Review Essay: Inside the Ghost Train of Collective Identity. Lutz Niethammer's Criticism of the Concept's Boom

NIETHAMMER offers an extensive, very critical, multifaceted and stimulating view on the successful history of the concept of identity. First, he indicates some early traces of that concept in the work of some outstanding intellectuals from the beginning of the 20th century. Since these early traces...

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Main Author: Dietmar Rost
Format: Article
Language:deu
Published: FQS 2003-05-01
Series:Forum: Qualitative Social Research
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.qualitative-research.net/index.php/fqs/article/view/734
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author Dietmar Rost
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author_sort Dietmar Rost
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description NIETHAMMER offers an extensive, very critical, multifaceted and stimulating view on the successful history of the concept of identity. First, he indicates some early traces of that concept in the work of some outstanding intellectuals from the beginning of the 20th century. Since these early traces are already about collective identity, NIETHAMMER denies the common view, that after World War II, the concept of collective identity was developed from that of personal identity. Even in early manifestations of collective identity, the concept was situated in very different contexts. He regards identity as a "plastic word"—rich in connotations that cover more than it grasps. Because of that reason, (and backed by his analysis of the recent boom in the concept's usage), NIETHAMMER sharply criticizes collective identity as a notion that he would prefer to see abandoned. His strong criticism, however, doesn't fully apply to all variations of collective identity that he mentions. URN: urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs0302476
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spelling doaj.art-dc028f9949394426be6c424cd3537f8e2022-12-22T01:41:16ZdeuFQSForum: Qualitative Social Research1438-56272003-05-0142721Review Essay: Inside the Ghost Train of Collective Identity. Lutz Niethammer's Criticism of the Concept's BoomDietmar Rost0Kulturwissenschaftliches Institut EssenNIETHAMMER offers an extensive, very critical, multifaceted and stimulating view on the successful history of the concept of identity. First, he indicates some early traces of that concept in the work of some outstanding intellectuals from the beginning of the 20th century. Since these early traces are already about collective identity, NIETHAMMER denies the common view, that after World War II, the concept of collective identity was developed from that of personal identity. Even in early manifestations of collective identity, the concept was situated in very different contexts. He regards identity as a "plastic word"—rich in connotations that cover more than it grasps. Because of that reason, (and backed by his analysis of the recent boom in the concept's usage), NIETHAMMER sharply criticizes collective identity as a notion that he would prefer to see abandoned. His strong criticism, however, doesn't fully apply to all variations of collective identity that he mentions. URN: urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs0302476http://www.qualitative-research.net/index.php/fqs/article/view/734collective identitypersonal identitytheoryhistory of a conceptidentity politicsinterdisciplinary approach
spellingShingle Dietmar Rost
Review Essay: Inside the Ghost Train of Collective Identity. Lutz Niethammer's Criticism of the Concept's Boom
Forum: Qualitative Social Research
collective identity
personal identity
theory
history of a concept
identity politics
interdisciplinary approach
title Review Essay: Inside the Ghost Train of Collective Identity. Lutz Niethammer's Criticism of the Concept's Boom
title_full Review Essay: Inside the Ghost Train of Collective Identity. Lutz Niethammer's Criticism of the Concept's Boom
title_fullStr Review Essay: Inside the Ghost Train of Collective Identity. Lutz Niethammer's Criticism of the Concept's Boom
title_full_unstemmed Review Essay: Inside the Ghost Train of Collective Identity. Lutz Niethammer's Criticism of the Concept's Boom
title_short Review Essay: Inside the Ghost Train of Collective Identity. Lutz Niethammer's Criticism of the Concept's Boom
title_sort review essay inside the ghost train of collective identity lutz niethammer s criticism of the concept s boom
topic collective identity
personal identity
theory
history of a concept
identity politics
interdisciplinary approach
url http://www.qualitative-research.net/index.php/fqs/article/view/734
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