Dimensions of Identity. Review of “Identities: Semiotics of Representation and Pragmatics of Stance”. Kaliningrad. 2022

The basic definitions and the main scientific approaches to identity have been developed in the framework of different academic disciplines such as philosophy, sociology, politics, discursive analysis, and sociolinguistics. In the perspective of these interdisciplinary positions, the concept of identity is discussed in the new collective monograph “Identities: semiotics of representation and pragmatics of positioning”, published in Kaliningrad in 2022. The present review summarizes and critically considers the central topics under discussion and new results of the monograph, as well as its theoretical and applied significance. The book under review brings together modern theoretical and applied approaches to the concept of identity as a dynamic construction. The book reveals that identity as self-awareness and self-determination of a person is formed, developed and thus transferred only in the process of communication, within discursive and narrative practices. The monograph considers various practices that are crucial to observe various manifestations of identities. It is shown, that the awareness of an individual or a social group about themselves may change to the extent, that the value of some components of identity is reimagined in comparison with others. The necessity of interdisciplinary studies of identity is revealed. The role of linguistic and semiotic means of expressing and shaping the identities is investigated along with the increasing importance of linguistic methods in the study of identity. The analysis of various socio-cultural and narrative practices makes it possible to integrate the interdisciplinary issues of identity and to ensure the convergence of disciplinary approaches. The interdisciplinary approach of the reviewed publication reveals its merits, and will attract a wide range of specialists.