Fragmented or faceted?: a theoretical (re) analysis of the social self in the postmodern information age

Abstract

As we approach the end of the twentieth century, the state of the social self is being questioned by many in the field of Sociology. Many in the social sciences are arguing that in the current postmodern age, dominated by information technologies, the self reaches a state of fragmentation as the individual becomes involved in an increasing number of different, and often conflicting, social groups. Existing theories of the self are found to be inadequate frameworks for the analysis of the self. An alternative theoretical perspective is offered which conceptualizes the self as faceted rather than fragmented. This framework synthesizes the relevant sociological literature on the self with the analytical psychological work of Carl G. Jung.