Frihetens bakgård en litteratursociologisk studie om självets identitetsvåndor i det senmoderna samhället
This Masters thesis is analysing four Swedish novels written by first time authors published between 1993-2002. The purpose is to make the fictitious main characters illustrate what conditions and obstacles there can be for the individual of today to create a self-identity. Anthony Giddens ideas about the self in the late modern society are used as a theoretical framework. In the core of Giddens theory is the concept of reflexitivity which means that the self must be constructed in a continuous fashion because the overall conditions in society are subject to constant change. The questions posed in this study are dependable on Giddens in general and the concept of reflexivity in particular. The method used is a loose form of idea and ideology analysis. In the conclusion it is observed that the characters are experiencing great troubles in establishing an autobiographical reflexive way of thinking, which is of crucial importance for the construction of a self identity in the late modern society. The main obstacle is the dependence on other peoples notion of the self. In a final discussion it is noticed that the globalised society involves numerous ways of looking at identity.