psychic, interpersonal and intergroup and her assessment of the factors which limit the success of such strategies. The case studies also point to new evidence on the effects of unemployment and the impact of youth training schemes at the time. This title would have been essential reading for a range of undergraduate courses in social and abnormal psychology and individual differences, as well as for postgraduate training in clinical and medical psychology at the time. Social workers, counsellors and all those concerned with the care of the sufferers of threatened identities will still find it both informative and influential."

Contributor Bio:  Breakwell, Glynis Dame Glynis M. Breakwell has been a Professor of Psychology for over 20 years and is currently the Vice Chancellor of the University of Bath. Her research focuses upon identity process theory and social representations, leadership in complex organisations, and the psychology of risk management, perception and communication. She has published more than 20 books, several of which are on research methods. She is an adviser to government and private sector companies on the use of psychological methods and theories.