Narrative positioning and the construction
of situated identities
Evidence from conversations of a group of young
people in Greece
Argiris Archakis and Angeliki Tzanne
University of Patras / University of Athens
The present paper is a study of narrative and its relation to the construction
of conflicting identities in interaction. The paper is concerned with a group
of young Greeks who categorise themselves as members of a particular
subculture, but also construct a number of other, often conflicting, identities
through the stories they tell in the course of their conversations with two
researchers. By focusing on the many narratives these people volunteer to
recount to the researchers, the paper aims to delve into narrative positioning
and its relation to the plurality of emerging identities in the specific
encounters. Particular emphasis is placed on the young people’s attempt to
delegitimate established figures of power and authority in order to legitimate
their own group and present a positive image of themselves. By providing a
detailed discussion of identities as constructed in situated discourse, the
paper also aims to stress the dynamics of identity construction in context.
(Narrative positioning, Identity construction, Plurality of identities, In-group
relations, Delegitimation, Category affiliation)
The present study follows the line of research that focuses on narrative and
its relation to the construction of situated identities (Cheshire, 2000; Geor-
gakopoulou, 1997, 1999; Schiffrin, 1996, 2000; Wortham, 2000 among others).
In particular, it is concerned with a group of young people who, on the one
Requests for further information should be directed to Angeliki Tzanne, Faculty of English
Studies, School of Philosophy, University of Athens, Panepistimioupoli Zographou, Athens
157 84, Greece, E-mail: atzanne@enl.uoa.gr and/or archakis@upatras.gr
Narrative Inquiry : (), ‒.
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