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14 H ""1'1 II, 1'/1'''''')1 J will introduce issues of ideutu Ilhll PlCIl(u'I>Nivt'iyl'omplcxily 1111'I_I ture, including but also extending hcymull'lImmunitics of pract in' C identities, even in the context of a specific practice, are not just II ter internal to that practice but also a matter of our position 111111 t position of our communities within broader social structures.

• Identity in practice. Chapter 6 shows the relation between id"lIlh and practice by rehearsing the argument of Part I. By revisiting various characteristics of practice introduced in each chapter, 1 win show how they can be construed as characteristics of identity '1It result will be a characterization of identity that inherits the richue .. and complexity of practice.

• Identities of participation and non-participation, Chapter 7 introduce non-participation as a central aspect of the formation of idenllty I will argue that non-participation can take many forms - being ." outsider, being a peripheral participant, or being marginalized - 1'111 h with different implications for the resulting identities.

• Modes of belonging. Chapter 8 extends the notion of belonging I.. yond local communities of practice. I will distinguish between till modes of belonging: engagement (which is already familiar III"" Part I), imagination, and alignment. I will describe the basic feauu , of each of these modes of belonging, the kind of work they requn and finally the various kinds of communities to which they give 1'111

• Identification and negotiability. Chapter 9 discusses issues of bel()IIM ing in terms of identification with certain communities and also III terms of negotiability - that is, in terms of our ability to shape Ih meanings produced in the context of these communities. I will argu that the formation of communities inherently gives rise to "econn mies of meaning" in which various participants have various degrees of "ownership" of the meanings that define their communities. Till dual processes of identification and negotiability make the notion III belonging a basis for talking about both identity and power in socllIl terms.

• Learning communities. Coda II summarizes Part II by describing some basic features of what I will call a learning community, whosl practice it is to keep alive the tension between competence ::tllil experience.

C'/wpler 6 Identity in practice

iN a profound connection between identity and practice. Devel- Il practice requires the formation of a community whose mem-

Cilnengage with one another and thus acknowledge each other as pants. As a consequence, practice entails the negotiation of ways I{ a person in that context. This negotiation may be silent; partie- may not necessarily talk directly about that issue. But whether or

they address the question directly, they deal with it through the way engage in action with one another and relate to one another. In-

, our practices deal with the profound issue of how to be a hu- being. In this sense, the formation of a community of practice is the negotiation of identities. he parallels between practice and identity are summarized in

6.1. To highlight them in this chapter, I will (as I did in Coda I) through the themes of Part I, chapter by chapter, but recast them I rms of identity. This exercise will yield the following character-

dentity as negotiated experience. We define who we are by the ways.e experience our selves through participation as well as by the ways we and others reify our selves. Identity as community membership. We define who we are by the fa- miliar and the unfamiliar. Identity as learning trajectory. We define who we are by where we have been and where we are going. Identity as nexus of multimembership. We define who we are by the ways we reconcile our various forms of membership into one identity. Identity as a relation between the local and the global. We define who we are by negotiating local ways of belonging to broader constella- tions and of manifesting broader styles and discourses.

parallels constitute a level of analysis that presents identity and lice as mirror images of each other. This strategy is, however, a

149

150 Part II: Identity

practice as ...

• negotiation of meaning (in terms of participation and reification)

• community

• shared history of learning

• boundary and landscape

• constellations

Figure 6.1. Parallels between practice and identity.

identity as ...

• negotiated experience of self (in terms of participation and reification)

• membership

• learning trajectory

• nexus of multimembership

• belonging defined globally but experienced locally

first approximation, which I will refine and expand in the following chapters.

Negotiated experience: participation and reification

In Vignette I, Ariel refers to herself as a "level 6." Alinsu haN reified levels of claims processing - 4 through 8 - defined in terms (If certain performance milestones. Correspondingly, there are official markers of transition. "Getting your level," as the transition from one level to another is called, is celebrated with a small ritual of both official decorum - delivery of a letter with encouraging remarks by an assistant director in front of the employee's unit - and sincere rejoicing - ciaI' ping and shouting. For claims processors, their level is a substantial u~ pect of their local identity. It represents the institution's view of their expertise and comes with certain responsibilities and privileges. DUI this institutional reification of competence hardly reflects the richnc _ of the actual process of belonging to the community and contributing hi its practice. The daily engagement of claims processors in their COlli munity of practice creates relations among them that constitute "whn one is" in the office, who knows what, who is good at what, who is COlli who is funny, who is friendly, who is central, who is peripheral.

Engagement in practice gives us certain experiences of participat iUI! and what our communities pay attention to reifies us as participann Becoming a claims processor, for instance, is both taking on the ll1l1d "claims processor" and giving this label specific meanings through \'11 gagement in practice. It is doing what claims processors do, bdll.

Chapter 6: Identity in practice 151

treated the way they are treated, forming the community they form, entertaining certain relations with other practices, and - in the details of this process - giving a personal meaning to the category of claims processor. If, as mentioned in Vignette I, Ariel is treated rudely by a stomer, her engagement in practice suddenly brings into focus the

humble status of her position in a striking way. She is working the front Une and can be yelled at without compunction. Events like these can Iolt our experience of participation and bring our identity into focus. ur very participation becomes reified, so to speak, and the labels we

Ute take on deeper meanings. The experience of identity in practice is a way of being in the world. i.not equivalent to a self-image; it is not, in its essence, discursive or

'~'''''l''rlve. We often think about our identities as self-images because talk about ourselves and each other - and even think about our-

'-'11\1"1: and each other - in words. These words are important, no doubt, they are not the full, lived experience of engagement in practice. I not trying to belittle the importance of categories, self-images, and

ives of the self as constitutive of identity, but neither do I want to identity with those reifications. Who we are lies in the way we

day to day, not just in what we think or say about ourselves, though iN of course part (but only part) of the way we live. Nor does iden- consist solely of what others think or say about us, though that too

of the way we live. Identity in practice is defined socially not because it is reified in a social discourse of the self and of social

but also because it is produced as a lived experience of par- m in specific communities. What narratives, categories, roles

posinons come to mean as an experience of participation is some- that must be worked out in practice. identity, then, is a layering of events of participation and reifi- hy which our experience and its social interpretation inform

other. As we encounter our effects on the world and develop our , with others, these layers build upon each other to produce our Il" a very complex interweaving of participative experience and

rve projections. Bringing the two together through the negotia-o. meaning, we construct who we are. In the same way that mean- t"INin its negotiation, identity exists - not as an object in and

hut in the constant work of negotiating the self. It is in this 1111( interplay of participation and rcification that our experience becomes one of identity, and indeed of human existence and

U·SS.

Part J I: MerttllJ'152 Chapter 6: Identity in practice 153

Community membership

I have argued that practice defines a community through 11,,1' dimensions: mutual engagement, a joint enterprise, and a shared rcpC'r toire. Because a community of practice is not necessarily reificd ... such, our membership may not carry a label or other reified mark .., But I have argued that our identity is formed through participation •• well as reification. In this context, our membership constitutes our itlrn tity, not just through reified markers of membership but more fuml. mentally through the forms of competence that it entails. Identity In this sense is an experience and a display of competence that rcqurres neither an explicit self-image nor self-identification with an ostcnsibl community.

When we are with a community of practice of which we are II lull member we are in familiar territory. We can handle ourselves comp, . tendy. We experience competence and we are recognized as comp tent. We know how to engage with others. We understand why the' .1" what they do because we understand the enterprise to which pnrurl pants are accountable. Moreover, we share the resources they \1101' It communicate and go about their activities. These dimensions of COlli I' tence, introduced in Chapter 2, become dimensions of identity.

• Mutuality of engagement. In a community of practice, we learn (. r tain ways of engaging in action with other people. We develop I. tain expectations about how to interact, how people treat each 01 h r and how to work together. We become who we are by being ahh III play a part in the relations of engagement that constitute our l'1I111 munity. Our competence gains its value through its very parlll,hty As an identity, this translates into a form of individuality Jehll d with respect to a community. It is a certain way of being part lit whole through mutual engagement. For instance, I have repullI d that among claims processors it is more important to give and re« I help than to know everything oneself! This results in a definitiun "' individuality that differs from, say, forms of individuality in ccn ..,,, academic circles, where knowledge is a form of personal POWCI "" not knowing is largely construed as a personal deficit.'

• Accountability to an enterprise. As we invest ourselves in an 1)111" prise, the forms of accountability through which we are able.til 11111 tribute to that enterprise make us look at the world in certam WoIVIl Being a claims processor, doctor, parent, sm;illl worker, salespci beggar, folk dancer, or photographer I,d\iI' liN 1\ certain focu

muves us to understand certain conditions and to consider certain pullsibilities. As an identity, this translates into a perspective. It does not mean that all members of a community look at the world in the me way. Nonetheless, an identity in this sense manifests as a ten- ney to come up with certain interpretations, to engage in certain

., n" to make certain choices, to value certain experiences - all virtue of participating in certain enterprises.

IXI/liahility of a repertoire. Sustained engagement in practice yields n ability to interpret and make use of the repertoire of that practice. e recognize the history of a practice in the artifacts, actions, and

IlnlCuage of the community. We can make use of that history because e have been part of it and it is now part of us; we do this through a

I._,p.,,'.nalhistory of participation. As an identity, this translates into personal set of events, references, memories, and experiences that

individual relations of negotiability with respect to the reper- of a practice.

translation of dimensions of competence into dimensions of has its inverse. When we come in contact with new practices,

enture into unfamiliar territory. The boundaries of our communi- manifest as a lack of competence along the three dimensions I just

We do not quite know how to engage with others. We do not and the subtleties of the enterprise as the community has it. We lack the shared references that participants use. Our non-

ip shapes our identities through our confrontation with the

"urn, membership in a community of practice translates into an hy liS a form of competence. An identity in this sense is relating to

world as a particular mix of the familiar and the foreign, the obvious the mysterious, the transparent and the opaque. We experience manifest our selves by what we recognize and what we don't, what

immediately and what we can't interpret, what we can appro- lind what alienates us, what we can press into service and what n't lise, what we can negotiate and what remains out of reach. In In', we know who we are by what is familiar, understandable, us- negotiable; we know who we are not by what is foreign, opaque,

y, unproductive .

Trajectories

I hnve argued tlnu ielt'lilit)' III " .... rl ire "rises out of an inter- III purticipution and rl'illllllloll (\N III II, il is 1101 lin object, but II

Part 11: )dCtllIf,Y154 ("""/llr' h Itlt-flll/)1 III /lflltllir 155

constant becoming. The work of idenruy Iii always going nit is not some primordial core of personality that already exist«. Nil something we acquire at some point in the same way that, Ilt II age, we grow a set of permanent teeth. Even though issues ClI as a focus of overt concern may become more salient at ccnun than at others, our identity is something we constantly reneger I.' ing the course of our lives.

As we go through a succession of forms of participation, CHit ties form trajectories, both within and across communities 01 In this section, I will use the concept of trajectory to argue Ihal

1) identity is fundamentally temporal 2) the work of identity is ongoing 3) because it is constructed in social contexts, the

identity is more complex than a linear notion of time 4) identities are defined with respect to the interaction CIt

ple convergent and divergent trajectories.

In using the term "trajectory" I do not want to imply a fixed cum a fixed destination. To me, the term trajectory suggests not a pllih can be foreseen or charted but a continuous motion - one that hUh It mentum of its own in addition to a field of influences. It has a cohe through time that connects the past, the present, and the futui t· I

In the context of communities of practice, there can be varioue I of trajectories.

• Peripheral trajectories. By choice or by necessity, some tralt'l" never lead to full participation. Yet they may well provide II ~In access to a community and its practice that becomes sit< enough to contribute to one's identity.

• Inbound trajectories. Newcomers are joining the community wnh prospect of becoming full participants in its practice. Their itlt'l1l are invested in their future participation, even though their III participation may be peripheral.

• Insider trajectories. The formation of an identity does not end wllh membership. The evolution of the practice continues - new tH new demands, new inventions, and new generations all creal .. "I sions for renegotiating one's identity.

• Boundary trajectories. Some trajectories find their value in s boundaries and linking communities of practice. Sustaining nn II tity across boundaries is one of the most delicate challenges 01 I kind of brokering work (see Chapter 4 and the next section 111 chapter).

trajertortrs. Some trajectories lead out of a community, as children grow up. What matters then is how a form of partici- enables what comes next. It seems perhaps more natural tou' identity formation in terms of all the learning involved in a community of practice. Yet being on the way out of such

Imlm.ilDI·ty also involves developing new relationships, finding a t position with respect to a community, and seeing the world

onesclf in new ways.

Learning as identity

The temporal dimension of identity is critical. Not only do we iating our identities, but they place our engagement in prac-

this temporal context. We are always simultaneously dealing _" ••t',1' situations, participating in the histories of certain prac-

involved in becoming certain persons. As trajectories, our incorporate the past and the future in the very process of the present.' They give significance to events in relation to

as an extension of the self They provide a context in to determine what, among all the things that are potentiaUy sig-

actually becomes significant learning. A sense of trajectory ways of sorting out what matters and what does not, what con- to our identity and what remains marginal. laims processors, being on a trajectory is an important aspect of They know that improvement in their performance will mean nt, and they value the fact that advancement is automatic be-

t. tcivesthem some degree of control over their trajectory. More- heir sense of trajectory extends beyond claims processing. Some view the job as their profession, hoping to move on to technical

.0...."",...1 positions in due time; some are just paying their way college and have no interest in a professional career in claims K.These different trajectories give them very different per- on their participation and identities at work. So for them, pro-

Ia claim is not just a self-contained activity. Understanding K new is not just a local act of learning. Rather, each is an

on " •rajectory through which they give meaning to their engage- 6n practice in terms of the identity they are developing.

ing events and forms of participation are thus defined. by the engagement they afford, as well as by their location on a trajec- very peripheral form of pnrricipai ion, for instance, may turn out

cent ral to one's identity I>t·(.'IIIIII(.·it leads 10 something significant.

156 Part 11: Identity GllflpllJr 6: /tIl'fIl,ly in practice

157 Paradigmatic trajectories

The progression of a career offered by the company is nol III only way claims processors define their identity as a trajectory, ,'V " within the confines of their job. Their community, its history, ami II evolution shape the trajectories they construct. More experienced pr 1'1 are not merely a source of information about processing claims; Ih also represent the history of the practice as a way of life. They an' Iy ing testimonies to what is possible, expected, desirable.

More generally, any community of practice provides a set of mud I for negotiating trajectories. These "paradigmatic" trajectories are liCIt simply reified milestones, such as those provided by a career ladder CI even by communal rituals. Rather, they embody the history of the munity through the very participation and identities of practitionr They include actual people as well as composite stories. Exposure this field of paradigmatic trajectories is likely to be the most influent factor shaping the learning of newcomers. In the end, it is members by their very participation - who create the set of possibilities to will ~ newcomers are exposed as they negotiate their own trajectories matter what is said, taught, prescribed, recommended, or tested, nrW comers are no fools: once they have actual access to the practice, I soon find out what counts.'

From this perspective, a community of practice is a field of POS!! trajectories and thus. the proposal of an identity. It is a history and I promise of that history. It is a field of possible pasts and of possible tures, which are all there for participants, not only to witness, about, and contemplate, but to engage with. They can interact Vi old-timers, who offer living examples of possible trajectories. A (I munity of practice is a history collapsed into a present that invites .. gagement. Newcomers can engage with their own future, as embud by old-timers. As a community of practice, these old-timers delivt.'1 I past and offer the future, in the form of narratives and participlll both. Each has a story to tell. In addition, the practice itself give: to these stories, and the possibility of mutual engagement offers " w to enter these stories through one's own experience.

Of course, new trajectories do not necessarily align themselves paradigmatic ones. Newcomers must find their own unique identil And the relation goes both ways; newcomers also provide new mell for different ways of participating. Whether ndoptcd, modified, HI I jected in specific instances, par"dip;lll"lic truj,·,·torics provide live III rial for negotiating and fcncgOlinlillK uklllili,·s.

Ge,u:rational encounters

.As a.process of negotiating trajectories, the encounter between Ions IS much more compl h h

.. . ex t an t e mere transmission of a It IS an tnterlockmg of identities with all th fl'

depend . hi ' e con icts and mu- . encres .r IS.entails; by this interlocking, individual tr . ,"corporate 10 different ways the history f . . ajec-

... ratjl\",u'brin diff 0 a practice. Different . g I er~nt ~erspectives to their encounter because their

~e invested in different moments of that hist . there IS less history to tak . '. ory. With less . I e mro consideratIOn With Ie f I::;sn~~;:! to reconsider ~istory. Yet, the p~rspectiv:: O~~l;~

'. r~ ar~ not so Simply delineated. learn 109 10 practice IS negotiating an identity, and if that identit an~es the past and the ~uture, then it is in each other that oIl

newcomers find their experience of history Th . on the generational encounter is not simply one of eir perspec- of continuity versus discontinuity or of old past versus

, versus new.

newcomers are forging their own identities they do not want to hasi di ,nec-

find I e~p alsl~e Iscontinuity more than continuity. They a pace in re anon to the p t.Tn ordr g . as. n or er to participate they

am some access - vicarious as it ma be _ .'

.. ~~s:~~tribute to; they must make it p?rt of th:rt:::I~~~~i~~e?'

imers; 'th:~w~~::;::~:S::1 necessarily more progressive tha~ established members d Th Y Sheekto c~ange the practice more , . o. ey ave an mvestment in continuity

UNC It connects them to a history of whi h h , f T IC t ey are not a part

h .very ragr tty and their efforts to include some of th hi .

I err own identity may push them toward ki . at. rstory I I . see 109 conttnUity

rse y, 0 d-timers have an investment in their . . nUl necessarily seek continuity. Embroiled' h pract~~e, yet th~y rnunity and with the confidence derived f;:~ e p~b~lcs ~f t~elr

they know too 11 th partlclpatton m a

future not so much :: ~ont~:u:;; a:~:t~~ei7tv::~t~i~s:.I,,;~;n thus welcome the new potentials afforded b g. Y

IIfC less hostage to the past. y new generatIOns

jng on how a community negotiates individ r r'lCOUnter can have diffcrcnr effecrs _ . 'th d'ftiuaIty, the genera- . ". WI I erent degrees of on contmulI.y and dIN"oluinllity aN old-timers a d

thcir identitics ill Ilu'i, rIlHIUlII('1 This encou n t

~ewlcomers II meeti g f I I . n er IS a ways a

n () Ill' ,'IlM 1111 '''to '"I"". Oil,' in w"'ch .• I generations

158 Part II; ldennty (.'11(1/110' 6. ItIrflllt)/ tn prartirr 159 attempt to define their idcnriuc» hy IIIve",inl( them in different nlll ments of the history of a practice. The new will both continue IlIullll. place the 01d.6 In each other, generations find the partiality as well • the connectedness of their personal trajectories, that is, new dime sions of finitude and extension of their identities.

The temporality of identity in practice is thus a subtle form of '"m porality. It is neither merely individual nor simply linear. The pas', ,ht present, and the future are not in a simple straight line, but ernbodi in interlocked trajectories. It is a social form of temporality, when' ,he past and the future interact as the history of a community unfuldt across generations.

In summary, the temporal notion of trajectory characterizes idl'n tity as:

I) a work in progress 2) shaped by efforts - both individual and collective - to crCIII(,

coherence through time that threads together successive fUl III of participation in the definition of a person

3) incorporating the past and the future in the experience of IIt, present

4) negotiated with respect to paradigmatic trajectories 5) invested in histories of practice and in generational politics

Nexus of multimembership

As I mentioned, we all belong to many communities of I"IU tice: some past, some current; some as full members, some in more Jl ripheral ways. Some may be central to our identities while othe r~ "' more incidental. Whatever their nature, all these various forms of "lIr ticipation contribute in some way to the production of our identines As a consequence, the very notion of identity entails

1) an experience of multimembership 2) the work of reconciliation necessary to maintain one ide"'"

across boundaries.

IIr~students in community colleges; some are parents; some are ..rcn·-Il(ICr;~: some arc bar-goers; some have engrossing hobbies. In

for many of them, their work is a part of their identity that they to disparage. usc our identities are not something we turn on and off, our var-

forms of participation are not merely sequences in time. Claims ~"lllo:fllr!: who are parents come to the office without their children, they will return home at the end of the afternoon to be with them.

there are sequential phases in their engagement in different 10- they certainly do not cease to be parents because they are at

They talk about their kids; and, more generally, the tidbits of con- they interweave with their exchanges of work-related infor-

continually reflect their participation in other practices. r various forms of participation delineate pieces of a puzzle we

together rather than sharp boundaries between disconnected parts lves.' An identity is thus more than just a single trajectory; in-

it should be viewed as a nexus of multimembership. As such a identity is not a unity but neither is it simply fragmented.

the one hand, we engage in different practices in each of the com- . ies of practice to which we belong. We often behave rather dif- Ily in each of them, construct different aspects of ourselves, and different perspectives.

the other hand, considering a person as having multiple identities It! miss all the subtle ways in which our various forms of partie- inn, no matter how distinct, can interact, influence each other, require coordination.

notion of nexus adds multiplicity to the notion of trajectory. A docs not merge the specific trajectories we form in our various unities of practice into one; but neither does it decompose our

ily into distinct trajectories in each community. In a nexus, multi- tr.jc:ctories become part of each other, whether they clash or rein- each other. They are, at the same time, one and multiple.

Identity as multimembership

Our membership in any community of practice is only II I'"" of our identity. Claims processors do not form their identities enllld, at work. They came to their jobs as adultN or youths, having belollf(ul to many communities of practice. S(IIlW hove ()llu.lrjobs concurrernlv

Identity as reconciliation

If a nexus of multimembership is more than just a fragmented hv, being one person requires some work to reconcile our dif- Iorrns of membership. Different practices can make competing

that arc difficult II) combine into an experience that corre- to :1single identity. In pal tiC'ttl"r:

16() Part II: Idl'"III)1

1) different ways of cl1l(;l~illl( ill pructuc may reflect differen' forms of individuality

2) different forms of accountability may call for different respous to the same circumstances

3) elements of one repertoire may be quite inappropriate, incom prehensible, or even offensive in another community.

Reconciling these aspects of competence demands more than JUI' learning the rules of what to do when. It requires the construction u an identity that can include these different meanings and forms of pilr ticipation into one nexus. Understood as the negotiation ?f .an idcn tity, the process of reconciling different forms of membership ~sdeep , than just discrete choices or beliefs. For a doctor work1O~ 10 a hUll pital making decisions that do justice to both her profeSSIOnalstan dards and institutional bottom-line demands is not simply a matter II making discrete decisions; she must find an identity that can rec?nt II the demands of these forms of accountability into a way of being In the world.

The work of reconciliation may be the most significant challcng faced by learners who move from one community of practice to lUI other. For instance, when a child moves from a family to a classroom, when an immigrant moves from one culture to another, or when an em ployee moves from the ranks to a management position, learning '" volves more than appropriating new pieces of information. Learnen must often deal with conflicting forms of individuality and competent as defined in different communities.

The nexus resulting from reconciliation work is not necessarily hilI monious, and the process is not done once and for all. Multimember ship may involve ongoing tensions that are never resolve~. B~t. the Vtl Y presence of tension implies that there is an effort at matnta1OlO~SOIll kind of coexistence. By using the term "reconciliation" to describe tlll_ process of identity formation, I want to suggest that proceeding with life - with actions and interactions - entails finding ways to make our various forms of membership coexist, whether the process of reconcih ation leads to successful resolutions or is a constant struggle. In otlu I words, by including processes of reconciliation in the ve~ de~nition III identity, I am suggesting that the maintenance of an Ide~tlty acr~)~. boundaries requires work and, moreover, that the work of integratn •• our various forms of participation is not just a secondary process. Tlus work is not simply an additional concern for an independently defined identity viewed as a unitary object; rather, it is at the core of what II

tn he IIpersoll. Multimcmbership and the work of reconciliation Intrinsic to the very concept of identity.

Sacial bridges and private selves

Multimembership is the living experience of boundaries. This a dual relation between identities and the landscape of practice:

reflect each other and they shape each other. In weaving multiple ............. 1'" together, our experience of multimembership replays in ldentities the texture of the landscape of practice. But this replay is • passive reflection. On the contrary, as the boundaries of practice

part of our personal experience of identity, the work of recon- is an active, creative process. As we engage our whole person

our identities dynamically encompass multiple perspectives negotiation of new meanings. In these new meanings we nego-

our own activities and identities, and at the same time the histories lations among our communities of practice. The creative negotia- of an identity always has the potential to rearrange these relations.

thili regard, multimernbership is not just a matter of personal iden- Thc work of reconciliation is a profoundly social kind of work.

the creation of the person, it is constantly creating bridges - least potential bridges - across the landscape of practice. yet, the work of reconciliation can easily remain invisible be-

it may not be perceived as part of the enterprise of any commu- of practice. Across boundaries, the parallelism between histories

and personal trajectories no longer holds. The experience multimembership can require the reconciliation of a nexus that is

and thus very personal. Indeed, this nexus may not, in its en- be relevant to any practice or even to any relationship we have

anyone. Even though each element of the nexus may belong to a unity, the nexus itself may not. The careful weaving of this nexus

mulrimembership into an identity can therefore be a very private Ih"\lprnpl~t" By incorporating into the definition of the person the di-

of the social world, the social notion of a nexus of multimem- thus introduces into the concept of identity a deeply personal

.... ,'''''''" of individuality.

Local-global interplay

An important aspect of the work of any community of prac- is to create a picture of the broader context in which its practice is

162 Part II: Identity Chapter 6: ""'''11/)1 '" practice 163

located. In this process, much local energy is directed at global issu • and relationships. For Ariel, belonging to the profession of claims 1m cessing or to an organization like Alinsu constitute relations whCl~ meanings she negotiates through her participation in her community IIr practice. For instance, when one of her colleagues was fired for spcakm, against the company at a radio show, claims processors used each oth r as resources for making sense of this event. Their local community II practice became a productive context in which to discuss whether I. was right for the claims processor to criticize her employer publiclj or for the company to respond by firing her. Similarly, sports event and TV shows are the topics of frequent and animated conversaticns In the office. Although these conversations reflect outside interests .lnd allegiances, they become part of the processors' participation in Ihl'l local community. If the baseball fans or the television watchers WOI hd among people for whom allegiance to a baseball team was a trivial con cern and watching television a waste of time, their interests may w II take on very different meanings for them.

More generally, what it means to be left-handed or right-handed, • woman or a man, good-looking or plain, a younger person or an (I'" , person, a high-school dropout or the holder of a doctorate, the owner .. a BMW or of a beat-up subcompact, literate or illiterate, outcast or III cessful - these meanings are shaped by the practices where such 1111 gories are lived as engaged identities. Broader categories and inN"'" tions attract our attention because they are often more publicly 1't·,h 4 than the communities of practice in which we experience them ns ".." of a lived identity. Affiliation with a political party is more public ,h." membership in a group that discusses politics over lunch, but the lum h discussions may have more impact on our thinking than the pu, tv platform.

In the same way that a practice is not just local but connccud It broader constellations, an identity - even in its aspects that are foun • in a specific community of practice - is not just local to that connuu nity. In our communities of practice we come together not only III III gage in pursuing some enterprise but also to figure out how 011I I II gagement fits in the broader scheme of things. Identity in practu I I therefore always an interplay between the local and the global.

In summary, drawing a parallel between practice and idem ity It yielded a perspective on identity that inherits the texture ofpracrice I" deed, our identities are rich and complex because they are pmdl" , II within the rich and complex set of relations of practice. The parallel h. characterized identity in practice as «)III1WS,

I) Lived. Identity is not merely a category, a personality trait, a role, or a label; it is more fundamentally an experience that in- volves both participation and reification. Hence it is more di- verse and more complex than categories, traits, roles, or labels would suggest.

2) Negotiated. Identity is a becoming; the work of identity is on- going and pervasive. It is not confined to specific periods of life, like adolescence, or to specific settings, like the family.

1) Social. Community membership gives the formation of iden- tity a fundamentally social character. Our membership mani- fests itself in the familiarity we experience with certain social contexts. A learning process. An identity is a trajectory in time that incor- porates both past and future into the meaning of the present. A nexus. An identity combines multiple forms of membership through a process of reconciliation across boundaries of prac- tice. A local-global interplay. An identity is neither narrowly local to activities nor abstractly global. Like practice, it is an interplay of both.

that the link between individual engagement and the formation munities of practice has produced a basic perspective on the con-

nf identity, I can start to explore further aspects of the concept will shed further light on the link between practice and identity,

well as move beyond the confines of practice.