Theorising and investigating identity in Slovak social psychology in 1989-2001

The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of empirical research on identities in Slovak social psychology between 1989 and 2001. First, it summarizes the most influential theories of identity within social psychology, focusing on intra-individual, inter-individual/interaction and group aspects of identity construction; it also explores the differences between essentialist and contextual definitions of identity. The empirical part presents research on identification with macro-social entities focusing on inter-generational and minority-majority differences in identity construction, on construction of national and ethnic identity in minority and majority, on primordial vs. instrumental beliefs about identity and on national identity in Slovak intellectuals and students. Finally, it discusses some conceptual and methodological aspects of these studies.