Summary of Sheldon Stryker's identity theory
People's interactions with others in social situations stem from their conceptions of themselves. We as a society have expectations of one another, which mostly depend on the hierarchy of identity. Somebody's identity within a social context depends on their stance compared to the people around them, for example a manager of a business and their customer; the way they interact will adhere to their position of power.
People can change their identities according to the situation; most people have multiple identities. However, some interactions will be free of structural constraints which gives individuals more freedom and choice with their identity. An example of this would be around close family members.
Summary of George J. McCall and J. L. Simmons' Theory of Identity
This theory is similar to Stryker's, but with some differences. Role performances are improvised in social situations. They reflect plans and goals of the individual, because legitimating one's identity is always a driving force of human behaviour.
Altercasting is something that commonly happens, which is when an identity is forced on someone in a social situation to benefit the persuader. Both the social role and ego are targeted and can be positive or negative.
Validation is obtained of one's ideal self if their role is successful, and it is more important than any other validation.
Each theory explains how individuals' identities are formed by social interactions, however Stryker seems to focus more so on the hierarchy of identity and the different levels of social situations. McCall and Simmons are more about how the identity is for a person's own gain and their own validation of their internal self image.
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