The research presented in this volume focuses on the concept of identity, its genesis, and on discourse and identity construction in social sciences and the humanities and includes several levels of analysis. The theoretical and methodological level is devoted to examining the concept of identity and the approaches to interpreting it (Part One). The main trends of the socio-political changes underway in contemporary societies are examined in the context of identity transformations.
These include general trends (Part Two) and transformations taking place in different parts of a globalizing world and in differing cultural contexts (Part Three). An extensive dictionary section (Part Four) contains a collection of key concepts, while a biography section (Part Five) describes the ideas and approaches of scholars who have played a notable role in advancing identity studies. The experience gained in the empirical analysis of identity is presented in the book’s final section (Part Six). A cognitive map of the terms and concepts used in academic discourse is assembled from the results of this analysis (Part Seven). The Book opens with an overview of the field of identity studies and an assessment of its cognitive potential in analyzing the socio-political changes of today (the section  Identity: Concepts, Methodology, and Fields of Study).