From Inherited to Constructed Identity: First-Person Narratives in the Context of Transmission
With the aim of exploring some of the mechanisms and negotiations involved in family transmission, we conducted a field study based on the life story method with a group of young Montrealers in fall 2019. Qualitative data collection and analysis followed the “family novel and social trajectory” approach, as developed in clinical sociology. Through a process of “guided recollection,” research participants were encouraged to share their family histories and put into words the sources of belonging and individuality that underpin their self-identity. The article analyzes how the resulting narratives highlight various strategies used to negotiate and reshape identity. Furthermore, genealogical imperatives emerged within various modes of relation and identification, triggering imitation mechanisms that produced both suffering and resilience.