There are two main goals I hope to accomplish with this thesis. First, I will make a case for the value of theory analysis and review its methods (Markovsky 1993, 1994, 1996, 2010, Markovsky et al. 2008, and Markovsky & Kazemi forthcoming), including the use of modularization in theory construction (Markovsky 2010; Markovsky et al. 2008). Next, I will apply these methods to identity theory, most notably Stryker's (Stryker 1968, 1980, 1981, Stryker & Serpe 1982). This approach is taken with an eye toward capitalizing upon eight desirable characteristics of sound theory (Cohen 1989, Markovsky 1996, Barnum 1997). That is, I hope to contribute to identity theory by offering a provisional, reformulated version constructed around these properties: reducing contradiction and ambivalence, and improving communicability, abstractness, generality, precision, parsimony, and conditionality (Markovsky 1996). The reformulated theory will serve as a core module which can be connected to similar other theories of identity which share terms, scope conditions, or propositions.
","abstract_html":"<p> There are two main goals I hope to accomplish with this thesis. First, I will make a case for the value of theory analysis and review its methods (Markovsky 1993, 1994, 1996, 2010, Markovsky et al. 2008, and Markovsky & Kazemi forthcoming), including the use of modularization in theory construction (Markovsky 2010; Markovsky et al. 2008). Next, I will apply these methods to identity theory, most notably Stryker's (Stryker 1968, 1980, 1981, Stryker & Serpe 1982). This approach is taken with an eye toward capitalizing upon eight desirable characteristics of sound theory (Cohen 1989, Markovsky 1996, Barnum 1997). That is, I hope to contribute to identity theory by offering a provisional, reformulated version constructed around these properties: reducing contradiction and ambivalence, and improving communicability, abstractness, generality, precision, parsimony, and conditionality (Markovsky 1996). The reformulated theory will serve as a core module which can be connected to similar other theories of identity which share terms, scope conditions, or propositions.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Frederick, Jacob Taylor"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"M.A.","degree_level":"Campus Access Thesis","degree_discipline":"Sociology","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Barry Markovsky"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2012,"date_issued":"2012-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2012-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T04:38:14Z","subjects":["Social and Behavioral Sciences","Sociology","Formalization","Identity","Modularity","Theory"],"languages":[],"rights":["© 2012, Jacob Taylor Frederick"],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd/1925","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Barry Markovsky"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Frederick, Jacob Taylor"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Sociology"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Campus Access Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["M.A."]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Social and Behavioral Sciences","Sociology","Formalization","Identity","Modularity","Theory"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["© 2012, Jacob Taylor Frederick"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd/1925"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["There are two main goals I hope to accomplish with this thesis. First, I will make a case for the value of theory analysis and review its methods (Markovsky 1993, 1994, 1996, 2010, Markovsky et al. 2008, and Markovsky & Kazemi forthcoming), including the use of modularization in theory construction (Markovsky 2010; Markovsky et al. 2008). Next, I will apply these methods to identity theory, most notably Stryker's (Stryker 1968, 1980, 1981, Stryker & Serpe 1982). This approach is taken with an eye toward capitalizing upon eight desirable characteristics of sound theory (Cohen 1989, Markovsky 1996, Barnum 1997). That is, I hope to contribute to identity theory by offering a provisional, reformulated version constructed around these properties: reducing contradiction and ambivalence, and improving communicability, abstractness, generality, precision, parsimony, and conditionality (Markovsky 1996). The reformulated theory will serve as a core module which can be connected to similar other theories of identity which share terms, scope conditions, or propositions.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Formalizing and Modularizing Identity Theory"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Barry Markovsky"],"dc:creator":["Frederick, Jacob Taylor"],"dc:description.abstract":["There are two main goals I hope to accomplish with this thesis. First, I will make a case for the value of theory analysis and review its methods (Markovsky 1993, 1994, 1996, 2010, Markovsky et al. 2008, and Markovsky & Kazemi forthcoming), including the use of modularization in theory construction (Markovsky 2010; Markovsky et al. 2008). Next, I will apply these methods to identity theory, most notably Stryker's (Stryker 1968, 1980, 1981, Stryker & Serpe 1982). This approach is taken with an eye toward capitalizing upon eight desirable characteristics of sound theory (Cohen 1989, Markovsky 1996, Barnum 1997). That is, I hope to contribute to identity theory by offering a provisional, reformulated version constructed around these properties: reducing contradiction and ambivalence, and improving communicability, abstractness, generality, precision, parsimony, and conditionality (Markovsky 1996). The reformulated theory will serve as a core module which can be connected to similar other theories of identity which share terms, scope conditions, or propositions.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd/1925"],"dc:rights":["© 2012, Jacob Taylor Frederick"],"dc:subject":["Social and Behavioral Sciences","Sociology","Formalization","Identity","Modularity","Theory"],"dc:title":["Formalizing and Modularizing Identity Theory"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Sociology"],"thesis:degree_level":["Campus Access Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["M.A."]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T04:38:14Z"}